Kletski – traditional Belarusian dish
A recipe for tasty and comforting potato dumplings filled with pork and onions, and a recording of a Belarusian poem.
This post is a part of the series of family recipes that are cherished, loved, and passed through generations in my Belarusian and Ukrainian families. I cook each recipe in my kitchen and include detailed descriptions and photos of each step, as well as cooking secrets and tips. View all family recipes from Eastern Europe.
This post contains not only a recipe for a delicious Belarusian dish called kletski but also a recording of a Belarusian poem and its English translation. I read the poem in Belarusian so you can hear the sound of Belarusian language. Nowadays, Belarusian culture is on the verge of extinction because of Russian colonialism and centuries-long oppression. Russians rewrote Belarusian history, killed Belarusian intelligentsia, appropriated Belarusian achievements, and did everything to erase Belarusian language. They were successful in making many Belarusians believe that Belarusian culture was backward and persuaded the world that Belarusians were one people with Russians. They even changed the spelling of the word “Belarusian” to “Belo-russian” to solidify their lies. Unfortunately, too often, when people hear that I am from Belarus, they immediately say: “So, you are basically Russian? What’s the difference?” By sharing Belarusian recipes and poems and writing about Belarusian culture and history, I hope to educate people about Belarus, debunk Russian lies, and help Belarusian culture survive.
There is a famous saying in Belarus that potatoes are the second bread, showing how important they are in Belarusian culture. Did you know that Belarus holds the first place in the world in terms of consuming potatoes per capita? Data shows that an average Belarusian eats approximately 392 lb (178 kg) of potatoes per year. Belarusian cuisine has hundreds of recipes from potatoes, and kletski is one of them. I remember that my mom had an old Belarusian recipe book titled “250 Recipes from Potatoes” in my childhood. I wish I had it now!
Kletski (pronounced “kliótski”) can be cooked with or without meat filling. Traditionally, plain kletski were an everyday meal, while kletski with meat were cooked for celebrations. In the Vitebsk region, in the northern part of Belarus, kletski with meat were called “kletski with souls.” They were served on All Souls’ Day, called Dziady in Belarusian, celebrated in November. In other regions of Belarus, kletski were cooked throughout the year.
While researching the history of kletski, I found a poem by the famous Belarusian poet Ryhor Baradulin. He grew up in the Vitebsk region where kletski were very popular and had a deep meaning. I couldn’t find the translation of the poem and ended up translating it myself. I also recorded reading it in Belarusian so you can hear the original.
Ryhor Baradulin “Peeling potatoes” 1983 I peel potatoes one by one from land that my bare feet remember. The land that, even under snow, my hands will recognize by touch. Because this land holds all of mine, everyone, who became my roots, grains of sand, the edges of forest roads, washed away by murky floods. There, potatoes were on all occasions: grated for kletski for a memorial dinner. Kletski with “souls” entered gloomy days with drops of steam, as morning dew. And, on the day when we remember all departed, kletski were present, too and reminded that a trembling light of our souls is not forever in the body. The dinner will be as delicious as in the days, when food was disappearing from the plates in seconds. When, with a forgotten appetite, the one who’s fasting craves the leaves of goosefoot. I peel potatoes. The skins smell with the trails, that run across the hills. The past is calling me with Mother’s voice: “From the stove, from the floor, Come quickly to the table!”
Listen to the poem in Belarusian:
I can relate to the feelings described in this poem a lot. Whenever I cook potatoes, I’m instantly transferred back home.
I hope you’ll try cooking traditional Belarusian kletski, as it’s an easy and very comforting meal. Served with sour cream and sauteed onions, they are perfect for lunch or dinner for the whole family!
Below, you will find the step-by-step recipe instructions and photos of each step, which are available for paid subscribers. By upgrading to paid, you won’t only receive access to all previously posted family recipes from Eastern Europe, but will also allow me to continue my work and support both of my families who became refugees and whose recipes I share with you.