Russian Food

Russian Food Russian people have their own style of cooking, particularly when it comes to vegetables, fish, meat, pies and bread. Here is some interesting general information about food in Russia. From generation to generation Russian people kept traditional recipes. The majority of Russians would have three meals during a day: breakfast, dinner and supper. For breakfast they would have hot porridge, boiled or fried eggs. During the winter time breakfast will be completed with hot tea or coffee or chocolate. Dinner will contain three dishes. Supper will depend on how big dinner was. It could be dairy products or vegetable pie, sandwiches. Dinner for special occasions looks different. They prefer to cook many different salads "Venegret", "Mimoza", "Olivie" which include several components: vegetables, fish, meat, eggs. The second dish is usually very traditional, such as "Golubci", "Pelmeni". Blinis It is difficult to talk of specifically "Russian" cuisine, as many specialities now served in Russian restaurants actually originate from different republics of the former Soviet Union. Often, the best part of the meal is the starters (zakuski), with a wide selection of dishes such as; salads, often with sour cream or mayonnaise; meats and fish, such as smoked salmon and caviar; and pickled vegetables. However, other dishes to look out for include traditional soups, which originate from the Ukraine, such as borshch (beetroot base), and shchee (cabbage). These are usually served with a spoonful of sour cream and may or may not have been prepared with meat for extra flavour. Russian food is a lot different from American or Western food. It's also harder to prepare. The most popular meals are "pelmeni", "peroshki", "blini". Pelmini In most Russian families women prepare food. It's very important for a woman to know how to cook. In Russia people eat more vegetables then here. Most people who own a house have their own garden. They grow green onions, potatoes, radishes and different kinds of berries. When it comes to winter time people have their own potatoes saved and stuck in their basements. In summer time people try to eat as many fresh vegetables and fruits as they can, because in winter time you don't get a lot of vitamins. Blinis: An exclusive Russian original tasty recipe, often served as the ideal accompaniment to Caviar. Blinis are traditionally served with a dollop of creme fraiche and caviar. Contrary to tradition, connoisseurs of fine gourmet foods have begun to serve blinis with slivers or medallions of smoked salmon. Blinis have also been known to accompany the extraordinarily rich taste of French foie gras with or without truffles. A selection of pickles Blini is a Russian traditional dish. Blini making was a real sacred mystery. People told fortunes on the dough and kept their recipes secret. The first Blinis were put on the window-sills for poor people and pilgrims. They are baked in a great quantity for holidays and foreigners are often surprised at how many Bliny Russians can eat! The most popular Blinis were made from buckwheat flour and good Blinis must be very, very thin. The thinner Blinis are, the better the cook's skill is. Shashliki: Shashliki is the most popular dish when you get out of town. It can be prepared from chicken or any other meat. First, you have to let the pieces of meat marinate in a mixture of vinegar and water overnight, then you grill it on fire, spraying a little bit of liquor on it while it's grilling. Usually men do the cooking of Shashliki. You have to know what you are doing, because if it's not cooked right, you can get very sick Cabbage Salad Cabbage Salad: Cut the cabbage in half and carve out the core. Using a long sharp knife, cut the cabbage into thin strips. Discard the thicker ribs of the cabbage leaves. Sprinkle the cabbage with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and rub the strips with your hands to make them softer and juicier. Cut the onion and apple into thin strips and combine with the cabbage, mayonnaise, and carrot shavings. Add salt and sugar to taste, then chill. Some Interesting Miscellaneous Nuggets of Information! Small meat or vegetable pies (pirozhki), which can be eaten hot or cold, and are often found for sale on street corners. Russian-style pancakes (blini), which are served with butter, sour cream, jam or caviar. A variant on ravioli (pelmeni), which comes from Siberia, and can be delicious especially on a cold winter’s day. Russians eat a lot of potatoes. There are about hundred different dishes made of potatoes! Meat and potatoes are very popular as an everyday meal. Finally, no visitor to Russia can fail to notice the Russian fascination for ice cream (morozhenoiye) in any weather. Even with temperatures as low as -20c, with streets buried deep in snow, you can still see queues of Russians waiting for their favourite snack! The Russian penchant for vodka is widely recognised, but during the communist era, when vodka was not always available, many Russians resorted to drinking anything from perfume to antifreeze instead. Today, a wide range of spirits and beers (piva) is available on sale day and most of the night from kiosks and shops. Another Russian speciality is kvas, a semi-alcoholic drink, made from fermented rye bread water, and considered very refreshing in the summer. Over the last few years the quality of food in Russia, both in the shops and in restaurants, has improved immeasurably. Now, especially in Moscow and St. Petersburg, virtually everything that we are used to seeing at home is also available, although you may have to pay slightly more for Western products than you would expect. The range of restaurants, cafes, fast food outlets, bars and night clubs is vast, and practically every taste, from Chinese and Japanese to French and Italian, not forgetting of course the ubiquitous American influence, is catered for foreigners.