Russian Food

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Russian food may seem strange and foreign, but the familiarity of its ingredients may shock you. One of the most common components of dishes in Russia is one of America’s favorite garnishes: sour cream. Where it is used as a dip or condiment in America, in Russia it is baked into cakes and put it in soup. This is but one example of the bridge connecting two seemingly distant cuisines.

Just as America is famous for being a country of pizza lovers and hot dog connoisseurs, Russia also identifies with a number of national dishes.

The French have their crepes, the Americans have their pancakes, and the Russians have their blinis. A blini is a very thin circle of batter used to hold hot food and can be filled with anything to accommodate every unique taste. Fill it with fruit for dessert, chicken for dinner, or even caviar for special events.

Pelmeni translates literally to “ear-shaped dish.” It is very similar to ravioli. Tiny pockets of cooked dough, pelmenis are usually filled with seasoned meat. They are simple to cook and easy to eat, and are most delicious with melted butter and sour cream.

Russians love their soup! Beet soup, fish soup, cabbage soup – the possibilities are endless. Traditionally eaten at the start of a meal, soups are believed to aid in the digestive process. Borsch, or beet soup, is by far the most popular. Its recipe differs from family to family, providing an exciting array of tastes based on region. Common borsch ingredients are beets, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, meat, and a variety of spices, but the flavor comes mainly from the amount of time it is cooked. Borsch’s finishing touch is sour cream, and though hot sour cream may seem too bizarre, it melts into the soup and adds a creamy, tart twist to the savory dish.

Russian salads are not the usual lettuce-and-dressing dishes you find in America. For a Russian, a salad is more reminiscent of American potato salad or chicken salad. It is composed of many different chopped ingredients held together by a good helping of mayonnaise. Sometimes the ingredients are quite simple, like a delicious mayo, ham, and cheese salad, and sometimes they are packed with every vegetable within reach – carrots, garlic, peas, pickles, cabbage. Though the way Russians use their ingredients may seem strange and elaborate, you are almost guaranteed to leave Russia a few pounds heavier than you arrived.

Russia is not without its unusual cuisine. Two of its most unique foods are salo – pig fat – and cow's tongue. Eating them requires a strong stomach, but many Russians consider these dishes to be delicacies. There is also stooden (студень), or aspic, as it is known in America. Aspic is a gel made by letting cooked meat sit in a refrigerator until the broth hardens into a gel. The gel is then taken out and eaten cold. Meat Jell-O!

Aside from traditional soups and salads, there are many familiar staple foods, such as bread, potatoes, pork, beef, sausages, fish, poultry, rice, buckwheat, salted cucumbers or cabbage, pastries, and caviar. You'll also find an array of berries that aren't widely eaten in America, and if you are in rural Russia during the right season, you can pluck them right off the bushes!

The most surprising list may be the collection of things Russians DON’T eat. You will rarely see a Russian eating peanut butter, apple sauce, cheddar cheese, American-style sandwiches, Mexican food, or many Italian dishes. Get used to mayo-salads and borsch!

While Russians are most famous for vodka, there are a number of other delicious national drinks as well. Aside from alcoholic beverages, many Russians drink tea, coffee, and a variety of juice. They also produce a beverage called Kvas, a drink made from fermented bread.

As for sweets, Russia is not without its fair share of sugary wonders. The most popular gifts given during the holidays are chocolates, cakes, and pastries. Stores devote entire aisles to chocolate, providing different flavors, forms, fillings, and more. Belgium may be famous for producing chocolate, but Russia is where chocolate is appreciated.

There are few cafes in Russia that sell authentic Russian food. European food has become so integrated into Russian cuisine that the lines have blurred between traditional and adapted. The available restaurants, though, will not disappoint. Russia is full of cafes, fast food restaurants, dine-in restaurants, and cafeteria-style locations. If you want a quick snack, there are stands all over the main cities that serve the savory and sweet doughy goodness of blinis. If none of these options suit you, American restaurants are popular in every city, from Sbarro and Pizza Hut to Subway and McDonald's.

One of the purest forms of cultural immersion is diving stomach-first into a country’s cuisine. Whether you are being adventurous with aspic or enjoying a pot of borsch, you are guaranteed to find something that will fill you, heart and soul.