Russian cuisine - cuisines of the world - Russia

Tea is the most popular drink, and borscht must be smoked in such a way that one cannot see who is sitting at the table.

The foundations of traditional Russian cuisine were laid by the peasant food of rural areas and a fairly unfriendly climate. This is responsible for the fact that there is not a diverse range of vegetables in Russia, but what they have, they use often. It is mainly about  cabbage, potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, turnip, mushrooms and radish, and different seasons bring something new to the table. From fruit to Russian cuisine apples and berries predominate, but otherwise cereals are very often on the table, from wheat to rye, oats and barley. But we must not forget about dairy products, especially kefir, yogurt and sour cream are traditional ingredients. A Russian meal traditionally begins with an appetizer, soup is obligatory and always present, followed by the main course and dessert.

Beetroot soup is typical
Soups have always played an important role in Russian cuisine, and Russians divide them into as many as seven different groups, among which cold soup has also found its place. But the most typical are certainly borscht and šči. Borscht is considered to be best when the spoon stands upright and smokes from it so much that the people at the table can hardly see each other. The main ingredient of borscht is beetroot, along with cabbage, beef or pork meat and spices and sometimes a spoonful of sour cream on top.

Cabbage soup For many years, shchi was a mandatory daily first course in Russia. This soup never knew social differences, as it was eaten by everyone, from the rich to the poor. It is still on the menu today often and throughout the year. The ingredients for šči are cabbage, meat (rarely mushrooms and fish), carrot or parsley roots, hot spices such as onion, garlic, pepper and cream added at the end. Soups are usually accompanied by traditional Russian piroshki made from yeast dough and with various fillings.

Caviar and spikes of vodka
Meat is an important element of Russian cuisine and Russians have a rich selection of dishes with beef, poultry, game, pork, beef, mutton and fish are often on the menu. The meat is prepared in different ways, often in aspic or in large pieces to keep the meat juicier, or sliced. One of the more traditional beef dishes is Stroganoff. In this dish, the meat is cut into noodles and quickly fried in hot oil. They also add onions, mustard, mushrooms, pickles and sour cream to the dish. Also popular is chopped pork, often wrapped in dough, or sliced chicken steak with bread and sweet cream, breaded in egg and breadcrumbs, and fried in butter. Among the main dishes are the popular vareniki - dumplings made from unleavened dough with various fillings, from fruit to meat to potatoes and cabbage. Fish also have an important status in Russian cuisine - the most widespread are salmon, saltfish, cod, sardines, perch, pike, sturgeon. Caviar is the "flagship horse" that has spread the most throughout the world. Sturgeon is the most prized, and it is traditionally served chilled, with toasted bread, butter, lemon and a splash of vodka.

Caviar also on desserts
When we have "made our way" through all of the above, it is also time for dessert in Russian cuisine. Blinis are thin pancakes made from yeast dough, covered with butter, cream, fruit or caviar. Gogol mogolj has an interesting name, a cream made from egg yolks, cognac, sugar, lemon juice and orange liqueur. One of the oldest Russian desserts is called kisel and is a jelly made from fruit, molasses and milk. This jelly is often poured through cheese cakes, which are toasted curd pieces, otherwise served with cream, jam, honey or applesauce. In addition to all that, you can't go without a drink. The most popular in Russia, interestingly, is tea, followed by vodka and kvass - this is a low-alcohol drink made from rye bread, sugar and yeast, which, unlike vodka, has never been established in the world.

Typical ingredients of Russian cuisine:
– Meat- they use all kinds of meat, especially poultry, pork, beef, venison and mutton.
- Vegetables - due to the colder temperatures, the most common are potatoes, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, turnips, mushrooms, beetroot, radish.
– Spices - the most common are onion, parsley, dill, pepper, celery and cinnamon.
- Dairy products - among them, kefir has a special status, especially in the Caucasus, where kefir is attributed to the secret of the long life of the local residents. They also use a lot of sour cream and - - - Fish - the most common are salmon, saltfish, cod, sardines, perch, pike and sturgeon. The roe of the latter is also the most prized caviar.
- Cereals - the most commonly used are wheat, oats, rye and barley.
– Vodka – in Russia they claim that vodka comes from that region. It is drunk on its own, but liqueurs are also often made from it.
– Tea – is the most popular Russian drink, and it is grown on plantations in the subtropical parts of the Caucasus. The tea known as "Russian tea" is a mixture of different types of tea.