Module3ForeignFood

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EthnicCuisine:Russia

Russia,stretchingfromeasternEuropeacrossAsiatotheNorthPacificOcean,isasdiverseasitisvast.ItisnearlytwicethelandmassoftheUnitedStates,withapopulationof150million.Largeplainscovermuchoftheland,withanumberofmountainrangesintheeasternandsouthernregions.TheUralMountainsserveasanaturalboundarybetweenEuropeanandAsianRussia.Thecountry’scoastlinestretchesnearly37,000kmalongtheArcticandPacificOceans,withBaltic,BlackandCaspianseasinland.Russiaboastsinnumerableriversandlakes,steppesandforests,swampsandtundra.Theharshcontinentalclimateandtoughterrainleavelargepartsofthecountryuninhabited.

NearlythreequartersofRussiansliveinurbanareas.Inadditiontothegreatlyvariedterrainandclimate,thereismuchdiversityintheRussianpopulace.WhilethemajorityofthepopulationisethnicallyRussian,thereareover100ethnicgroupsthatconstitutetheminority.Itisnowonderthen,thatRussianfoodisgreatlyvaried,withitsfairshareofethnicandregionalcrossover.Inthisarticle,IwillconcentrateonthetraditionalfoodofEuropeanRussia.

TheRussianmealisnotsimplyaboutfood,it’sanevent,acelebration.Evenaninformalmealcanbecomeafestivitywithastringofdishespunctuatedwithtoasts,storiesandlaughter.Russianhospitalityisalong-standingtraditionandasourceofprideforthehost.AguestinaRussianhomeisinvariablyshoweredwithdrinks,refreshments,andmoreoftenthannot,afullmeal.Russiansarepronetodroppingbyunannounced,andthehostswillalwaysrisetothechallengeofquickly(andcreatively!)assemblingwhateveringredientsareathandintoabeautifullypresentedspread.WhenmyMoscowitefriendgavehismotheranhour’snoticeofourimpromptuvisit,shegreeteduswithcakefreshoutoftheoven,brewedtea,andanassortmentoffingerfoods.Wewerenotallowedtoleaveuntilwetriedoneofeverything,withourhostessapologizingprofuselyfornothavingmorefoodtooffer.Avisitisincompletewithoutapropergatheringaroundthetable,nomatterwhattheoccasion.

Thefirstcourseistypicallyanassortmentofsalads,pickles,andcuredsavoriescalled“zakuski”,whichlooselytranslatesto“accompaniments”,eatenalongwithshotsofvodka.MuchlikeSpanishtapasorMediterraneanmeze,theseappetizersaresmalltastesofavarietyofdishes.Zakuskicouldbeassimpleassmokedmeats,curedfish,caviarandmarinatedmushrooms,ormoreelaboratedishessuchasvegetablesalads.Saltedherringunderathicklayerofshreddedbeets,carrotsandwalnutsiscalled“sel’odkapodshuboy”whichliterallytranslatesto“herringunderafurcoat”.Despiteitsintimidatingname,thisisaverytastydish.Acookedeggplantsalad,“baklazhanayaikra”isalsoverypopular.SimilartoRomanian“gvetch”,eggplantisstewedwithcarrots,onions,garlicandtomatoes,andservedchilled.Acoldsaladofpotatoes,beets,pickledcabbageandonionscalled“vinegret”isaRussianclassic,asis“salatolivier”,apotatosaladwitheggs,peas,picklesandmeat.ManyRussiansaladsaredressedwithmayonnaiseorsourcream,andareheartyenoughtobeeatenasamaincourse.

Soupisalwayspartofthedinnermenu.Asoupcourseoffersavarietyofvegetarianandmeat-orfish-basedsoups.Themostwell-knownRussiansoupis“borscht”,atangydishthatgetsitssweetnessfrombeetsandtartnessfromsourcream.Borschtisexceptionallyversatile—itcanbevegetarianormeaty,servedhotorcold.Everyoneseemstohavetheirownrecipeforthiswonderfulsoup,butthemoreauthenticversionsalwaysincludebeets,cabbage,potato,andcarrot,withthemeat-basedbrothmadewithbeef.Anothercommonsoupis“shchi”,aheartycabbagesoup.Ingredientscanvarysomewhat,butitistypicallymadeofcabbage,potato,onion,herbs,andoptionally,beefanddumplings.Muchlikeborscht,itisusuallyservedwithadollopofsourcreamandasliceofheartyryebread.

Russianentreesruntheculinarygamut,fromstewstostuffedvegetablestofriedfishandmeat.Manymaincoursesareaccompaniedbythick,flavorfulsauces,andareservedwithbuckwheatorpotatoes.Mushroomsaucesareparticularlypopular,andtendtogowellwithmanydishes.“KotletyPozharskie”isgroundchickencutletspreparedwithlotsofbutter.Whilenotexactlydietetic,thesecutletsarefluffyandmeltinyourmouth.Dumplingsfilledwithmeatorpotatoesarecalled“Pelmeni”.Themeatfilling,whichisoftenmadeofgroundpork,isencasedinthin,lightdough.Iespeciallyloveservingpelmeniwithadipmadeofsourcream,scallionsanddill.“Golubtzy”arecabbageleavesstuffedwithriceandbeef,androastedintomatosauce.Stuffedcabbagetendstobealaborintensiveendeavor,butwellworthit.Anumberofdishes,suchasbeefstroganoffandchickenkievhavetrickledintothewesternculinaryvernacularovertheyears.Althoughthesedisheshavelosttheirexoticedginess,it’sgoodtoseethattheyrepresentRussia’scontributiontointernationalpalates.

Nomealiscompletewithoutlingeringovercupsofstrongteaandsweets.Evenlargemealsareusuallyfollowedbyadessertcourse,which,muchlikethesavoryassortmentofzakuzki,consistsofasweetassortmentofcookies,candies,andcakes.Richlayeredtortesarecomposedofsweetbuttercreamsandnutsinbetweensheetsofcake.Candyisoftenjustasrich,madeofnuts,marzipan,driedfruitorwafersdippedindarkchocolate.AvarietyofcandyandcakescanbefoundinmostRussianfoodstores,butthetastiestdessertsarehomemade.“Vareniki”aredumplingsfilledwithfruitorsweetcheese.Notonlyaretheydelicious,buttheyareeasytomakeathome.“Medianyk”isawonderfulhoneycake,and“Medianyky”arehoneycookies,basedonthesamerecipe.Afreshfruitcompoteistheperfectsummerdessert,butcanalsobemadefromdriedfruitoff-season.Cherries,apples,andstonefruitarebestinthisdish,andberriescanbeaddedtoenhancetheflavors.Compotecanalsobepouredovervanillaicecreamorsweetc