Russia being the world’s largest country draws a lot of attention to its people, culture, and lifestyle. But have you ever wondered what do Russians eat? If this question has crossed your mind, you can find the answer in this post.
When you think of Russia, food is the last thing to come to your find. But the country’s gastronomic influence across the world is very apparent, especially in parts of central Asia and Eastern Europe. You’ll be surprised at the variety of flavours of traditional Russian dishes.
Most of the classic Russian recipes are made of wheat and veggies, such as porridges, stuffed dough, and soup. Russian dishes are simple and yet extremely delicious.
In this post, we want to highlight some of the popular famous Russian food that you must try. Without any further delay, let’s get into the details.
At A Glance
Top Traditional Russian Dishes To Try
Russian cuisine makes use of a lot of common ingredients such as beef, pork, chicken, lamb, fish, and potatoes. Stews and vegetable soups are an important part of Russian meals.
If you want the taste of the best Russian food, you must try out the foods and dishes mentioned below. These are some of the most popular dishes in the country.
Here you go with the list:
1. Pelmeni
If you love dumplings, you’ll surely love Pelmeni. In simple words, it’s the Russian version of dumplings. It’s the size of a dumpling and contains some delicious filling wrapped in a thin layer of dough. The filling can be both sweet and savoury depending on your taste.
A Pelmeni is made of soft dough filled with beef or pork. Sometimes they even use fish. To enhance the taste, they use various veggies, spices, and a generous amount of garlic. It’s commonly served with sour cream, but it can vary depending on the region.
2. Borscht
Borscht is one of the typical Russian foods you’ll eat. It’s a mouth-watering beetroot soup made with items such as beets, potatoes, tomato sauce, cabbage, onions, carrots, and beef. It uses all common ingredients that are easily available in your fridge.
This soup is perfect for Russian dinners during the wintertime. It keeps you warm and also tastes unbelievably good. They use various ingredients such as pepper, salt, or sour cream to improve the taste. Even though Borscht is a popular dish in Russia, it’s believed to have originated in Ukraine.
3. Shchi
Shchi is yet another popular soup choice in Russia. It’s basically a belly-warming cabbage soup that is either made from fermented cabbage or fresh ones.
This soup can be made in different ways which call for different ingredients. But the most common ingredients used are carrots, potatoes, and onions. Sometimes they also add chicken to make it more delicious. You can also use sauerkraut in the place of cabbage. In that case, it’s called the sour shchi soup.
4. Salad Oliver
Any Russian menu is incomplete without the Salad Oliver. This is one of the best salad versions you’ll try. It’s easy to prepare and can be made with common ingredients. It’s a type of potato salad that makes it a staple in Russian meals.
This delicious salad is made with various veggies such as carrots, potatoes, peas, onions with mayo, and pickles. They also add a variety of meats and eggs. Just so you know this dish was first prepared in 1860 by Laurence Oliver in a restaurant called Hermitage in Moscow. After being featured in the book “A Guide to the Study of the Foundations of Culinary Arts” in 1897, it went to become one of the most popular recipes in Russia.
5. Cherburki
Cherburki is a special Russian cuisine that’s quite easy to make. You don’t need a lot of ingredients to prepare this one. All it takes is just some pork or beef, onions, herbs, parsley, and seasoning to make the filling.
The filling is wrapped with a soft, thin layer of dough. You need to fold it nicely before putting it in the pan to fry. Some people also enjoy frozen Cherbureki at lunch. But this is mainly popular outside Russia in countries such as Lithuania and Turkey.
6. Blins
Blins is also popularly known as Blinchiki or Blinis. This is a traditional Russian dish that’s usually made during Christmas. To put it simply, it’s the Russian version of pancakes and tastes very sweet.
People in Russia eat Blins at the end of the winter season to celebrate the rebirth of the sun. However, you can prepare it any time of the year and enjoy the sweet and delicious taste.
7. Beef Stroganoff
Even if you’re not Russian, there’s a high chance that you already know or have tasted this dish. Beef Stroganoff is not just popular inside Russia, but even outside the country. It’s a traditional Russian dish that is commonly enjoyed during the wintertime.
Beef Stroganoff can be made using different ways. It involves noodles or pasta, and big chunks of meat covered in a creamy sauce. This mouth-watering recipe was first published in 1871 in a popular cookbook. However, the name of the creator of the dish is not known. This dish became very popular during the post-World War 2 period.
8. Rasstegai
Rasstegai is a dish that belongs to the Pirogi category, meaning pies and cakes. Just so you know the word rasstegai means “something unzipped”. This pretty much explains the nice, oval shape of the pie with an open top.
This delicious recipe is made with minced meat mixed with various spices. But the traditional recipe is made rice and salmon. If you’re in Russia, you’ll find this in many small and big bakeries. It is loved by the locals, especially people living in Moscow. They treat it as a grab-and-go snack when you’re in a hurry.
9. Pirogi
Russians love pies and pastries and one of the most popular dishes in this category is called Pirogi. No matter, where you’re in Russia, you’ll surely come across this dish. This is a type of baked pie that is made of yeast-made dough. It can have both savoury and sweet filling.
It takes a wide range of ingredients to prepare this dish. For those unversed, Pirogi makes an important part of Russian traditions and culture. One such tradition is where a soon-to-be-married couple makes pirogi together.
10. Russian Honey Cake
This is a perfect recipe for people with a sweet tooth. It’s a kind of Russian sponge cake with multiple layers. It’s made with a variety of ingredients such as honey, biscuit, milk, butter, and cinnamon. They also add whipped cream or sour cream as a topping.
This cake was first created in the 19th century and is also known as Medovik. It was made to impress Empress Elizabeth of Russia. Even though she hated honey, she loved the cake. During the Soviet era, it became very popular and people enjoyed it as a tasty dessert.
11. Shashlik
Shashlik is a kebab meat skewer with a Russian twist. You can make this dish in various ways depending on your taste and preference. The ingredients will vary based on the recipe you follow. Every Russian family uses a unique style to prepare this amazing dish.
The most common way of preparing Shashlik is with lamb, onions, garlic, parsley, and pepper. To enhance the flavour, it’s marinated with various sauces. This particular dish has its roots in central Asia but became quite popular in Russia in the 19th century. When you’re in Russia, you can buy it from takeaways, restaurants, and even street vendors.
12. Buzhenina
This happens to be a traditional Russian festive dish consisting of roast beef or pork and spices. It’s a simple dish, and yet very delicious. This recipe is believed to have come from the eastern Slavic tribes, where they had an excessive supply of boar meat and pork.
It’s made with boneless pork, garlic, and various spices. The layer of fat is nicely seasoned with spices to bring out the flavour. The meat is then placed in an oven to make it juicy. The aroma of the dish is hard to resist.
13. Smetana
Russians cannot go without sour cream, which is also known as Smetana. It’s one of the most common condiments that is taken with most Russian traditional dishes.
Be it soup or crepe, they love to have sour cream on the side. Sometimes they also take it with dessert. They love the taste of fresh sour cream with a smooth texture that melts perfectly into any warm dish. It has a distinctive flavour that tastes delicious.
Besides the lovely places, you have plenty of delicious Russian foods to try. The dishes mentioned in the post are available across the country. From well-known restaurants to street stalls, you’ll find it everywhere.
If you ever visit Russia makes sure to try some of these amazing cuisines, and also don’t forget to get your visa for Russia before departure.
