Eating In Russia - Local Foods, Drinks And Delicacies

Russia's vastness and multicultural culture is evident in its cuisine.
The foundations of this modern cuisine were laid down by the rural population with their peasant food, usually made in a very harsh climate.

There was an abundant supply of game, poultry and fish and with it, flavourful stews and soups could be made. Honey and berries were available and crops of barley, rye, wheat and millet provided the ingredients for all kinds of foods and drinks including breads, cereals, pancakes, kvass, vodka and beer.

For the vast majority of Russians, these wholly native foods remained the staples well into the 20th century. There is an inescapable Eastern character to its cooking methods, provided perhaps by the Ottoman Empire and Persia thanks to their once close proximity.

Russia is renowned for its caviar and it is easily obtained. Prices, however, can be exorbitant. Famous Russian dishes in the West such as Beef Stroganoff and Chicken Kiev can be found but are mostly aimed at tourists. The status of these dishes was lost during Soviet times.

Russian specialties:

Blini (Crêpes)
Piroshki (Meat or cabbage pie)
Ikra Baklazhanaya (Aubergine caviar)
Borsch (Beetroot soup/red soup)
Shi (Cabbage soup)
Golubsti (Cabbage rolls)
Olivier (Potato salad)
Shashlyk (Kebabs of various kinds)
Pelmini (Meat-filled dumplings)
Vareniki (Ukrainian dumplings)
Vinegret (Boiled vegetable salad with beets)

Sophisticated, world class dining can be found in both Moscow and Saint Petersburg. There is plenty of choice for ethnic cuisines including Japanese, Italian and Tibetan as well as the best cuisines from the former Soviet Union.

There are many western fast food chains available but it is possible to eat well and cheaply without resorting to that. Russia has their own unique style of fast food restaurants in the form of cafes or streetside kiosks where you can pick up tasty Russian meat soups, meat pies or stuffed potatos.

In Russia it is best to avoid drinking the tap water or using ice in drinks. You can buy bottled water wherever food is served.

There are lots of stylish cafes springing up all over Saint Petersburg and Russia, serving espresso, cappuccino, rich cakes and pastries and toasted sandwiches. Cafes in Russia, unlike cafes in Europe, serve a full range of meals.

Drink
You can get all sorts of drinks in Russia. From soft drinks to beer, from spirits to wine plus some unusual drinks like Kvas and Mors.
Kvas is a sour-sweet, non-alcoholic, naturally carbonised drink made from fermented dark bread. Mors is a traditional wild berry drink.

International soft drinks like Pepsi, CocaCola and Fanta are available as well as local soft drinks, Buratino, Tarhun and Baikal. Beer is cheap and is found at any street vendor (sold warm). The popular brands are Stary Melnik, Baltika, Bochkareff, Zolotaya, Tinkoff, Bochka plus many others.

Photo: Russian Borsch
Photo credit: Flickr's Tanya !