Russian Food II
Hello there, and welcome back to my Russian food series!
We are continuing our research - and I must admit we've barely scratched the surface! Russian cuisine is vast - just like Russia itself - and this page isn't last for sure!
Ahh, there so many are Russian food dishes to write about - and so little time! New ideas just keep popping up in my head and I can't let them escape. That's a lot of writing - but I enjoy it sooo much!
Seriously, there's a lot of stuff to review. I guess we'll need to prioritize - despite my desire to cover it all.
Only the most important dishes will see the light!
If you feel I left something behind - let me know, alright? You may do so right from this contact form.
...and of course, your any other thoughts are welcome as well!
Okroshka
Good old okroshka...
Okroshka is basically a cold soup made from kvass and salad. It's tasty, nourishing, refreshing - and great in summer!
Think about it. You can't do without soup - but it's so uncool to eat it eat when it's blazing already!
That's where okroshka kicks in. Just make a salad, add some eggs and potatoes, pour in the kvass - and you're all set!
Do you feel what a great idea our ancestors came up with? To eat,drink and get refreshed at the same time - wow! Suits modern age much more, don't you think? Well, I guess they, too, had time problems!
Okroshka is very healthy Russian food - spring vegetables provide your body with vitamins while kvass helps the digestion. No need to shop for "healthy" products in pompous pharmacies - all you need is right under your nose!
There are many types of okroshka around - different kinds of meat, different vegetables... Choose the one that suits you best - but remember that true Okroshka is always made with kvass!
...and of course, it's always served chilled!
Pirozhki
Pirozhki are inseparable part of Russian cuisine.
Pirozhki are national Russian food - no more and no less. They easily beat competition both by age - and by volume eaten.
Pirozhki outlive any other Russian dish - seems like they've been around forever - and they surely intend to stay!
They are inseparable from Russian national culture, as they appear in many Russian fairy tales - "Red Hat", "Masha and The Bear", etc. Can't think of any other Russian food that would be so popular with Russian folklore!
Everyone knows them. People from Moscow, Yekaterinburg or Khabarovsk treat pirozhki all the same - they love this wonderful dish!
Buns are widespread throughout the former Russian Empire - you can find them in Armenia, Latvia, Finland, Ukraine, and I guess every other country that has ever been related to Russia!
They are served with meat, jam, onion, salmon, potatoes, cabbage, eggs - and many, many other fillings. Your imagination is the only limit in this case!
When it's freezing outside - no better way to get warm than by eating a fresh, blazing bun. Okroshka is great in summer - and pirozhki will save you in winter. Add some hot tea - and you'll get warm in no time!
Eating pirozhki doesn't require lots of time - you could say it's Russian fast food! We could call it McDonalds alternative - but a much "healthier" one, without preservatives and other chemistry.
...still - don't eat too much!
Olivier
You don't always have to wait for New Year's Eve to have olivier...
Olivier is a classic Russian salad, one of the most famous in Russia and abroad. It's a welcome guest on every birthday and holiday, especially the New Year.
Its record is impressive - the first receipt was published in 1897. Not as old as pirozhki - but still quite venerable!
Often called "Russian salad", it was in fact created by Lucien Olivier. This French chef had a restaurant in Moscow - and he was the one who started it all...
Alas, modern Olivier is totally different from original. Soviet version has all ingredients replaced with cheaper analogues.
Still, we consider olivier to be one of the oldest Russian food traditions - whether it's original or not!
Aspic
Mmmm-hmmmm!
Aspic is another very popular Russian dish, which, just like olivier, sits on every table on every major occasion.
It does exists in other places - but I think only in Russia did it become so popular ! Well, not only in Russia - aspic is very widespread in CIS countries like Georgia and Moldavia.
Aspic can be made from all kinds of meat - chicken, beef, pork - whatever is in the freezer. Cheap to make, very tasty - what else is there to ask?
It's great with horseradish, it goes well with mustard - and it's delicious even by itself!
Bon appetit!
Well, another page's done - and I'm still faaaar from finish.
Didn't know there was so much to write - it turned out to be an entire project! Well, I'm surely glad I have a chance to tell you about the wonderful Russian cuisine!
Want to know more? Be my guest, the links are just below
...and I'll be waiting for you right on the next page!
Related posts:
- Sushki
- Russian Soup with Meatballs
- Russian Manty Photos
- Get ready for the coming Chebureki!
- Buckwheat Porridge
- Russian cutlets coming soon!
- Russian Potatoes in a Coat
- Russian Salted Herring
- How to Cook Golubzy
- New Year and Manty
- Russian Vinegret Salad Recipe
- Russian Olivier Salad Recipe
- Russian food III
- Russian Food I
