Russian kitchen very versatile and varied. It has evolved over many centuries, enriched by borrowing from the culinary traditions of other peoples. Interestingly, dishes and recipes vary greatly depending on the specific region: for example, cuisine of the Russian North very different from Volga cuisine, a siberian- from Moscow.

Traditionally in Russia food cooked in the oven where a special temperature regime was maintained. Therefore, in Russian cuisine, such methods of processing products as baking, extinguishing, languor, evaporation, tension(that is, frying in a pan in a large amount of oil).

Grain (cereals, buckwheat) and vegetables - from the already legendary turnips and swede before radish, beets and cabbage... In the 18th century in Russia (as you know, not without popular unrest), it was widely introduced potato, which soon pushed all other vegetables from the Russian "culinary Olympus".

One of the features of traditional Russian cuisine is that in the old days vegetables were practically not cut or cut very large, baked and stewed whole and almost never mixed with each other.

Perhaps, no other cuisine in the world has such a variety of soups: cabbage soup, pickle, kalya, ear, botvinya, okroshka, Borsch, beetroot, chill, kulesh, hodgepodge... Although, note, the word "soup" until the 18th century did not exist in Russian at all: soups were called "brew", "bread", "soup" and so on.

Traditionally, Russian cuisine used not only meat of domestic animals and birds ( beef, pork, mutton, hen), but also a variety of game - interweat, venison, elk meat, quail, partridge, wood grouse, black grouse... Among Russian meat dishes - boiled pork, aspic (jelly), corned beef, stuffed pig.

In Russian cuisine, the tradition of fish dishes is very strong, and, with the exception of the "Pomor" lands, only River fish... One of the more popular ways to cook fish has been fishmonger- baking whole fish in dough.

The Russian culinary tradition cannot be imagined without a variety of pastries. it gingerbread, wickets, shangi, coloba, Easter cakes, pies, kulebyaka, kurniki, cobblers,crumpets, cheesecakes, pretzels, koloboks, steering-wheels, drying, rolls, pies and pies with a variety of fillings (from fishes, meat, apples, mushrooms, pears, greenery before blackberry, cloudberries, redberries and late) - you can list it endlessly. Among other flour dishes - dumplings, pancakes and pancakes.

It is impossible to imagine Russian cuisine without dairy dishes - curd(until the 18th century, it was called cheese), curdled milk, sour cream, varenza, sirnikov(curds) and curd casseroles.

The choice of traditional drinks is also great in Russia - fruit drink, jelly, kvass, brine, sour cabbage soup(not to be confused with the soup of the same name!), forest tea(this is what is now called herbal tea), nutritious honey, beer, sbiten- and, of course, vodka and various tinctures on it.

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As you travel the world, visit new restaurants and meet different people, it's always fun to experience a different culture through local food. Some dishes arouse genuine interest, others seem ordinary, and still others are frightening with their exoticism. At the same time, we do not often assess the food we have been accustomed to since childhood as critically. Just think, borscht with cutlets!

The national cuisine of any country always reflects in itself not only the peculiarities of the climate, but also the features of the people inhabiting it. Us in site it became very interesting how famous Russian cuisine is abroad. Do guests from abroad like our pelmeni and okroshka?

By the way, about dill ...

Many, very many foreigners who come to Russia note a huge amount of dill, which we love to add to almost all dishes. Even in those where he is not expected at all.

“Dill is terrible. I can't eat it anymore, I'm just tired of it! I can't believe they put it in pretty much everything. ”- reluctant_redditer.

Note, nevertheless, that dill contains a huge amount of nutrients and vitamins, is good for blood, cerebral vessels, digestion, and vision.

Aspic

A cold appetizer from a jelly-like meat broth is present not only in Russian, but also in other cuisines of the world. The main difference between aspik, brawn or other similar aspic is that gelling substances - gelatin or agar-agar - are separately added to them. This is not required for the preparation of jellied meat, the desired consistency is achieved due to prolonged digestion of the legs, tail and head of the animal in the broth - they contain a lot of collagen.

It is difficult to name exactly the reasons, but jellied meat more often than other dishes arouses suspicion and rejection among foreigners.

“I just can't look at all this mayonnaise. Has he captured everything at all? Much can be understood, but several layers ... ”- Flashdance007.

“There was too much mayonnaise. There is always too much mayonnaise ... ”- Msknowbody.

Buckwheat

Buckwheat is native to northern India and Nepal. Having made a long journey across Asia, in the 15th century it took root in Russia.

In addition to Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union, buckwheat is used in Israel, China, Korea and Japan. In the rest of the world, very little is eaten. Not everyone likes her. The fact is that a person who is not accustomed to its taste since childhood, having tasted it, will feel bitterness and a strange aftertaste.

Now in Europe there is a surge of interest in buckwheat because of its beneficial properties, nutritional value, dietary quality and hypoallergenicity.

“I am a vegetarian and it was very difficult for me to find healthy and suitable food for such cold weather. Buckwheat has become my super salvation in all the dishes of the day, ”says Shell, a student from India.

Syrniki

Cottage cheese, from which syrniki is made, was known in ancient Rome, but we called it "cheese", since it was obtained from raw milk. It began to be called cottage cheese only in the 18th century, when Peter I brought hard (rennet) cheeses from Europe and established their production in Russia.

Sometimes you can come across the name "curd", but it did not really catch on, and no matter how you call this light dish, which can be both a dessert and a full breakfast, it will not become less tasty.

“I spent 2 weeks in Russia with my now ex-boyfriend, and his babushka made cheese cakes all the time. She even made cottage cheese herself! I'm hooked! We ate them with berry jam, which they also pick themselves, ”- la_pluie.

Solyanka

The hodgepodge was first mentioned in the 18th century. As the historian of Russian cuisine Pavel Syutkin writes, "then, of course, it is not soup (stew), but a hot dish of cabbage, cucumbers, meat, poultry, fish, mushrooms or other products."

Solyanka in the form of the first course appears in the 2nd half of the 19th century. There was no single, “classic” recipe - “... with sturgeon, capers, lemon, smoked meats. Each innkeeper showed his talent in it, attracting clients with incredible tastes and smells. "

Laura Hancock from Detroit: “Perhaps the hodgepodge is my favorite Russian soup, largely due to the fact that it is very salty. It contains pickles, sausages, bacon, chicken, capers, and cabbage. "

Okroshka

Russian national cuisine has always been interesting and distinctive. The dishes were prepared from game, different types of fish, mushrooms, vegetables and cereals. From sweets - only honey, nuts, apples. It is useful and in full accordance with the Russian climate.

Soups and cereals made it possible to maintain a feeling of fullness for a long time, and a variety of salty and fermented foods promoted good digestion. So let's take a look at the recipes.

First meal

In no other national cuisine there is such a variety of soup options as in Russian. There are many delicious soups on our table - pickle, hodgepodge, fish soup. But, perhaps, the main dish for Russians is cabbage soup. No wonder they say where the cabbage soup is, look for a Russian person there.

Sauerkraut cabbage soup

How to do:

1. Rinse the piece of meat thoroughly. Pour water into a saucepan and put prepared meat in it. When the broth boils, remove the foam from the surface. Reduce the flame of the burner, cook the soup for an hour and a half, remove the foam as it forms;
2. While the beef is boiling, peel the vegetables - carrots and onions. Grate the carrots with large holes and finely chop the onion;
3. Put the onion in a skillet with hot oil, darken it over low heat until transparent and add the carrots. Simmer carrots until soft;
4. In the meantime, peel the potatoes, chop them into cubes;
5. Remove a piece of meat from the broth, cut into large pieces, put back in the pan;
6. Add potatoes to the soup. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size of the potato cubes;
7. Dip sauerkraut, stewed vegetables, parsley, spices into a boiling broth. Cook for about 10 minutes. After that, leave the cabbage soup on the off stove. After 20 minutes, you can serve it, sprinkle with chopped herbs;
8. Note: the taste of cabbage soup depends on the cabbage, so you need to choose crispy, not sweet and not oversalted.

Chicken offal pickle

For 8 servings:

• chicken giblets - 500 g;
• pickles - 3 pieces;
• cucumber pickle - 0.5 cups;
• potatoes - 3 tubers;
• carrot - 1 piece;
• bulb;
• root celery - 50 g;
• rice - 75 g;
• 2 leaves of lavrushka;
• 3 peas of black and allspice;
• vegetable oil for frying;
• for seasoning - salt.

The cooking time will be 60 minutes. Each serving contains about 150 kcal.

Cooking method:

1. Remove films from chicken giblets, rinse. Pour water into a saucepan and put the prepared offal into it, put on the stove. After boiling, collect the foam, reduce the heat and cook for about 10 minutes. Then remove the giblets from the broth, rinse with boiled water. It is advisable to strain the broth. Chop the giblets into pieces and put in the broth. Put on fire until boiling;
2. While the giblets are being prepared, it is necessary to start preparing the vegetables. Peel onions, celery and carrots, chop into strips. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan, add vegetables and fry for 4 minutes. Then send them to the broth, cook for 10 minutes;
3. Remove the peel from the cucumbers, put them in a container with hot water, boil for about 10 minutes. After that, strain the broth. Cut the cucumbers into thin strips, put them back in the saucepan with the broth, add the brine to the same container. Put on fire when it boils, you can remove it from the stove;
4. Peel the potatoes, chop them into strips and send them to the soup. Cooking time - 5 minutes;
5. Rinse the rice with warm water, pour it into the soup. Cook for 6 minutes;
6. Add the broth to the soup along with cucumbers, all the spices and salt to taste. Cook for no more than 15 minutes. Pickle is usually served on the table with sour cream;
7. Note: do not use pickled cucumbers for making pickle, only pickled ones.

Recipes for second Russian dishes

Pozharsky cutlets

For two servings:

Two portions of cutlets can be cooked in 30 minutes, the energy value of each is 157 kcal.

How to do:

1. Soak two slices of bread in milk, pass the chicken pulp twice through any meat grinder (electric or mechanical). Combine minced meat with bread soaked in milk, season with salt and mix well;
2. Add the softened diced butter to the minced meat. The butter should be just soft, not melted. Form cutlets from the meat mass;
3. Roll the cutlets in the following sequence: in eggs mixed with milk, then in bread crumbs. Fry cutlets in oil until an appetizing crust is formed. Serve with a vegetable side dish;
4. Note: it is better to eat cutlets immediately, after heating they will lose their delicate taste.

Stroganoff meat with mustard

Products:

• beef tenderloin - 0.8 kg;
• wheat flour - 25 g;
• meat broth - 400 ml;
• onion - 1 head;
• 100 g of peasant oil;
• sour cream - 500 g;
• season with spices to taste.

Meat can be cooked in 30 minutes. Each serving contains about 200 kcal.

How to cook:

Bakery

There are hardly any people who are indifferent to baking. This is an amazing opportunity to taste delicious food. For example, hearty kulebyaku or cheesecakes loved from childhood.

Kulebyaka

It will be needed for the test:

• flour, sifted - 500 g;
• egg;
• a pinch of salt;
• dry yeast - 25 g;
• 100 g butter and a little milk.

First filling:

• white cabbage - 350 g;
• sour cabbage - 350 g;
• ham or pork - 350 g;
• half an onion.

Second filling:

• beef - 500 g;
• 0.3 kg of pork (preferably fatty);
• 3 medium sized onions;
• 3 eggs.

The baking time is 45 minutes. 100 grams of kulebyaki contains 278.9 kcal.

Cooking method:

1. Knead the dough: dilute the yeast with warmed milk, combine with flour, add butter, egg and salt. The dough should be tough. For the dough to come up, it needs to stand warm for an hour and a half. Then stir again;
2. Roll out the finished dough 1 cm thick and 20 cm long with a rolling pin. Place the dough on a towel sprinkled with flour. Put the filling in the center of the dough, pinch the edges nicely. Turn the finished kulebyaka onto a baking sheet with a towel. The seam should be at the bottom;
3. Before putting the kulebyaka in the oven, it stands on the table for about half an hour, then grease it with an egg. Make punctures on the kulebyak in two places with a fork so that steam can escape. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes depending on the selected filling. Temperature range from 200 to 220 degrees;
4. First filling: boil fresh and sauerkraut in salted water until soft. Throw in a colander, then pass through a conventional meat grinder. Lightly fry the onion, add cabbage to it, simmer. Season the prepared filling with salt, pepper, add chopped meat. Move all components;
5. Second filling: mince beef, pork and onion. Season the meat base with spices, dilute with water. The consistency should resemble sour cream. Fry the minced meat in a pan. When it's cooked, remove excess moisture from it and knead it with a spoon. Add chopped eggs to the meat.

Recipe for real cheesecakes with cottage cheese

Products for the test:

• 50 g each - vegetable oil and sugar;
• a glass of milk;
• 320 g flour;
• egg;
• yeast - 10 g;
• 4 grams of salt;

Filling products:

• 0.5 kg - cottage cheese;
• 2 eggs;
• 50 g of any butter;
• granulated sugar - 130 grams;
• sour cream - 40 g.

It takes about 2 hours to bake the cheesecakes. 100 grams of product contains 330 kcal.

Cooking method:

1. Filling: mix sugar with eggs, beat until a strong foam appears. Rub the cottage cheese until smooth. Mix all the ingredients, add two tablespoons of sour cream. For now, put the filling in the refrigerator;
2. Dough: combine the egg with sugar, grind thoroughly. Add salt, warmed milk, 10 grams of yeast and beat everything well;
3. Add vegetable oil, flour and knead the yeast dough. Knead so that the dough does not stick to the hands and sides of the dish. Put in a saucepan, cover with a towel (lid), put in a warm place;
4. When the dough rises, it must be cut into pieces, and a ball is formed from each. The chopped dough must be allowed to distance, about 15 minutes;
5. Squeeze the balls to make a cake. Arrange on a prepared baking sheet, make a depression for the curd filling;
6. Place the cottage cheese in the center, coat the edges of the cheesecake with yolk, into which you can add sugar. This will give the cheesecakes a rich caramel hue;
7. Bake in a preheated oven. Cooking time will be from 10 to 15 minutes;
8. Note: it is important that the dough should be cut into pieces, not ripped. It is better to use vegetable oil, on it the dough turns out more magnificent. You can make a depression for the filling with an ordinary glass.

From the culinary archives: old recipes

The old Russian cuisine did not know any sausages, or cheese, or pasta, or cookies and sweets. She had at her disposal all the gifts of the forest, fish, sometimes beef, cereals and a poor selection of fruits and vegetables. Various soups and stews were prepared. Cold soups were the mainstay of the summer lunch.

Lean turnip stew

Serves 4:

• turnip - 3 roots;
• potatoes - 5 pieces;
• onion - 3 heads;
• flour - 50 g;
• 30 g refined oil;
• parsley, dill - 2 branches each;
• soy sour cream - optional;
• season with spices - to taste.

It takes 1 hour to prepare the dish. Each serving contains 50 kcal.

Cooking process step by step:

1. Vegetables: turnips, onions, potatoes are peeled and cut into strips. Fold the prepared vegetables into a three liter saucepan, add water and salt. Cook for half an hour;
2. Chop the onion. Chop the potatoes arbitrarily. Put these foods in the soup. Cook for about 20 minutes;
3. Fry wheat flour in butter, pour in sour cream. Add this dressing to the soup and boil;
4. Sprinkle the finished dish with chopped herbs, if necessary, season with spices;
5. Tip: Lean turnip chowder will taste better if it has been turned off on the stove for 10 minutes.

Botvinha

Products:

• fresh sorrel - 500 g;
• fish - 500 g;
• natural bread kvass - 1.5 liters;
• cucumber - 4 pieces;
• a bunch of green onions;
• 2 sprigs of dill;
• to taste - salt, bay leaf, black peppercorns;
• mustard or horseradish to taste.

It takes 30 minutes to cook. Each serving contains 52 calories.

Old recipe step by step:

1. Wash sorrel leaves, put in a container with water, extinguish slightly. Then rub thoroughly, you can through a sieve;
2. Finely chop the onion, combine it with mustard (horseradish), sugar, salt. Grind well;
3. Chop the dill, and chop the cucumbers into cubes;
4. Combine pounded sorrel and onion, cucumber cubes, dill. Pour everything with natural kvass;
5. Put the fish in a saucepan with salted water, cook until tender. Add the peeled onion head, bay leaf, black peppercorns to the fish broth. To prevent the fish from becoming tough, it must be cooked over low heat;
6. The finished fish is cut into large chunks, served on the table separately;
7. Ice cubes can be added to botvinya;
8. Note: botvinia was served separately - soup made from herbs and vegetables, fish, crushed ice. A stand-alone dish was obtained from these three components.

Old Russian dish - Kalya

Products:

• 2 cucumbers (pickled only);
• 50 g white rice;
• 2 cups cucumber pickle;
• 0.6 kg of fish;
• onion (large);
• 20 g of sunflower oil;
• 3 potato tubers;
• 1 parsley root;
• leek;
• lemon juice - 2 tablespoons (tablespoons);
• add spices to taste.

It will take an hour and a half to cook. One serving contains 45 kcal.

How to cook:

1. Cut the prepared fish into portions, add water (2 liters) and put on fire;
2. After 10 minutes, add cucumber pickle to the fish, cook until the fish is fully cooked;
3. Add chopped potatoes, rice, fried chopped onions, parsley, leeks, finely chopped peeled cucumbers to the saucepan. Cook until all products are cooked;
4. At the end of cooking, remove the kalya from the stove and add lemon juice to it;
5. Note: fish kale was usually prepared from fatty fish - sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, carp, halibut, beluga and catfish.

All of the above recipes have been created for a long time, and over time they simply improved.

Further, the cuisines of the peoples of the Great Steppe had a great influence on Russian cuisine. Tatars and other Central Asian peoples brought to Russia the tradition of making dumplings, dumplings and pies, smoking meat and fish, and brewing tea. Since the 18th century, when Russia began to orient itself more and more to the West, Russian cuisine began to borrow various Western traditions: the preparation of chocolate and confectionery, the use of seasonings and spices.

During the time of Catherine the Second, refined Russian-French cuisine reached its apogee, spreading among the aristocracy - such dishes as beef stroganoff, Kiev cutlet, Oryol veal, charlotte were popular. In the 19th century, potatoes began to be grown in Russia, which became one of the most popular food products among peasants. Potatoes were even called "second bread". Around the 19th century, the modern features of Russian cuisine were fully formed.

Traditionally, in Russian cuisine, fresh vegetables are used little, and the menu of cold snacks has not been formed. The most popular cold salad is the Olivier salad, which, like many other cult dishes, gained popular love during the Soviet era. Jellied meat is another traditional cold dish. Smoked meat and fish products are popular.

A wide range of soups is one of the main distinguishing features of Russian cuisine. In Russia, they have always loved soups - both cold and hot. Among cold soups, the most popular are okroshka and turya, among hot soups - cabbage soup (cabbage soup), fish soup (fish soup), borscht (soups with beets), pickles (with pickles), hodgepodge. The flavor range of soups is traditionally completed with the addition of sour cream. Meat is widely used in Russian cuisine. The most popular meat dish in Soviet times was cutlets. Many hot dishes of Russian national cuisine are prepared from stuffed wheat dough - in particular, dumplings and dumplings. Traditional Russian yeast dough pies with fillings are known all over the world. Kulebyaka is considered a traditional Russian pie.

Without a doubt, Russian cuisine, recipes with photos of which you will find in this section, is famous all over the world for a wide variety of pancakes. However, pancakes are prepared not only in Russia, but throughout Eastern Europe. Traditional Russian pancakes are considered to be thick pancakes made from yeast dough and baked in the oven. Thin pancakes that came to Russia from France are usually called pancakes, and small pancakes fried in fat are called pancakes.

As a rule, hot dishes of Russian cuisine are usually served with a side dish - boiled vegetables, cereals, potatoes. Often sour cream, horseradish, mustard or gravy are served with hot. Sauerkraut and pickled vegetables are the key element of many dishes: cucumbers, cabbage and mushrooms.

Traditional Russian cuisine is characterized by specific drinks, many of which are already unpopular. Since the 12th century, a hot honey drink sbiten was known in Russia, which almost no one prepares today. But still popular is kvass, which is traditionally made from black bread, as well as fruit drink (fruit or berry broth) and jelly (a drink thickened with starch).

Alcoholic drinks are also very popular in Russia. The oldest of them is mead. Vodka is often considered the Russian national drink, although discussions about the place of the invention of vodka are still ongoing. Tea became one of the most popular drinks in Russia after the development of Siberia - for its preparation they even began to use specific dishes (for example, a samovar). Tea is drunk sweet, with sugar or jam. It was once customary to drink tea from a saucer, not from a cup. Traditional Russian desserts are gingerbread and grandma, which gained popularity in the 18th century, when Western culinary traditions greatly influenced Russian cuisine.

The concept of "Russian cuisine" is as broad as the country itself. The names, tastes and composition of the dishes vary considerably depending on the region. Wherever the representatives of society moved, they brought their traditions into cooking, and at the place of residence they were actively interested in the culinary tricks of the region and rapidly introduced them, thereby adapting them to their own ideas about healthy and tasty food. Thus, over time, on the territory of a huge country, their own preferences were formed.

History

Russian cuisine has a rather interesting and long history. Despite the fact that for quite a long time the country did not even suspect the existence of such products as rice, corn, potatoes and tomatoes, the national table stood out for an abundance of aromatic and tasty dishes.

Traditional Russian dishes do not need exotic ingredients and specialized knowledge, however, a lot of experience is required to prepare them. The main components throughout the centuries were turnips and cabbage, all kinds of fruits and berries, radishes and cucumbers, fish, mushrooms and meat. Cereals such as oats, rye, lentils, wheat and millet were not left aside.

The knowledge of yeast dough was borrowed from the Scythians and Greeks. China made our country happy with tea, and Bulgaria talked about the methods of making peppers, zucchini and eggplants.

Many interesting Russian dishes were adopted from European cuisine of the XVI-XVIII centuries, this list includes smoked meats, salads, ice cream, liqueurs, chocolate and wines.
Pancakes, borscht, Siberian dumplings, okroshka, Guryev porridge, Tula gingerbread, Don fish have long become unique culinary brands of the state.

Main ingredients

It's not a secret for everyone that our state is mainly a northern country, winter is long and harsh here. Therefore, food that is eaten must necessarily provide a lot of heat to help survive in such a climate.

The main components that made up Russian folk dishes are:

• Potato. A variety of dishes were prepared from it, fried, boiled and baked, chops, potato pancakes, pancakes, soups were also made.
• Bread. This product occupies a significant place in the diet of the average Russian. Such a food is striking in its variety: these are croutons, and crackers, just bread, bagels and a huge number of types that can be enumerated indefinitely.
• Eggs. Most often, they are boiled or fried, and on their basis a large variety of dishes are prepared.
• Meat. The most commonly consumed types are beef and pork. Many dishes are made from this product, for example, zrazy, chops, cutlets, etc.
• Butter. It is very popular and is added to many ingredients. They eat it and just spread it on bread.

Also, traditional Russian dishes were very often prepared from milk, cabbage, kefir and yogurt, mushrooms, fermented baked milk, cucumbers, sour cream and bacon, apples and honey, berries and garlic, sugar and onions. In order to make any meal, you must use pepper, salt and vegetable oil.

List of popular Russian dishes

Rationality and simplicity are considered the peculiarity of our cuisine. This can be attributed to both the cooking technology and the recipe. A huge number of first foods were popular, but their main list is presented below:

• Cabbage soup is one of the most popular first courses. A huge number of options for its preparation are known.
• Ukha was popular in all its varieties: burlak, double, triple, combined, fishing.
• Rassolnik was most often prepared from Leningrad, home and Moscow with kidneys, chicken and goose offal, fish and cereals, roots and mushrooms, corn, meatballs, and lamb brisket.

Flour products also played an important role:

• pancakes;
• dumplings;
• pies;
• pancakes;
• pies;
• cheesecakes;
• crumpets;
• kulebyaki;
• donuts.

Cereal dishes were especially popular:

• porridge in pumpkin;
• pea;
• buckwheat with mushrooms.

The meat was most often stewed or baked, and semi-liquid dishes were made from offal. The most favorite meat dishes were:

• fire cutlets;
• Stroganoff beef;
• veal "Orlov";
• bird in the capital;
• pork roll in Russian;
• giblet stew;
• hazel grouse in sour cream;
• boiled scars.

Sweet foods were also widely represented:

• compotes;
• jelly;
• fruit drinks;
• kvass;
• sbiten;
• honey.

Ritual and forgotten dishes

Basically, all the dishes of our cuisine have ritual significance, and some of them have been going on since the days of paganism. They were consumed on fixed days or on holidays. For example, pancakes, which were considered sacrificial bread among the Eastern Slavs, were eaten only at Maslenitsa or at a commemoration. And Easter cakes and Easter were prepared for the holy holiday of Easter.

Kutya was served as a memorial meal. The same dish was also boiled for various celebrations. Moreover, each time it had a new name, which was timed to coincide with the event. "Poor" prepared before Christmas, "rich" - before New Year, and "hungry" - before Epiphany.

Some old Russian dishes are undeservedly forgotten today. Until recently, there was nothing tastier than carrots and cucumbers boiled with honey in a water bath. The whole world knew and loved national desserts: baked apples, honey, various gingerbread and jams. They also made cakes from berry porridge, pre-dried in the oven, and "parenki" - boiled pieces of beets and carrots - these were children's favorite Russian dishes. The list of such forgotten dishes can be continued indefinitely, as the cuisine is very rich and varied.

Traditional Russian drinks include kvass, sbiten and berry fruit drinks. For example, the first of the list has been known to the Slavs for over 1000 years. The presence of this product in the home was considered a sign of well-being and wealth.

Vintage dishes

Modern cuisine with all its huge variety is very different from the past, but still strongly intertwined with it. To date, many recipes have been lost, tastes have been forgotten, most products have become unavailable, but everything should not be erased from the memory of Russian folk dishes.

Human traditions are closely related to food intake and have evolved under the influence of a wide variety of factors, among which all kinds of religious abstinence play the main role. Therefore, in the Russian lexicon, words such as "fasting" and "meat-eater" are very often found, these periods constantly alternated.

Such circumstances had a profound effect on Russian cuisine. There is a huge number of dishes made from cereals, mushrooms, fish, vegetables, which have been seasoned with vegetable fats. On the festive table there were always such Russian dishes, the photos of which can be seen below. They are associated with an abundance of game, meat, fish. Their preparation takes a significant amount of time and requires certain skills from the chefs.

Most often, the feast began with snacks, namely mushrooms, sauerkraut, cucumbers, pickled apples. Salads appeared later, during the reign of Peter I.
Then they ate such Russian dishes as soups. It should be noted that the national cuisine has a rich set of first courses. First of all, these are cabbage soup, hodgepodge, borscht, fish soup and botvinia. This was followed by porridge, which was popularly called the foremother of bread. On meat-eating days, chefs prepared delicious meals from offal and meat.

Soups

Ukraine and Belarus had a strong influence on the formation of culinary preferences. Therefore, the country began to prepare such Russian hot dishes as kuleshi, borscht, beetroot soup, soup with dumplings. They are very firmly included in the menu, but national dishes such as cabbage soup, okroshka, and fish soup are still popular.

Soups can be divided into seven types:

1. Cold, which are prepared on the basis of kvass (okroshka, turi, botvinia).
2. Vegetable decoctions, they are made in water.
3. Dairy, meat, mushroom and noodle dishes.
4. Everyone's favorite dish of cabbage soup belongs to this group.
5. High-calorie hodgepodge and pickle, prepared on the basis of meat broth, and have a slightly salty-sour taste.
6. This subcategory includes a variety of fish concoctions.
7. Soups that are made only with the addition of cereals in vegetable broth.

In hot weather, it is very pleasant to eat cool Russian first courses. Their recipes are very diverse. For example, it can be okroshka. Initially, it was prepared only from vegetables with the addition of kvass. But today there are a large number of recipes with fish or meat.

A very tasty old dish botvinia, which has lost its popularity due to the complexity of preparation and high cost. It included fish such as salmon, sturgeon and stellate sturgeon. A variety of recipes can take from a couple of hours to a day to prepare. But no matter how complicated the meal is, such Russian dishes will give a real gourmet great pleasure. The list of soups is very diverse, as is the country itself with its nationalities.

Soaking, salting, pickling

The easiest way to prepare blanks is to urinate. We stocked up on such Russian dishes from apples, lingonberries and cranberries, blackthorns, cloudberries, pears, cherries and mountain ash. There was even a specially bred apple variety on the territory of our country, which was perfect for such preparations.

According to the recipes, additives such as kvass, molasses, brine and malt were distinguished. There are practically no special differences between salting, pickling and urinating, often it is only the amount of salt used.

In the sixteenth century, this spice ceases to be a luxury, and everyone in the Kama region begins to actively engage in its extraction. Stroganov factories alone by the end of the seventeenth century produced more than 2 million poods per year. At this time, such Russian dishes arose, the names of which remain relevant to this day. The availability of salt made it possible to harvest cabbage, mushrooms, beets, turnips and cucumbers for the winter. This method helped to reliably preserve and preserve favorite foods.

Fish and meat

Russia is a country in which winter takes quite a long time, and food should be nutritious and satisfying. Therefore, the main Russian dishes have always included meat, and very diverse meat. Perfectly cooked beef, pork, lamb, veal and game. Basically, everything was baked whole or cut into large pieces. The dishes made on skewers, which were called "spit", were very popular. Sliced ​​meat was often added to porridge, and pancakes were also stuffed with it. Not a single table could do without fried ducks, hazel grouses, chickens, geese and quails. In a word, hearty Russian meat dishes have always been held in high esteem.

Recipes for fish dishes and preparations are also striking in their variety and quantity. These products did not cost the peasants anything at all, since they caught large quantities of "ingredients" for them on their own. And in the years of famine, such supplies formed the basis of the diet. But expensive species like sturgeon and salmon were served only on big holidays. Like meat, this product was stored for future use, it was salted, smoked and dried.

Below are some recipes for original Russian dishes.

Rassolnik

It is one of the most popular dishes based on pickles and sometimes pickle. This dish is not typical of other cuisines of the world, like, for example, hodgepodge and okroshka. During its long existence, it has changed significantly, but is still considered a favorite.

The prototype of the usual pickle can be called kalya - this is a rather spicy and thick soup, which was cooked in cucumber pickle with the addition of pressed caviar and fatty fish. Gradually, the last ingredient was changed to meat, and this is how the well-known and beloved food appeared. Today's recipes are very diverse, which is why they are vegetarian or not. Such primordially Russian dishes use beef, offal and pork as the basis.

To prepare a well-known dish, it is necessary to boil meat or offal for 50 minutes. Then send bay leaves and peppercorns, salt, carrots and onions there. The last of the ingredients is peeled and cut crosswise, or it can simply be pierced with a knife. Everything is boiled for another 30 minutes, then the meat is removed, and the broth is filtered. Next, a fry is made from carrots and onions, the cucumbers are rubbed on a grater and also laid out there. The broth is brought to a boil, the meat is chopped into pieces and added to it, it is covered with rice and finely chopped potatoes. Everything is brought to readiness and seasoned with vegetables, let it boil for 5 minutes, add herbs and sour cream.

Aspic

This dish is consumed cold; for cooking, the meat broth is thickened to a jelly-like mass with the addition of small pieces of meat. It is very often considered a type of aspic, but this is a serious misconception, since the latter has such a structure thanks to agar-agar or gelatin. Jellied meat leads Russian meat dishes and is considered an independent dish that does not require the addition of substances for gelling.

Not everyone knows that several hundred years ago such a popular dish was prepared for the king's servants. Originally it was named jelly. And they made it from the leftovers from the master's table. The waste was finely chopped, then boiled in broth, and then cooled. The resulting food was unsightly and dubious in taste.

With the country's fascination with French cuisine, many Russian dishes, the names of which also came from there, have slightly changed. Modern jellied meat, which was called galantine there, was no exception. It consisted of pre-cooked game, rabbit and pork. These ingredients were ground together with eggs, then diluted with broth to the consistency of sour cream. Our cooks turned out to be more resourceful, therefore, through various simplifications and tricks, galantine and jelly were transformed into a modern Russian jellied meat. The meat was replaced with pork head and leg, and beef ears and tails were added.

So, in order to prepare such a dish, you need to take the gelling ingredients, which are presented above, and simmer them for at least 5 hours over low heat, then add any meat and cook for a few more hours. First, you must add carrots, onions and your favorite spices. After the time is over, you need to strain the broth, disassemble the meat and put it on plates, then pour the resulting liquid and send it to freeze in the cold.

Today, not a single feast is complete without this food. Despite the fact that all Russian home-style dishes take a lot of time, the cooking process is not particularly difficult. The essence of jellied meat has remained unchanged for a long time, only its base is transformed.

Russian borsh

He is considered very popular and loved by everyone. For cooking, you will need meat, potatoes and cabbage, beets and onions, parsnips and carrots, tomatoes and beets. Spices such as pepper and salt, bay leaf and garlic, vegetable oil and water must be added. Its composition can change, the ingredients can be added or subtracted.

Borscht is a primordially Russian dish that requires boiling meat. Previously, it is thoroughly washed and poured with cold water, and then it is brought to a boil over medium heat, the foam is removed as it appears, and after that the broth is cooked for another 1.5 hours. Parsnips and beets are cut into thin strips, onions are cut in half rings, carrots and tomatoes are rubbed, and cabbage is finely chopped. At the end of cooking, the broth must be salted. Then cabbage is sent to it, the mass is brought to a boil, and the whole potato is laid. We are waiting for everything to be half-ready. Onions, parsnips and carrots are fried a little in a small frying pan, then everything is poured with tomatoes and carefully stewed.

In a separate container, it is necessary to steam the beets for 15 minutes so that they are cooked, and then transfer them to the roast. Next, the potatoes are removed from the broth and added to all the vegetables, after which they are kneaded a little with a fork, as it should be soaked in the sauce. We simmer everything for another 10 minutes. Next, the ingredients are sent to the broth, and several bay leaves and pepper are thrown there. Boil for another 5 minutes, then sprinkle with herbs and crushed garlic. The cooked dish must be infused for 15 minutes. It can also be made without adding meat, which makes it great for fasting, and thanks to the variety of vegetables it will still be incredibly tasty.

Dumplings

This culinary product consists of minced meat and unleavened dough. It is considered a famous dish of Russian cuisine, which has ancient Finno-Ugric, Turkic, Chinese and Slavic roots. The name comes from the Udmurt word "pelnyan", which means "ear of bread". Analogs of dumplings are found in most cuisines of the world.

The story tells that this product was very popular during the wanderings of Ermak. Since then, such a dish has become the most beloved among the inhabitants of Siberia, and then the rest of the regions of wider Russia. This dish consists of unleavened dough, which requires water, flour and eggs, and pork, beef or lamb is chopped for the filling. Quite often, the filling is made from chicken with the addition of sauerkraut, pumpkin and other vegetables.

In order to prepare the dough, you need to mix 300 ml of water and 700 grams of flour, add 1 egg and knead the hard dough. For the filling, mix the minced meat together with finely chopped onions, pepper and salt a little. Next, roll out the dough and use the mold to squeeze out circles, into which we spread a little minced meat and pinch into triangles. Then we boil water and boil until the dumplings float.