Pelmeni is one of the most favorite dishes. Both adults and children enjoy the combination of thin dough and juicy meat filling. Cooking dumplings at home is a long time, it is much easier to buy a ready-made semi-finished product in a store.
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In order to choose tasty and most importantly safe meat semi-finished products in a supermarket, you should adhere to simple rules.
Ideally, the filling should contain only meat (pork, beef, sometimes lamb), salt, onions, and spices. By the way, bona fide manufacturers indicate spices "by name", most often used are black pepper, cumin, coriander. And just the mark "Seasonings" on the label may be an attempt by the manufacturer to hide the presence of starch, flavorings and other "chemicals" in the composition.
Dumplings with the addition of exotic meats like bear and venison differ only in exorbitant price (in reality, the content of the same bear meat, for example, rarely exceeds 10%).
As for the dough, water, egg, salt and flour are used for making. If the package says "egg melange", that's okay too. These are the same eggs (substandard), freed from the shell and frozen at a temperature of -15 degrees, pasteurized without adding preservatives and dyes.
In accordance with GOST, meat and meat-containing semi-finished products are divided into categories:
Here we are talking specifically about muscle fibers (in fact, meat tenderloin), fat, skin, tendons are not taken into account.
Finding semi-finished products of category A is quite difficult. Manufacturers add various spices and onions to the minced meat, so it turns out that less than 80% remains for meat. So when buying, feel free to choose semi-finished products of category B, C - it will be no less tasty.
But it is better to put aside the packages marked D and D. The minced meat can contain soy protein and chicken, or rather mechanically deboned poultry meat (in fact, waste from the production of large-bone semi-finished products), and even semolina, starch (to increase the volume of "meat" mass, usually used for semi-finished products of category D) ...
Advice! Do not pay attention to the front side of the package. In fact, the manufacturer can specify anything there. Finding a category is a problem at all - marking is usually indicated in small print.
There should also be no dyes in the composition. Minced meat in cooked dumplings should be grayish, brown, interspersed with spices are allowed.
It is better to choose a semi-finished product in a transparent package to appreciate the appearance. The dumplings should be smooth, tightly stuck around the edges, without cracks and protruding minced meat. Color - from light yellow to white, without foreign inclusions. Gray color indicates that the manufacturer used the flour of not the best quality. This will not affect the nutritional properties, but on the appearance - yes. Instead of neat dumplings, you can get a sticky mass of dough and minced meat pieces. Uneven color is a sign of non-compliance with technology or repeated freezing.
If you choose a boxed product, just shake it. The contents must move freely inside, otherwise, when opening the package, you may find a sticky lump of minced meat and dough.
Buying semi-finished meat products in a supermarket by weight is not a good idea. Firstly, there is no information about the composition and production time (the maximum that can be found is a label from the box indicating the manufacturer). Secondly, the refrigerator constantly opens and closes, as a result, the temperature storage regime is violated.
The packaging always contains information about the manufacturer, composition, shelf life (maximum should not exceed 6 months), date of manufacture.
By the way, dumplings should be stored at a temperature of - 18 degrees, after defrosting - disposed of (salted minced meat is an excellent breeding ground for pathogenic bacteria). Therefore, you should not buy semi-finished products with an expiration date on the stock.
In this case, the high price is not a sign of quality. Advertising and the design of beautiful packaging are expensive for manufacturers, and all costs are included in the cost of the finished product. For example, the advertised dumplings "Eat at home" at a price of more than 500 rubles per kg did not pass the inspection of Roskachestvo, and buyers did not appreciate the "homemade taste".
You can buy a good, and most importantly, high-quality and safe product for 200 rubles. The main thing is to carefully study the information on the label.
According to nutritionists, dumplings are a completely self-sufficient product that you can eat at least every day. But for healthy people who do not have problems with the gastrointestinal tract and provided that the filling is made of good meat and the dough is made of flour made from durum wheat. And if you replace minced beef with chicken breast and add a little lean pork, you get an almost dietary dish.
Tip: if you follow your figure, you can eat a serving of 10 pieces without consequences - this is about 300 kilocalories.
As for the dumplings labeled "Children's", this is nothing more than a marketing ploy. GOST R 51187-98 for the production of semi-finished meat products for baby food was valid until 2016. The document detailed only those requirements for ingredients (by the way, soy and semolina were allowed in the composition), but also for the technological process. Now children's dumplings differ from the usual ones except in size and color - sometimes manufacturers add natural dyes to the dough (beetroot or spinach juice).
It is almost impossible to find out exactly what ingredients are contained in purchased dumplings, so it's better to eat them no more than 2 times a week, or do it yourself.
Below is a rating based on customer reviews. The top includes semi-finished products of category B, C, which have passed the Roskachestvo test for safety requirements, compliance with GOST.
Classic meat dumplings. Thin dough, large amount of filling (without cartilage and impurities). Do not boil over. Contains no preservatives, artificial flavors. Moderately salty, spices do not obstruct the meat flavor.Inspection of Roskachestvo found no violations - the semi-finished product complies with GOST in all respects (the ratio of proteins and fats, filling and dough, the absence of antibiotics and E. coli in the minced meat).
Customer reviews are extremely positive, so you can safely try.
Manufacturer - JSC "Invest Alliance"
Price - 153 rubles / kg
Good semi-finished meat product. The filling contains only meat, onions and spices, without GMOs, preservatives and soy. The dough is dense, natural yellowish-white color, does not break during cooking.
The information on the packaging is true (unless the manufacturer slightly overestimated the fat content).
Judging by the reviews, the dumplings are delicious, do not stick together during cooking, the broth is transparent. Another plus is the transparent packaging.
Manufacturer - LLC UDC Ural Holod
Price - about 200 rubles for a package of 800 g.
Semi-finished product from a well-known manufacturer. The filling is meat, onions and black pepper. There are also no questions about the composition of the test.
The dumplings are of a pleasant yellowish color, without cracks on the surface, well molded (without protruding minced meat). The dough is tough, so customers recommend boiling them for a little longer than indicated on the package.
The taste is normal, without foreign odors, the filling is slightly dry.
Manufacturer - CJSC SK Korocha
Price - 250 rubles for 800 g
The last place in the ranking is occupied by a semi-finished product with a rather strange name. Minced meat - only pork and beef with the addition of bacon and natural spices (onions, peppers). For the production of dough, premium flour and egg melange are used.
Checking Roskachestvo showed the absence of soy, preservatives and dyes. The product was even ranked among the best. But customer reviews vary. Many people note a small amount of filling, the presence of hard inclusions in the minced meat, a distinct taste of boiled onions (not everyone will like it). Of the advantages - thin dough, not boiled soft.
Manufacturer - IP Stepanov V.A., Biysk, Altai Territory
Price - 250 rubles per pack in 900 g.
Sold in large retail chains. Passed the inspection of Roskachestvo - there are no components harmful to health, there is no starch in the filling. The information on the packaging (fat and protein content) is correct.
Dumplings of natural light shade, coarsely ground minced meat resembles homemade. A little onion, spices emphasize the meaty taste without clogging it.
The semi-finished product is not boiled, there is a lot of filling. Overall a good product at a reasonable price.
Manufacturer - LLC "Factory Uralskie dumplings"
The price is about 400 rubles per 1 kg.
Semi-finished product made from natural raw materials.Minced meat - pork, beef with milk powder, pepper and onion. Unleavened dough - eggs, water and salt.
Neat, small dumplings, tightly stuck together, do not boil over, have a good taste (little onion and pepper, practically not felt). The dough is thin, moderately salty.
Manufacturer - LLC "MPK" Atyashevsky "
Price - 380 rubles per 1 kg.
The taste is not bad. The composition, content of proteins and fats is fully consistent with the information specified by the manufacturer.
The packaging is a cardboard box, so you won't be able to evaluate the appearance of the semi-finished product. By the way, in this case, if you shake the package, the sound will be the same anyway, so you can only find out what is inside after opening.
Customer reviews are mostly positive - thin dough, lots of filling, pleasant smell.
Producer - CJSC "Agrofirma" Myaso "
Price - 300 rubles per kg.
Delicious meat dumplings. There are a lot of fillings, the taste is pleasant, there is no overkill with spices. The dough is dense, but not tough, moderately salty.
Inspection of Roskachestvo did not reveal any critical deviations from the norm, but for some reason the manufacturer forgot to indicate the type of semi-finished product and the product group. The only thing we could find on the sticker was the name of the category.
The reviews are good, some noted that the price for a product that tastes good is very high.
Manufacturer - "Remit Meat Processing Plant"
The price is about 500 rubles per kg.
Positioned as a product for children. The package contains dumplings of different shapes and colors: pink (the dye is beet juice), green (spinach juice is added to the dough) and ordinary white ones. The product is safe and does not contain soy or artificial colors. Manufactured according to TU.
The packaging is transparent, all information is printed in small print. Seeing is quite problematic.
User reviews were divided. Many people note the unpleasant color of the cooked product (greenish and pinkish shades practically disappear during cooking, as a result, an incomprehensible color is obtained). There are not many fillings, but they taste good.
In general, it is not bad as an option for making a quick dinner, but for children it is better to choose a different brand.
Manufacturer - LLC "Morozko"
Price - about 450 rubles per kg (600 grams in a package).
The first thing that attracts attention is the packaging. The design of the cardboard box looks more like candy. The composition is natural, the manufacturer even mentions artesian water (the source number is indicated). The dumplings are even, with a smooth surface of a pleasant creamy shade, without cracks and protruding minced meat.
Taste - ordinary, pleasant, balanced (spices in moderation, onions are practically not felt). Many buyers noted that the dumplings resemble homemade ones. The only drawback is the high price.
Manufacturer - LLC "MPZ" Moskvoretsky "
Price - 600 rubles per kg.
Classic dumplings from 2 types of meat with the addition of spices, thin, dense dough. The minced meat contains trimmed pork (freed from tendons), beef, onions and peppers, without starch and soy protein.
The information on the label is fully true (based on the results of the Roskachestvo check). The semi-finished product is quickly prepared, the dough does not break during cooking.
Manufacturer - LLC "Chali"
Price - 562 rubles per kg (in a pack of 800 g).
48 brands of dumplings in various price categories (from 93 to 650 rubles per kilogram) passed the inspection by Roskachestvo. Not a single sample was recognized as hazardous to health (in terms of bacteriological and chemical indicators). So you can safely buy Russian-made semi-finished products in supermarkets.