blini

Blini is a loanword from Russian, and its usage in English often reflects a tension between its original plural form and its adoption as a singular mass noun. In Russian, blin is the singular and blini is the plural. However, in English culinary contexts, "blini" is frequently used to refer to a single pancake or the general category of the food item.

Because it is treated as a foreign loanword, users may encounter both "blinis" as a plural and "blini" as a collective plural. When referring to a specific number of these pancakes, "blinis" is the most common English pluralization, though "blini" remains acceptable as a collective term.