Russian food, and this is no secret to anyone, has gained immense popularity all over the world for a long time. Either this happened due to the mass emigration of citizens of the Russian Empire to many foreign countries with subsequent integration into the culture of these peoples (including culinary). Either this happened even earlier, during the time of Peter, when some Europeans “felt”, so to speak, Russian folk dishes with their own stomach. In any case, today a Russian restaurant in America or Europe is not so rare. And Russian folk dishes are probably known on both sides of the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean. Let us join this rather wide layer of world culinary culture.
Russian folk dishes. Names
We begin, of course, by listing the main positions. It is necessary to do this because some dishes of our cuisine are mistakenly ranked among the culinary masterpieces of cooks of other nationalities and vice versa. Everyone knows at least the story of borsch, the invention of which several countries claim at once. Or our pies beloved by all (Eastern peoples also have analogues of this delicious food, they are only called differently). Folk dishes of the Russian people are simple cooking, but at the same time they are tasty and varied, healthy and nutritious. And they will become, if properly prepared, an adornment of any festive table. But first, we will carry out a short historical excursion on the topic “Russian folk dishes: names”.
Russian cuisine in pre-Petrine times
Princely and Tsarist Russia, of course, had its own traditions in cooking. Russian folk dishes are described by some historians (for example, Kostomarov in his fundamental work). He noted that the cuisine of Russia in the 15-17 centuries and earlier was formed, rather, under the influence of customs and traditions (usually religious) and did not differ at that time in such a variety, but was simple. What was prepared in pre-Petrine times in Russia? Traditionally, the table was divided into fasting and fastidious - because of the custom to observe religious Orthodox fasts (and their number in Christianity takes, as you know, most of the days in a year)!
Flour
Bread was prepared predominantly rye. It is characteristic that salt was not added then to flour. And from the wheat "white" flour baked piths considered to be a treat on holidays. Ordinary food, rough enough, but nutritious, for the peasants of Russia was oversized. It consisted of oat grains, partially boiled and crushed. Pies and pies were prepared from the dough. The filling could be different - and lean, and meat, namely: berry, cottage cheese, fish, offal and meat. In some cases, eggs and mushrooms were added. A loaf was baked - rich rich holiday bread. Of the other oven products, one can recall such flour folk dishes of the Russian people: pancakes and pancakes, a henhouse and cauldron, brushwood, dough nuts, and koloboks. And as drinks from the flour of various grains, all kinds of jelly were prepared. And initially they were not sweet cooked, and the tradition of adding sweets came from the spread of potatoes in Russia ( potato starch was used). Bread kvass, a drink of alcoholic fermentation, was also widespread (although there was a slight - 1-1.5% - degree, which was not perceived as alcoholic in Russia).
First meal
The tradition of our cuisine is a variety of soups. The most famous are cabbage soup and borsch, pickles and hodgepodge (villagers). These also include: botvina and okroshka, ear and hookah. All these first courses are quite easy to prepare (a little later we will tell you how to cook cabbage soup).
Turnip
It is interesting that before the appearance of potatoes in Russia, the turnip served as the main vegetable. It was prepared in various forms and variations. There were even sayings characterizing the frequent use of root crops by the people: "easier than steamed turnips." But with the penetration of potatoes from Europe (during the time of Peter and later), we all began to supplant and replace our favorite potatoes (and now you can’t even buy turnips in vegetable stores).
Porridge
True Russian folk dishes are cereals. Due to the fact that many days of the year were lean, these cereal dishes were widely used. The grain was crushed and crushed, prepared in various ways. Cereals traditionally grown in Russia were used.
Fish
A popular Russian folk dish is fish. Due to the availability and variety, this product was used in different forms: cooked and stewed, fried and baked in an oven, simmered and steamed. It was also sluggish and made of fish aspic. Pickle, fish soup, villager - dishes where fish was also used actively. Fish caviar was considered a delicacy, but it was also consumed in fairly large quantities (since caviar was allowed on some fast days). This product was salted, dried, boiled in vinegar and milk from poppy seeds.
Meat and offal
It cannot be said that meat in Russian cuisine enjoyed wide popularity (rather, for religious reasons). But still, some Russian folk dishes (see photo below) could not do without it. The first and best dishes on meat include everyone’s favorite and famous borsch. Meat was used both in cabbage soup and in the ear (remember, an ear from a rooster). Boiled meat was served separately in brines and in sauces (cooked). It was baked in an oven - mainly bird, game. Quite actively consumed, as far as posts, beef and poultry, mutton allowed, and later and less often - pork. By-products have traditionally been used as fillings for pies and pies of all ranks and sizes. From the game went for food: hare, venison, bear meat, moose, meat of ducks, geese, quails.
Russian folk dishes. Recipes
But one should already switch from theory to practice and finally try to cook something from Russian cuisine. As already mentioned, the recipes for this cooking are not very difficult, so even a not-so-experienced novice chef can implement them. But if you are going to please your family or friends with any original dish, then use the recipes below, and your guests will certainly be pleased. One tip: quantify a lot! After all, Russian cuisine is traditionally distinguished by its generosity: if cabbage soup, then a full bowl is served, so that you are sure to be full. So, let's arrange the evening of Russian cuisine!
Cooking peasant soup
A traditional and very common Russian folk dish is cabbage soup. Oddly enough, it appeared in Russia not so long ago - in the 19th century, only when cabbage was massively grown in peasant farms. Since then, it has gained immense popularity among Russians, and not only all over the world they know how to cook peasant soup. And their specific aroma (which may even seem too harsh from the first moment) characterizes correctly cooked food.
To prepare the cabbage soup you need to take: beef on the bone - half a kilo, sauerkraut - half a kilo, a couple of medium carrots, several medium potatoes, onion. For seasoning - spices and sour cream, herbs.
Cooking cabbage soup is quite simple.
- First you need the broth. We cook it according to the traditional recipe for 1.5 - 2 hours on low heat, removing the foam. It is recommended to choose a larger pan, five liters or more.
- When the broth is cooked, catch the meat on the bone and separate it. Cut into small pieces and throw back into the pan.
- My vegetables and dice the potatoes. We chop the onions, we rub the carrots.
- Sauerkraut is slightly washed in running water and placed with potatoes in the broth. Then after 10 minutes, we throw in the pan and carrots with onions. We give a little boil, and remove from the stove, pre-pepper and salt to taste.
- Close the lid and let it brew for another half hour. Cabbage soup should turn out to be thick and rich: so that the spoon, as they say, stands. Now the soup can be served in a deep plate, seasoned with sour cream and fresh chopped herbs.
- A few nuances. Some prefer to take sauerkraut and fresh cabbage in half. But still, your soup should have a sour traditional flavor, otherwise it will not be cabbage soup. Some people prefer grated carrots and chopped onions lightly fry in a pan in lean oil before throwing these ingredients into the pan. Some carrots prefer not to rub, but cut into pieces. And by the way, instead of potatoes, turnip is used in old versions of the recipe - well, that’s if it’s completely in Old Russian!
Summary
And just in case, we’ll list, if you decide to cook the true national dish of the Russian people, the names of these dishes that are easy to make at home: kulebyaka, ear, peasant, boiled pork, pies and pies, milk and berry jelly.
And there are recipes that formed much later. Olivier, beef stroganoff, Pozharsky patties,
crucian carp in sour cream, dumplings of various kinds are also dishes of Russian cuisine, but they arose much later under the influence of Europe and Asia.