I’m intrigued, especially after reading you have omitted the molasses. Yesterday’s blini were collectively the bomb with lox and caviar, and just a fantastic pairing with Laherte Rosé de Meunier, disgorged 8.2021.
I didn’t think the blinis needed any sweetening. Buckwheat’s got a lovely nutty taste on its own.
I like little latkes, mini potato pancakes. Can make a day ahead and warm to room temp.
We share many tastes in food from what you’ve posted. We part here. I love caviar, eat it often, and have zero love for blinis. I find them to be bland and their texture detracts from the texture and pop of good caviar.
I like mine with a spoon. Or with lightly salted potato chips and crème fraiche, lightly buttered toast, on a twice baked potato ala Kaspia in Paris, or on very softly scrambled eggs with crème fraiche.
After decades of preferring Champagne, I now prefer chilled vodka (which has no other beneficial use except in bloody marys or to disinfect a wound). I like the astringency as a refreshing palate cleanser. Which is weird, as Champagne is my favorite beverage to pair with food.
Not so far off. I like caviar on good potato chips or eggs as well. A few years ago I had caviar with smashed tiny potatoes, and that was delicious. Creme fraiche with any of these. I used to like vodka with caviar, but haven’t drunk vodka in the past fifteen years or so and doubt I’m going back to it. I’ve had quite wonderful pairings of sake with caviar.
Mark - you probably saw my IG post on pairing the Boingneres Eau de Vie of Folle Blanche with caviar. It was a revelation to me, delivering what I like in the vodka pairing, along with more interest and depth. Come visit sometime, or we’ll meet in NY, and I’d be happy to demonstrate.
I can totally understand this (and would add Moscow Mules as a good use of vodka on behalf of my wife). With caviar, I started gravitating to bone dry champagnes with a low taste profile. I do go back to more briochy/toasty bubbles once in a while as it reminds me of yesteryear but it’s less frequent. I’ve found ice-cold vodka is always a go-to as well but other people are scared of it thinking it will be too inebriating so we scarcely do it (it’s also great with borscht).
As for blini, love them. Love potato latkes. Love thin röstis as well. Love toast points. I love it on its own, used appropriately to finish a dish, heck I’ve had it on dessert! I’ve never, ever, tried it on a potato chip and it’s not calling to me yet.
Not Mark and did not see it on IG but it sounds wonderful. I just emailed this post to myself because I need to try this! ![]()
What is the flavor profile? I’ve never tasted Folle Blanche new make.
It is not particularly fruity, and has savory elements to it, earthy/spicy with only slight sweetness, with just a flavor reminiscent of fruit binding it all. The alcohol is prominent - above most armagnac - and it has not been softened by oak at all. Drinking it straight from the freezer of course lends that viscosity which masquerades as softness. Since you know new make spirit, you can probably imagine better than most.
I’m very intrigued. I love Eaux de Vie from many regions and seek them out when we travel. Folle Blanche Eau de Vie doesn’t appear to be available in the US. I wonder if marc or grappa would work as a substitute.

