The Russian Kitchen - Learning Popular Russian Foods

Most people think of France and Italy when they think of “good food.”  

Have you ever thought about Russian food?  

Probably not! 

Too many people imagine Russian food to be bland, colorless, and boring without even having given it a try.  It certainly isn’t a train of flavors, like Indian or Middle Eastern food for example, but it’s quite unique and comforting.  For me, Russian food is a special kind of soul food.  With every bite I feel warm inside (or maybe that’s the gallons of tea that we drink with each meal talking).  Either way, Russian food is absolutely delicious, and I’m going to share that with you today!

Cold Foods «Холодные блюда»

There are a host of delicious cold Russian foods:  Salads, dairy, and even soups!  Salads are extremely popular and are guaranteed to be seen in surplus on the table at any Russian gala – but these salads are not the kinds we’re used to!  They tend to have one ingredient that sets them apart from the salads we’re used to:  mayonnaise.  Yes, the majority of Russian salads are bound together by mayo – it’s great!  There is a famous Russian beet salad, which consists of diced beets, potatoes, carrots, mayo, etc., and even a salad containing diced apples, pineapple, cheese, and mayo. 

Okroshka («Окрошка») is a chilled Russian soup.  It consists of thinly sliced cucumbers, radishes, wild garlic, and a whole lot of kefir.  Kefir («Кефир») is an extremely healthy and slightly sour yogurt.  Well, it is not actually yogurt.  It is a dairy product that is similar to Greek yogurt in taste with a relatively viscous yet drinkable consistency.  So okroshka is basically like a savory “yogurt” soup.  Overall it is very refreshing and often served in the summer.  

Tvorog («Творог») is a type of cheese that is typically topped with cherries and raspberries from the garden – or just an insane amount of granulated sugar.  The closest thing I can relate tvorog to is cottage cheese, but tvorog is so much better and nothing can actually compare to it!   

Hot Foods «Горячие блюда»

I’m sure everyone’s heard of “pierogis,” but did you know they are actually called vareniki («вареники»)?  Vareniki are similar to ravioli, but of course Russians would never stuff anything with cheese… Vareniki are commonly stuffed with potatoes or sautéed cabbage and served with sour cream and fried onions.  There is also a sweet variant – Vareniki stuffed with cherries and served with sour cream and sugar!  Vareniki, especially the way my nanny used to make them, were always my favorite food.

Pirozhki («Пирожки») are another Russian classic!  They are stuffed blobs of diamond-shaped dough pan-fried in sunflower oil.  Common fillings for pirozhki include potatoes, hardboiled eggs and wild garlic/green onions, and sautéed cabbage.  They are often dipped in mayo or sour cream for maximum deliciousness.

I hope I’ve shed some light on the scrumptiousness of Russian food and somewhat busted the stereotype!  Though there is one common dish we make that seems a bit gross – Noodles with ketchup and mayonnaise (Yeah, that’s our version of Italian.  Apparently pasta sauces don’t exist).  Although the combo is kind of tasty, please don’t take that as cooking advice!

So if you aren’t convinced that Russian food is yummy, take a trip to the Eastern European market here in State College (yes, we have a Russian market!) and try some food out for yourselves.

Feel free to comment any particular dish mentioned above that you would like a recipe for, and I’ll make it a post in the near future!