Russian Cuisine
Russian cuisine is the traditional cuisine of the Russian people mainly in western Russia.
Many traditional Russian dishes are made in a type of wood burning stove called a pech’(печь).
Traditional Russian music is mostly vocal and uses instruments including balalaika, domra, types of accordion, and recorder.
Ingredients
Buckwheat(гречка) is better suited to the Russian climate than wheat, which was historically uncommon. Rye has been used for centuries in Russia.
Dill(укроп) is a popular herb.
Sugar beets began to be used for sugar production in the early 1800s after being introduced to Russia.
Apples are a popular fruit. Sour apples are generally preferred for cooking. Antonovka apples(aнтоновские яблоки), a rather sour variety, are a Russian specialty developed in the 1800s and the favored variety for baking.
Wild mushrooms are traditionally foraged. Porcini mushrooms or white mushrooms(белые грибы), also known as boletes or ceps, are popular.
Honey is a traditional sweetener.
Salted roe or caviar is used; the roe of sturgeon may be called ‘black caviar’.
Dairy is used widely in northern Russian cuisine.
Dishes
- kasha(каша): boiled buckwheat
- black bread(черный хлеб): sourdough bread made from rye flour
- pirog(пирог): pie with savory or sweet filling
- pirozhki(пирожки́): small pies with savory or sweet filling
- blini(блины): thin leavened flour pancakes
- baranki(баранка): bread rings
- sushki(су́шки): small dried bread rings
- pelmeni: small dumplings
- shchi(щи): cabbage soup
- ukha(уха): clear fish soup
- varenye(варенье): sweetened preserved whole fruit
- solyanka(соля́нка): thick spicy and sour soup
- pastila: fluffy cake made from apple
Recipes
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Baranki
Baranki(баранки) are unleavened bread rings from Russian cuisine. They have a special texture from first boiling then baking. Baranka(баранка) is singular, and baranki(баранки) is plural. Baranki are a traditional food of northwestern Russia. They are similar to bagels but thinner. Other ingredients like eggs and butter are often added. Baranki are sometimes put on strings…
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Black Bread
Black bread(черный хлеб chyerny khlyeb) or rye bread(ржаной хлеб rzhanoy khlyeb) is traditional eastern European rye bread made with sourdough starter. It is a traditional food of Russian and Ukrainian cuisine. In northern Russia, wheat is historically difficult to grow, so pure rye bread particularly common. Rye flour is traditionally used to make sourdough starter,…
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Kvass
Kvass(квас) is a fermented drink commonly made with rye bread. It is a popular summer drink, refreshing and naturally carbonated with mildly sour flavor and a hint of sweet. There are various methods to make kvass. It can be made with sourdough starter, active yeast, or even naturally occurring yeast from raisins or another ingredient.…
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Mushroom Pelmeni
Pelmeni(пельмени) are small, traditional Russian dumplings with filling, usually meat or sometimes fish or mushroom. Pelmeni are usually boiled but can also be steamed. Cream and dill are traditional toppings. While common in Russian cuisine today, pelmeni probably came to Russian cuisine from the Ural mountains or further east in the reaches of Siberia where…
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Pastila
Pastila(пастила́) is a Russian apple pastry. It is traditionally made from apple, egg white, and either honey or sugar. Pastila has a light texture, sometimes compared to that of marshmallow, due to being thoroughly whipped. Pastila probably originated in the areas surrounding Moscow, perhaps Kolomna or nearby. It is popular in Moscow Oblast and Tula…
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Sushki
Sushki(сушки) are small, crunchy bread rings from Russian cuisine. They are first boiled then baked until dry. Sushki stay good for a long time and are sometimes traditionally strung up on the wall to represent prosperity. Sushki are similar to baranki(баранки) but smaller and more dry. They are also related to bagels. Recipe Ingredients 4…