What does “сырники” mean in Russian?

Сырники are pan-fried patties made from творог (cottage cheese or quark), flour, and egg — a Russian breakfast staple eaten hot with sour cream or jam. The name comes straight from сыр (cheese), because in old Slavic, сыр covered both hard cheese and soft curd. Modern Russian shifted curd to творог, but the dish kept its older name — so the word is a small window into how the language used to work.

In the clip, the reviewer orders сырники at a Moscow café and singles them out as the highlight: “они были такие мягкие пышные, много творога” — soft, fluffy, with plenty of curd. She recommends the café specifically for them. The сыр → сырники pattern is worth locking in: once you know it, you can guess сырная тарелка (cheese plate), сырный соус (cheese sauce), and a dozen other menu items on sight.