Varenyky with bilberries (afyny)

What it is

Varenyky with bilberries are the main summer dish of mountain families during the bilberry season. 'Afyny', 'yafyny' — this is how the common bilberry is referred to in the Carpathians, a berry that covers the slopes under the spruces and the polonynas. In western Ukraine, varenyky are often called 'pyrohy', so the menu may also feature 'pyrohy with bilberries'.

The dough is simple unleavened, made from flour and water (sometimes with an egg), rolled out thinly. The filling consists of raw berries, lightly sprinkled with sugar, and the varenyky are tightly sealed, as bilberries release a lot of juice. They are boiled briefly — for a few minutes after the varenyky float to the surface, to prevent the dough from becoming mushy.

The finished varenyky have a purple juice inside that stains both lips and fingers. They are served with sour cream, honey, or simply with sugar.

The season is short: bilberries in the mountains ripen in July–August, in the polonynas — until September. In winter, varenyky are made with frozen berries.

History and name

Varenyky with bilberries are known throughout Ukraine — they are mentioned by Zynoviya Klynovetska in her book 'Dishes and Drinks in Ukraine' (1913). A Carpathian feature is the berry itself: bilberries grow abundantly here, and their harvest has long been a summer source of income for mountain families. The description of Hutsul cuisine in the Verkhovyna National Park mentions varenyky filled with bilberries (afyny) among the characteristic dishes of the region.

The word 'afyna' is considered a borrowing from Romanian (afină — 'bilberry').

Ingredients and allergens

Variant: with sugar and sour cream

Bilberries (afyny)400–500 gThe main berry of the Carpathians, known here as afyny or yafyny; season — July to September.

Wheat flour400–500 gFor the dough of varenyky, palačinky, bobalyok, and pasky.Contains allergens: gluten

Sour creamto taste, to serveThick homemade sour cream is the base for banosh and machanka, a common dressing for Carpathian dishes.Contains allergens: milk

Also: eggs (1 pc in the dough, optional), water (200–250 ml), sugar (2–4 tbsp)

Contains allergens: gluten, milk
Depending on how it is served, may contain: eggs
Diet: vegetarian

Variant: lenten, with honey

wheat flour, bilberries (afyny), water, honey

Contains allergens: gluten
Diet: lenten · vegetarian

Ingredients of the traditional recipe; every cook and every place may do it differently — please ask when ordering. We cannot guarantee the absence of allergens or traces.

How it is traditionally made

Serves: 35–45 varenyky

• Wheat flour — 400–500 g
• Bilberries (afyny) — 400–500 g
• Water — 200–250 ml
• Sugar — 2–4 tbsp
• Eggs — 1 pc in the dough
• Sour cream — to taste

1. Knead the unleavened dough from flour, warm water, and a pinch of salt (optionally with an egg); it should be soft and not sticky. Let it rest for 20–30 minutes under a bowl.
2. Sort and rinse the berries, allowing the water to drain. It is better to add sugar directly into the varenyky rather than into the entire filling, so the berries do not release juice prematurely.
3. Roll the dough out thinly and cut out circles with a glass.
4. Place a spoonful of berries and a little sugar on each circle, tightly pinch the edges.
5. Boil in small batches in salted boiling water: after the varenyky float to the surface, cook for another 2–4 minutes.
6. Remove with a slotted spoon and serve immediately.

How it is served

Hot or warm, with sour cream, honey, or sugar.

Variants

Some housewives steam the varenyky with berries to make the dough more tender. The lean version is made with dough without eggs, served with honey.

The traditional method as described by our sources; every family does it its own way. We have not tested this recipe in a professional kitchen.

Where it is eaten

The entire mountainous part of the Carpathians, where bilberries grow: Hutsulshchyna, Boykivshchyna, Zakarpattia. Varenyky with bilberries are also prepared throughout Ukraine. The area is approximate.

When it is eaten

Occasions: Berry season · Everyday food

In tradition

The berry season in the Carpathians involves collecting bilberries as whole families and making varenyky with bilberries for lunch. The dish is associated with summer and the polonyna, rather than with the ritual calendar.

Safety

Collect bilberries only where permitted: in reserves and protected areas of national parks, collection is prohibited. Do not confuse bilberries with poisonous plants like deadly nightshade and belladonna — if in doubt, buy the berries.

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