History, step by step recipes with photos, advice on preparation
Russian cuisine is very popular around the world. It has been in the making for a long time. Talk about Russian cookery in greater detail.
"Bread"
Ever since ancient times the Russian people grew rye, wheat, barley, oats, millet. That's why emerged the Russian bread made of rye dough. It ruled the table almost to the beginning of the XX century, along with the soup Shchi. Wheat bread spread in Russia about 100 years ago. Currently, Russian cookery is unthinkable without both of these two kinds of bread. From these two bread types gradually appeared all other essential types of Russian bread and bakery products: «borodinskiy», «moscovskiy» bread, loaves, buns, rolls, bagels.
On the basis of cereal Russian cookery has been further developed. People began to cook all sorts of cakes, loaves, gingerbread, cookies, muffins, pancakes, the bread with honey and poppy, they also made “kutya” and various porridges.
"Pies"
Pies are one of the favourite dishes in Russia. The word «pie» comes from the old Russian word «feast». No solemn feast could be held without pies. Besides, every festival had its own special kind of pies. That was the reason for the diversity of Russian pies both in their appearance as well as in the taste of the dough and stuffing.
Pie fillings are prepared of one or more kinds of products. This may be a vegetable filling (cabbage, potatoes, carrots, turnips, onions, sorrel, peas), a mushroom filling (dried, fresh, boiled, fried, pickled mushrooms), a variety of cereal fillings with high content of oil, meat, poultry, game meat, cottage cheese, eggs. Russian people call pies with a complex filling “kulebyakas”.
"Pancakes"
In the northern and central regions of Russia winters are severe and long. No wonder that the arrival of spring is looked forward and the winter is seen off with pomp. Winter seeing off usually lasts for a week and is
known as Shrove. It is an ancient folk festival associated with the cheerful and noisy celebrations, riding on troikas and in a sleigh.
A constant attribute of winter farewell is an abundance of traditional dishes of Russian cookery, and first of all, pancakes of all kinds. Because a round hot pancake is a symbol of spring sun.
Soft, loose, lush … Pancakes perfectly absorb the melted butter and sour cream thus becoming juicy and very tasty. There are many types of pancakes differing mainly by the products used for them — the type of flour, water or milk, cream, eggs. Traditionally Russians serve pancakes with butter, sour cream, jam and caviar.
"Soups"
Soups play one of major roles in Russian cookery. Variety of tastes and flavors have earned a wide popularity for this dish. Shchi (cabbage soup), borshch (beetroot soup), rassolnik (pickled cucumbers soup), solyanka (soup with different kinds of meat and sausage) are especially widespread. Sour cream and various types of bread and pies are usually served with soups. The selection of cold soups such as okroshka, botvinya, beetroot soup is also diverse.
One of the most common first courses of the northern and central regions of Russia is shchi (cabbage soup). In many cafes and restaurants in Russia shchi is a signature dish.
Uha (fish soup) is another delicious soup in Russian cuisine. This soup is the progenitor of Russian soups and the pride of Russian cuisine. Fish uha is especially popular but there is meat and chicken uha, mushroom and hare uha, too.
"Second courses"
The second fish courses are popular in Russia since ancient times. This particularly boiled sturgeon fish with horseradish, boiled salmon and cod, belly salted in brine. Delicious are poached fish dishes under the steam sauce, tomato and brine sauces. But the special pride of Russian cuisine has always been baked dishes: fish baked with cream, white, milk, tomato, mushroom sauces; caviar pudding; fish baked in pastry, etc.
"Drinks"
Besides coffee, black and green tea, traditional Russian drinks are very popular in Russia, in no way inferior in its gustatory grand
eur and healing power. Almost all of the primordially Russian drinks are original, they cannot be found in any other national cuisine. First of all, they are kvass, sbiten, morse and willow-herb.