Traditional Russian Food

7 класс Школа 70 Савченко Екатерина

Traditional Russian Food

Cabbage soup (Shchi)

Shchi is a cabbage soup that dates back to the 11th century. The list of ingredients includes meat, seasonings and a dressing of sour cabbage pickle. However, the components may vary depending on the type of boiling (lean, fish, green), and culinary arts of the chef – many Russians prepare this soup using their own recipes. Shchi is eaten with rye bread, dressed with sour cream or spices.

Solyanka

Another favourite soup in Russia is solyanka which is a sour, salty and slightly spicy soup.  The soup can be made with either meat, fish or mushrooms but usually always contains gherkins, olives, lemon slices and herbs.

Broth jelly/ Jelly meat (Kholodets)

Kholodets is a favourite dish among Russians which does not often go down well with foreigners! It is an aspic type dish of pieces of meat (often including offal) set in transparent jelly and served cold, usually with horseradish or mustard. 

Vinaigrette

This salad appeared in Russian cuisine in the 19th century. It is made of boiled beets, potatoes, beans, carrots and pickles and onions. All this is dressed with sunflower oil. It has an appearance akin to dry borsch.

Pelmeni (Meat Dumplings)

Pelmeni is the Russian dish that is most well-known abroad. It appeared in the Urals in the early 14th century. The very name "pelmeni" originates from a similar word in the Finno-Ugrish languages which, in literal translation, means "bread ear". Classic pelmeni use minced beef, lamb, and pork rolled in unfermented dough of wheat, eggs and water. Ready-prepared pelmeni are cooked in boiling, salted water. They are served with oil, mustard, mayonnaise or other dressings. The tradition of the entire family molding pelmeni dumplings stretches back over many generations. The larger the family, the greater the volume that is made. Part of the prepared pelmeni would be boiled there and then, the rest frozen.

Pancakes (Blini)

Pancakes is the oldest dish of Russian cuisine that appeared back in the 11th century. The recipe of one of the most famous Russian dishes is simple: milk, eggs, and salt, but the cooking process requires skills that not every housewife possesses. Batter is poured into a frying pan with hot oil, and the task of the chef is to bake a rosy flat pancake without lumps and not let it burn too soon. The thinner the pancakes, the higher the level of the cook's skill. The Russians say that the first pancake is always lumpy, which means that any undertaking usually begins with a failure. Pancakes are usually served hot with sour cream, butter, honey or meat, fish, vegetables, sweet, fruit and other fillings are folded in them. Pancakes with caviar is particularly glamorous dish.

Russian Pies

In Russian cuisine, pies have about the same importance, as pizza in Italy. Russian pies are chiefly made of savoury dough with various fillings, from meat and fish to fruit and curd. Cheesecake, coulibiac, small pies, cakes, shangi, wickets, kurniks: this is by no means a complete list of the varieties of this dish. If you are made home-made pies, consider yourself lucky. However, in many public catering establishments they are no inferior to the home-made examples.

Kvas 

Kvas is a popular drink across the country. It is made out of fermenting black bread and can be flavoured with berries, fruit or honey. The drink has a specific taste which is not always appreciated by foreigners and it is just slightly alcoholic, below 1%. Kvas is used as the base for one version of the cold Russian soup  known as okroshka.

Thank you for attention!