The art of zakuski

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), crustaceans and different types of salads based on tomatoes, cucumbers, cooked potatoes or carrots. Pickled vegetables and mushrooms are very popular, such as dill-flavoured pickles/малосольные

or pickled tomatoes/солёные помидоры. These are often served on canapés of soft bread or blinis/блины.

Often associated with blinis, caviar/Икра is the archetype of Russian gastronomy. According to 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, in Ukraine and Romania - it has historically been made from fish caught in the Caspian and Black Seas, although today 90% of sturgeon come from farms. Extracted with delicacy, the eggs are then washed and salted, which not only preserves them, 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.

If it is tempting to bring back Russian caviar in your luggage, give up hope of finding an excellent product at a low price. Although slightly cheaper than in France, caviar remains - even in Russia - a luxury food. A product that is too cheap might either not be made from sturgeon eggs (often replaced by salmon) or it 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, about 10 000 €/kg. Among the common starters in Russia you can't miss the Olivier salad/салатОливье. Its name comes from Lucien Olivier, the Belgian chef of the famous Moscow restaurant L'Ermitage, who in the 1860s created this salad with potatoes, carrots, gherkins and peas with mayonnaise. Be careful 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/cельдьпод шубой is a popular starter made from herring covered with many layers of vegetables (potatoes, beetroot, etc.), with the beetroot colouring the mayonnaise that coats this delicious dish in purple. Another fish-based recipe is the very simple herring with honey or seledka s modom/cеледкас 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 ofaspic. 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(belyy khleb/белыйхлеб) and the black rye bread(tchiorny khleb/чёрныйхлеб) often a little sour and slightly sweet at the same time.

The basics of Russian cuisine

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 one knows mainly red borsch or krasnyy borsch/красныйборщ based on beef broth, red cabbage, beets and scented with a lot of herbs. But there are other varieties such as green borscht (shchavel/щавель), made from sorrel, without beetroot. A spoonful of sour cream or smetana(cметана) before tasting softens the borsch and makes it more creamy. Other soups include sour chtchi(Щи), based on sauerkraut, vegetables and meat, oroukha(Уха), based on fish, potatoes and flavoured with laurel. Very close by, the solianka(Солянка) is a spicy sauerkraut soup, also containing tomato, capers and olives. In summer, tryokrochka(Окрошка)

, a cold soup made with kefir, pre-cooked vegetables, ham or cooked meat, all generously seasoned with dill.

Meat and fish 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. Another meat dish, with distinctly oriental influences, the chachlik(Шашлык) 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 Kiev or kotlety po kievski (Котлеты по-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. The 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 small packets thus obtained are steamed or cooked in a bain-marie and eaten with fresh cream.

The desserts

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. Otherwise the Russians love pancakes and other syrniki(сырники), small very thick pancakes with cottage cheese that are often served with sour cream, jam or applesauce. They are sometimes topped with kissel(кисель)

, a red fruit juice slightly thickened with cornstarch.

There are more complex cakes such as the Napoleon(Наполеон) a kind of mille-feuille 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 Alexeevna 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 crumbs agglomerated with caramel cream and moulded into a cone shape. 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.

The importance of tea

And to taste all these desserts, there is a hot drink that 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 the 16th century, Russian diplomats, sent to the court of the Emperor of China, discovered the consumption of tea. Highly appreciated by the aristocracy, this product, which was transported across Central Asia on camelback, cost a fortune. It was not until the railway in the 19th century that the journey time was shortened, making tea more accessible. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Wissotzky company, founded in Moscow, was the largest tea manufacturer 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. A 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, since the 19th century, Russian botanists have been trying to cultivate tea plants in the Russian Empire, particularly along the Black Sea, 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, or even taste it in some of the most beautiful tea rooms in the city. It isimpossible to miss the Literaturnoye Kafe or Literary Café(Литературное кафе) located on the Nevsky Prospect, which has seen the greatest Russian writers such as Alexander Pushkin, Fyodor Dostoevsky and many others, since its opening in 1834. Café Singer(Зингеръ кафе) is housed in the superb Art Nouveau building built in 1904, at 28 Nevsky Prospect, for the American company of the same name. It faces the imposing Notre-Dame-de-Kazan Cathedral. There arealso the superb tea rooms of the Astoria and Four Seasonshotels, both located in listed historical buildings.

In the kingdom of vodka

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. But he gained nothing but unpopularity, 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 an aperitif, but 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 and other drinks

Beer (Пиво), if it does not dethrone vodka, especially at the table, is 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 if there are some good quality brown or white beers. Wine (Вино) is increasingly consumed in Russia, especially in trendy places. Although the vast majority of Russia's huge territory is not suitable for growing vines, the southwest of the country on 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 remains quite expensive in Russia and too cheap wines, 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, which gives a very light fresh drink with less than 2% alcohol, often flavoured with fruit and mint in summer. The bit (морс), is a preparation based on cranberry juice with lemon juice. Despite its name, kompot (компот) is the name given to the water used to cook fruit (apples, strawberries, peaches, 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.