What to eat Russia? culinary specialties and gastronomy

Despite generally harsh winters, the country is large enough and the climate varied enough to provide its inhabitants with a wide variety of products. Russia is one of the world's largest producers of wheat, barley and rye, as well as root vegetables, cucumbers and potatoes. The Russians love salted vegetables marinated in vinegar (tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, onions, etc.). A good method of preservation, especially in winter. Carrots, turnips, potatoes and cabbage are widely used for long simmered dishes. Markets are also full of aromatic herbs, from coriander to flat parsley and dill.

Mushrooms are also extremely popular, growing in abundance in the huge coniferous forests that cover much of the country. Many of the varieties picked in the wild are virtually unknown in France. Dried or preserved in brine, mushrooms can also be cooked directly, stewed, sautéed, roasted or in soup.

You can find almost all the common fruits in the rest of Europe on the markets and, in summer, vendors offer watermelons on every street corner. Russians are also big fans of berries, often picked in the wild, and traditionally preserved for winter, especially in rural areas. Other popular red fruits include, of course, cranberries, sorbs, blueberries, strawberries - including wild strawberries -, blackberries, the raspberry-orange-like plaquebière (mорошка), as well as redcurrants and gooseberries, which are very acidic and eaten mainly as jam. Not forgetting, of course, raspberries, of which Russia is the leading producer, controlling about a quarter of world production.

The word syr (сыр, meaning cheese) is mentioned for the first time in Kievan Rus's columns, but refers to tvorog (tворог, meaning cottage cheese). Hard cheese only appeared in Russia after Peter the Great's journey through Europe, particularly in Holland, from where he brought back not only cheese but also master cheesemakers. Cheese production on an industrial scale in Russia, however, did not begin until the end of the 19th century. Among the specialities are kostroma (Костромской сыр) or pochekhonié (Пошехонский сыр), two cow's milk cheeses with a fat content of 45%, close to Gouda. Tilsit (tильзитер) is also made from cow's milk with a fat content of 30-60%. Sovietsky (Советский) is an Altai cheese made from pasteurised cow's milk, which has been popular since the 1930s and whose name is translated as "Soviet". However, it has a protected designation of origin since 2011. Finally, Adyghe cheese (адыгейский сыр) is a fresh, white cheese speciality from the Caucasus.

The meats most consumed in the country are pork, sheep/lamb and poultry. Beef is rarer and considered a meat of choice. Nevertheless, rare steak - common in the West - is having a hard time making its way in Russia. It is preferred roasted meat or stewed in stews or soups. Easily available during poorer periods and known for its long shelf life, corned beef or tushonka (тушёнка) is very popular. On the charcuterie side, there is the unmistakable kolbasa (колбаса) - similar to sausages from Eastern Europe or Germany - with a very fine stuffing. It is widely eaten in mixed salads, at breakfast and dinner. It often replaces meat in modest households. However, the term is generic and there are many variations with a more or less fine, smoked or blood-filled stuffing such as our black pudding. Lard or salo (сало), which contains almost only fat in Russia, is served as a starter in very thin slices with bread and is eaten, mainly in winter, with vodka. It is sometimes fried, accompanied by potatoes or cooked to flavour a broth.

The fish is presented fresh, smoked (cold or hot) or dried. Salmon, sturgeon, pike, carp, pike-perch or tuna are the most common species. Vobla (вобла, roach of the Caspian Sea) is a salted and dried fish, usually accompanied by a beer or a glass of vodka. There are also various shellfish and seafood such as crayfish, which are caught throughout the summer. They are often roasted with dill and sold as is on the roadside.

Finally, it is impossible to talk about Russian products without mentioning the most prestigious of all, caviar (Икра). According to the legislation, only sturgeon eggs are eligible for this designation. A speciality of the Russian Empire - but also produced in Iran and, to a lesser extent, Ukraine and Romania - it has historically been made from fish caught in the Caspian and Black Seas, even though 90% of sturgeon today come from farms. Extracted with delicacy, the eggs are then washed and salted, which not only preserves them, of course, but also enhances their taste. The Russian Revolution forced the producers of this luxury food to emigrate to Western Europe. This explains why the Petrossian and Kaspia houses were founded in Paris in 1920 and 1927 respectively, but also why caviar is produced in Aquitaine today.

If it is tempting to bring back Russian caviar in your luggage, give up hope of finding an excellent product at low prices. Although it is a little cheaper than in France, caviar remains - even in Russia - a luxury dish. A product that is too cheap might not be made from sturgeon eggs (often replaced by salmon), or might be poorly processed and therefore not very tasty. The terms beluga (белуга), ossetrina (осётрина) or sevruga (севрюга) simply refer to different species of sturgeon. The beluga is a fish that can reach 7 m in length and weigh more than a ton. It takes up to 15 years to reproduce, hence its exceptional rarity and its high cost of about 10 000 €/kg.

In a country that could easily contain 30 times the size of France, there is no doubt that regional cuisines within Russia have not only similarities, but also huge disparities in terms of ingredients and know-how.

Central Russia - containing the cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod - holds a special place in Russian gastronomy, since it is the cultural heart of the country, and most of its specialties are known throughout the world as the very archetypes of Russian gastronomy. With almost three-quarters of the country's population and a large part of its agricultural land, the region's gastronomy is therefore varied, including all kinds of vegetables, cereals, fruit and meat, as well as various dairy products. There are many emblematic dishes such as Stroganov beef, borscht or Olivier salad.

Located in the north-western part of the country, Karelia is a special territory which, despite its proximity to St. Petersburg, is culturally distinct from the rest of Russia. It is traditionally Karelian, a dialect very close to Finnish. A good part of this territory was part of neighbouring Finland until the beginning of the 20th century. Game, freshwater fish, berries and wild mushrooms are very common here. Kalitta or Karelian pie (karelskiy pirog/карельский пирог) is probably the best known speciality. This oval rye flour tartlet is topped with a porridge of rice, potato, tvorog (fresh cheese) or kasha (grilled buckwheat). On the menu of many Karelian restaurants you will find the words kalakeinitto, lohikeitto and maimarokka: they are all fish soups. The best known is lohikeitto(Калакейтто or Лохикейтто)

, with salmon with potatoes and lots of dill. Trout, sterlet (a species of sturgeon) or pike are also very popular.

Directly influenced by neighbouring Georgia, Caucasian cuisine has an important place in Russia. For the small anecdote, Stalin - or rather Iossif Vissarionovitch Djugashvili - was of Georgian origin and strongly democratized the cuisine of his native country in Russia during his 30 years in power. There are thus a large number of restaurants offering Caucasian specialities throughout the country, and it is also obviously the traditional cuisine of the Russian Caucasus regions (Chechnya, Dagestan, Ossetia, etc.). This gastronomy is known for its powerful and rich flavours, where aromatic herbs such as coriander and parsley are combined with garlic, chilli pepper and cumin. Walnuts are widely used either as a dessert or as a purée to thicken sauces, as in satsivi (cациви), a cooked poultry recipe served cold with a creamy walnut sauce, or inajika (aджика), a walnut dip generously flavoured with garlic, chilli pepper and coriander. The most popular meats are chicken, mutton/lamb, beef, and sometimes pork. Eggplant and peppers are very popular and are used in the composition ofajapsandali (aджапсандали ). The most emblematic dish of the region is khachapuri (xачапури), a flat bread topped with melted cheese (sulguni

) and crowned with an egg.

Further east, Tartar cuisine shows influences closer to its neighbours such as Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan, and to a lesser extent Iran. Located on the borders of Central Asia, both Asian and Eastern influences offer unique blends of flavours. Tea, noodles and ravioli - such as mantis (манты ) stuffed with lamb meat -, of Chinese origin, meet dried fruit and long grain rice used in the preparation of many recipes for rice pilaf dit plov (Плов), which is garnished here with lamb, poultry, vegetables or even dried apricots and pistachios. Pork - in this predominantly Muslim region - is almost absent. It is preferred to mutton, lamb, poultry and of course the horse, which has been eaten by the nomads of the steppes for centuries and is used to prepare qazı (казы-карта ), an assortment of boiled horse meat cuts. Despite the harsh winters, the hot summers allow the cultivation of many vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, turnips, tomatoes, peppers, onions) as well as a wide variety of fruits. There are also many flat breads or savoury slippers, such as chebureki (Чебурек)

, filled with lamb meat and fried. Finally, Siberia and the Russian Far East have specialities that combine flavours close to the cuisines of Central Asia with a host of products from the Pacific. Originally made by nomadic peoples, pelmeni (пельме́ни), meat-stuffed ravioli, are one of the most popular dishes in Russia. In the old days, people used to take advantage of the cold Siberian winter to naturally freeze pelmeni for the whole winter. Around Lake Baikal,omul, a fish found only in this region, is fished and is very popular once salted and smoked. Some specialties of the region may seem more unusual, such as bear or moose meat. Between Vladivostok and the Kamchatka peninsula lies the Russian Pacific coast, which is known for its waters full of fish. The famous king crab is fished here, which can fetch more than 200 €/kg. The Korean influence in the region is strong and Russia has no less than 150,000 citizens from the Korean peninsula, most of whom live in this part of the country. For example, the consumption of seaweed in soups or kimchi (Korean cabbage fermented with chilli pepper) is common there.

Although Russia is a multicultural nation due to its size, many of the Russian specialties that are appreciated throughout the world originate mainly from the central-western part of the country where the majority of the Russian ethnic population lives, a region that also includes the country's most visited cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg.

A proper meal in Russia will traditionally start with zakusky (закуски). These very varied appetizers include cold meat, cold cuts, mimosa eggs, salted or smoked fish (herring, salmon, sturgeon, etc.), fish roe (caviar or salmon roe), shellfish, as well as different types of salads based on tomatoes, cucumbers, cooked potatoes or carrots. Pickled vegetables and mushrooms are very popular, as are malossol pickles (малосольные) flavoured with dill or pickled tomatoes (солёные помидоры). These are often served on canapés of sandwich bread or blinis (блины).

Among the common appetizers in Russia, you can't miss the Olivier salad (салат Оливье). It was named after Lucien Olivier, the Belgian chef of the famous Moscow restaurant L'Ermitage, who in the 1860s created this salad with potatoes, carrots, pickles and peas with mayonnaise. Attention, in Russia, if you order vinegret (винегре́т), it is not a seasoning, but a salad, based on beets, potatoes and carrots. The very colourful "furry herring" or seledka pod chouboy (cельдь под шубой) is a popular starter made of herring covered with many layers of vegetables (potatoes, beetroot, etc.), the beetroot colouring the mayonnaise that coats this delicious dish in purple. Another fish-based recipe is the very simple herring with honey called seledka s modom (cеледка с мёдом) where the fish is marinated for a few hours with onions, salt, lemon and a hint of honey. Reserved for seasoned amateurs, the kholodets (холодец) is a preparation better known in France under the name of aspic. It is made from cooked meat (usually pork or poultry) frozen with small vegetables in a rather large quantity of jelly. Often the starters are accompanied by bread. Two kinds are generally proposed, the classic white wheat bread called belyy khleb (белый хлеб) and the black rye bread called tchiorny khleb (чёрный хлеб) often a little sour and slightly sweet at the same time.

As in other Eastern European countries, soups are very important. Smoking in winter and refreshing in summer, they are an indispensable part of the meal and often the sole dish for the majority of Russians. Rice and potato soup or simple chicken or beef broths, flavoured with vegetables and herbs, are served with pirojki. The best known of all Russian soups is probably borscht (Борщ). In the west, we mainly know red borscht or krasnyy borshch (красный борщ) made from beef broth, red cabbage and beets scented with a host of aromatic herbs. But there are other varieties such as green borscht (shchavel, щавель), made from sorrel, without beetroot. A spoonful of sour cream (smetana, cметана) before tasting softens the borsch and makes it more creamy. There is also a cold borscht or kholodnik (xолодник) containing pre-cooked beetroot, cucumber, dill and kefir (fermented milk). Other soups include sour chtchi (Щи), made with sauerkraut, vegetables and meat, or oukha (Уха), made with fish, vegetables and potatoes and flavoured with laurel. Very close by, the solianka (Солянка) is a spicy sauerkraut soup, also containing tomato, capers and olives. In summer, try okrochka (Окрошка), a cold soup made with kefir, pre-cooked vegetables, ham or cooked meat, all generously seasoned with dill.

For the main course, which is not necessarily a single dish, as Russians love richly garnished tables, it often consists of roasted or grilled meat, dumplings, fish or chicken garnish. These dishes are accompanied by rice, boiled or fried potatoes, sometimes buckwheat. To name just a few recipes, we could start with the famous Stroganov beef (бефстроганов), a beef stew with mushrooms in a sour cream, mustard and paprika sauce, honouring the prestigious Stroganov family. A Franco-Russian invention, the Orloff veal (Мясо по -французски) is a traditional roast topped with a mixture of mushrooms and onions before being topped with béchamel and baked au gratin, although modern versions also contain bacon and cheese. Another meat dish with distinctly oriental influences is chachlik (Шашлык), which originated in the Caucasus and Central Asia, but has become a staple throughout Russia. These skewers, traditionally made of lamb, but also pork, beef or poultry, are delicately spiced. Finally, the very nourishing chicken à la Kiev called kotlety po kievski (Котлеты Котлеты-киевски) is a recipe for chicken breast filled with herb butter, then breaded and fried.

On the vegetables and starchy side, we can't miss the famous pelmeni (Пельмени) kinds of big ravioli traditionally steamed stuffed with mutton, pork, beef, mushrooms or potatoes. They are always topped with a dollop of sour cream just before serving. Pirojki (Пирожки) are shortcrust pastry fritters, usually stuffed with meat. Galoubtsy (Голубцы) is reminiscent of Greek dolma, although in Russia cabbage leaves replace the traditional vine leaves, which are stuffed with a mixture of raw ground beef, onions and rice. The resulting small packets are steamed or cooked in a bain-marie and eaten with fresh cream.

Although Russia does not have an infinite variety of desserts, there are some very tasty sweets. We often go for a few biscuits such as prianiki(Пряники), round gingerbread rolls filled with jam and covered with a sugar topping. Or sushki(су́шки), simple, crunchy rings with a light taste, which are served for tea. In confectionery, you can also find zefir(зефи́р), small soft red berry meringues, sometimes coated with chocolate. Otherwise, Russians love pancakes and syrniki(сырники), small, thick pancakes with cottage cheese, often served with sour cream, jam or applesauce. Halfway between drink and dessert, kissel(кисель)

is a red fruit juice lightly thickened with cornstarch that is served either as a cold soup or as a coulis with pancakes.

There are more complex cakes such as the Napoleon(Наполеон), a kind of mille-feuilles, or the very light ptichye moloko(птичье молоко) which could be translated as "bird's milk", which consists of a sponge cake covered with a meringue milk cream, all topped with dark chocolate. The medovik(mедовик) is a multilayered cake created for Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna in the 19th century, consisting of layers of honey biscuit and whipped cream. Finally, the muraveinik(mуравейник)

or "ant cake" is a dessert made of cookie chips agglomerated with caramel cream, molded in the shape of a cone. A cake for the lower classes, it is now found in bakeries.

Easter is a very important period for the 60 million Russian Orthodox. Two very popular desserts are eaten here. The paskha(пасха) is known for its shape generally resembling a truncated pyramid. It is a dessert composed mainly of farmhouse cheese (tvorog), thick cream, butter, vanilla flavoured and generously topped with candied fruit and raisins. Finally, the koulitch(кули́ч)

is a kind of high brioche baked in a cylindrical mould. It is flavoured with rum and saffron, before candied fruit and almonds are added. Once baked, it is crowned with a white glaze.

And to taste all these desserts, there is a hot drink that the Russians have a real cult for. Tea(Чай)

has a major place in Russian society and the country is one of the biggest consumers in the world. As early as 1567, Cossack dignitaries sent by Russia were the first to taste tea during their mission to China. In the 17th century, Mongolian rulers sent the czar large quantities of tea as a diplomatic gift, introducing the famous hot drink to the court, which then became a precious commodity, transported from China on camelback through Siberia and Central Asia. In the 19th century, the railway reduced the journey time from almost a year to a few weeks, making tea more accessible. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Wissotzky company, founded in Moscow, was the largest tea merchant in the world.

Tea in Russia is traditionally prepared in a samovar, a kind of double kettle where the tea is brewed for a long time in a teapot placed above a heated vat where the water always remains at the right temperature. As the tea is very strong, the cup is filled sparingly and then hot water is added. The central element of a Russian home, the samovar can be very simple, but some are true masterpieces of craftsmanship, decorated with precious metals, porcelain, mother-of-pearl or even crystal. Black tea is commonly consumed in the country, but beware of the term "Russian tea" as it has a double meaning. In France, it refers to a black tea flavoured with bergamot, but the appellation also has a geographical reality. Indeed, as early as the 19th century, Russian botanists tried to cultivate tea plants in the Russian Empire, particularly on the Black Sea coast where the mild and humid climate is well suited to the plant.And if today 90% of the tea consumed in Russia comes from India or Sri Lanka, one can still buy real Russian tea from this region, in specialized shops such as the splendid Perlov Tea House

in Moscow, with its delirious decoration resembling the crossroads between a Baroque palace and a Chinese temple. Although coffee consumption is increasing in Russia, it is far from eclipsing tea consumption and many consumers are generally satisfied with instant coffee.

If there's one alcohol that everyone associates with Russia in the blink of an eye, it's vodka(Водка). Russians use and abuse it, to the point that one of Gorbachev's first political acts in 1985 to put the country back to work was to enact laws restricting the sale of vodka and other alcoholic beverages. However, this was unpopular and it soon became clear that prohibition and Russia do not mix, although alcohol consumption has declined among the younger generations. Vodka, made from wheat or potatoes, is traditionally an inexpensive alcohol. The more reasonable ones are satisfied with one or two glasses per meal (small doses of about 5 cl), but when the party is in full swing, toasts and tastings are no longer counted. It is not a digestive or aperitif and is usually drunk throughout the meal. Vodka is also one of the Russians' favourite cocktails: it is used to macerate fruit (blackcurrant, lemon, etc.) which gives the drink a fragrant taste. Vladimir's vodka, made under the brand name Silver Prince, is delicately scented and very pleasant. Stolitchnaya and Moskovskaya are in principle the purest, although it is necessary to be sure of their origin. The must remains Beluga

, produced in the town of Mariinsk, in the heart of Siberia.

Beer(Пиво), if it does not dethrone vodka, especially at the table, is very widespread and Russia is the fourth largest beer consumer in the world. The country's biggest breweries are Tinkoff and Baltika, and Russians often prefer lager beers even though there are some good quality brown and white beers. Wine(Вино) is increasingly consumed in Russia, especially in trendy places. Although the vast majority of Russia's vast territory is unsuitable for growing vines, the southwestern part of the country, bordering the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, offers a climate suitable for wine-growing. Thus, the wines of Georgia (Khvanchkara - хваншкара -, and Kinzmaraouli - кинзмараули -, Joseph Stalin's favourites) are the most popular in Russia. All things considered, wine is still quite expensive in Russia, and wines that are too cheap, possibly adulterated, may leave you with bad memories when you wake up. Although during the Soviet era there were plenty of poor quality wines supplied directly to the cooperatives by tanker truck, there have since been some significant improvements with the vineyards of Abrau-Dourso and Château Tamagne, on the Black Sea coast. Finally, for special occasions, Russia has its "Soviet" champagne (Sovetskoye champanskoye, Советское Шампанское)

, a kind of sparkling wine whose low price partly explains its popularity. Served for special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, parties, etc.), it is quite acceptable and its sweet version goes very well with pastries. Among the low or non-alcoholic drinks, we can mention the kvas(квас) made from the fermentation of rye bread, giving a very light, fresh drink with less than 2% alcohol, which is often flavoured with fruit and mint in summer. The bit(морс) is a preparation based on cranberry juice and flavoured with lemon juice. Despite its name, kompot(компот) is the name given to the water used to cook fruit (apple, strawberry, peach, etc.) that is served well chilled, although it also refers to fruit that is simply cooked. Medovukha(медовуха) is made by fermenting honey. Although it is usually about 5%, it can be as high as 15%. Finally, ryazhenka(ряженка) and varenets(варенец) are two drinks made from fermented milk that are very popular in Russia.