You may have heard about Russian food, but had very few
opportunities to sample any of the nation's understated cuisine.
Visiting the country is the perfect opportunity to expand your Russian
food and drink knowledge beyond just vodka and chicken kievs. If you
make it though a Russian voyage without trying any, if not all, of the
following, you've not been to Russia!
Borshch
This is probably one of Russia's defining dishes. You may wonder what exactly is so amazing about a bowl of cabbage in meat stock. It is a staple and represents Russia's rich history. This soup from the Soviet kitchen was eaten by peasants and at the high table of the Kremlin alike. It gets its aptly coloured redness from its main ingredient - the beetroot.
Borshch is somewhat of an impostor in that it
originated from the Ukrainian, but is now thought of as quintessentially
Russian cuisine. The name for the soup comes from the Slav
'borshchevik' which refers to hogweed, a herb whose leaves and stalks
were commonly used for broths. It can be served both hot and cold and
usually is complemented with boiled potatoes or a dollop of Slivki
(soured cream).
Other soups found in Russia include Okroshka, a cool, fresh broth made with Kvass (bread beer) and vegetables such a cucumber and spring onions, and Solyanka, a thick soup with a bit of a spicy kick commonly containing either meat fish or mushrooms.
Borshch is traditionally made with pork fat, but the Jewish variation will use an alternative to comply with the kosher food laws.
Pelmeni
Every nation has its dumpling, and Pelmeni is the Russian version. The filling is wrapped in unleavened dough made from flour, water and sometimes egg. They originated from Tartastan in Siberia but some believe they derived from China, hence the use of spices. The filling is typical a meatball-type mixture.
Beef Stroganov
Stroganov
has its origins in 19th century Russia. The dish of sautéed beef in a
sauce with sour cream, onions and mushrooms is thought to get its name
from Russian diplomat, Count Pavel Strognanoff.
Borshch
This is probably one of Russia's defining dishes. You may wonder what exactly is so amazing about a bowl of cabbage in meat stock. It is a staple and represents Russia's rich history. This soup from the Soviet kitchen was eaten by peasants and at the high table of the Kremlin alike. It gets its aptly coloured redness from its main ingredient - the beetroot.
 |
| photo credit: blogs.edmontonjournal.com |
Other soups found in Russia include Okroshka, a cool, fresh broth made with Kvass (bread beer) and vegetables such a cucumber and spring onions, and Solyanka, a thick soup with a bit of a spicy kick commonly containing either meat fish or mushrooms.
Borshch is traditionally made with pork fat, but the Jewish variation will use an alternative to comply with the kosher food laws.
Pelmeni
 |
| photo credit: ua-travelling.com |
Every nation has its dumpling, and Pelmeni is the Russian version. The filling is wrapped in unleavened dough made from flour, water and sometimes egg. They originated from Tartastan in Siberia but some believe they derived from China, hence the use of spices. The filling is typical a meatball-type mixture.
Beef Stroganov
 |
| photo credit: chaosinthekitchen.com |
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