Russian cuisine

Russian cuisine existed in its present form for about a hundred years. It was developed from a long tradition that went through several phases:

• The Old Russian cuisine from the 9th to the 16th century
• The kitchen of the Moscow state in the 17th century
• The kitchen of the 18th century and the St. Petersburg kitchen at this time
• The all-Russian cuisine of the 19th century
• The Soviet cuisine since 1917.

Individual dishes and ingredients of Russian cuisine are world famous, for example, caviar, pickles, vodka, Krimsekt, borsch, pelmeni, dumplings, beef stroganoff, Kiev chop, sauerkraut (Russian Квашеная капуста, Kwaschenaja kapusta ) and cabbage rolls ( Голубцы, Golubzy ). Other traditional dishes are relatively unknown outside the country's borders, and Russian restaurants abroad were up to the fall of the Iron Curtain extremely rare.

• 2.1 caviar
• 2.2 Soups
• 2.3 Zakuski
• 2.4 tea

History

The kitchen of Kievan Rus (862-1240)

In the Kiev Rus revelry were common in the upper classes. The Primary Chronicle gives advice on what was eaten and drunk at the time of Kievan Rus. Bread, especially dark rye bread from sourdough formed next to the porridge is the staple. The slurry was made ​​of buckwheat, rye, barley, spelled and could be produced depending on the amount of water in different strength levels and supplemented with vegetables and meat. The meat came from cattle, pigs and sheep. There were poultry. The spoils of the chase played a certain role in the diet. However, the Orthodox Church forbade the common people benefit from bear meat, beavers, weasels, black grouse and hares. In addition to fish dairy products were widespread. Turnips and cabbages, but also onions and garlic were the most eaten vegetables. At condiments vinegar, cinnamon, peppermint, aniseed and pepper were known, honey was used to sweeten. The salt used mainly came from Galician salt mines.

Fruits were regularly making the meal. To quench your thirst kvass was used, a still popular, fermented drink made from hops, malt, bread and fruit. As a hot drink Sbiten was popular, a kind of herbal tea with honey. Wine was imported from southern countries, but only the rich could afford to. Because of the cold in winter, the houses were similar in the Alps large ovens that were used for heating and mostly as a bedroom furniture. In order to utilize the heat of ovens, they were also used for food preparation. Outside the heating season, the furnaces were also used sometimes for cooking. The food preparation was therefore limited to cooking, baking and stewing; Roasting and grilling were rare. The stockpiling for the winter was like in the Alps largely of dried fruits and mushrooms, especially later sour vegetables that have been preserved by natural lactic acid fermentation. The preference for pickled vegetables of all kinds, and especially for the sauerkraut has survived to this day.

Eating and drinking during and after the Mongol rule (1241-1547)

Compared to the late phase of Kievan Rus changed for the broad mass of the population while eating and drinking little. Bread and grits were the most important foods. Salt was used as a spice and ingredient for food preservation is of great importance. By colonizing the fertile southern regions to refine the diet was possible. Besides cabbage, beets, garlic, onions, peas and lentils were cucumbers, carrots, chard, radishes, asparagus, watermelon and fruit. Apples, cherries, plums and pears played the largest role. Also wine has now grown to a limited extent. The subdivision of the days in fasting and festivals had a division in fast food ( Meatless, Mushrooms and fish) and festival dishes (meat, butter, eggs, milk) result, which promoted the variety of meatless dishes, the combination of meat and vegetables, which was prohibited, but prevented. Salads of different ingredients were practically unknown.

In this time blinis ( pancakes), Piroschki (filled dumplings from yeast or puff pastry ) or simply The cake (Russian Pirog ) and Kissel. From the 14th century, wheat spread and it emerged pastries from a mixture of wheat and rye flour: Oladji, the hard- baked donuts (Russian Baranki ) and Bubliki. In addition, the preference for soups and stews, also developed at this time. As a sweetener only honey and berries were known. In addition to Gingerbread, there was therefore no sweets.

Alcohol was mostly drunk in familial or religious occasions, such as at a church festival or the completion of the harvest. In general, the people drank instead of Met and kvass now beer and wine. Gradually gained in popularity brandy; since the 16th century vodka similar beverages are occupied. This results in a lucrative production monopoly of the state developed. At the beginning of the 17th century came tea from East and South Asia added as a drink.

Moscow cuisine in the 17th century

Due to the division of society into a rich aristocratic elite and the impoverished people also altered the kitchen. The common people were unilateral, while the nobility was rich and differentiated. Trade with other countries increased, more spices and ingredients from abroad were imported. They enriched the courtly cuisine, but remained prohibitive for the majority. New dishes created by the influence of the Tatars, the dates, raisins, dried apricots and melons delivered. Cane sugar was imported and expanded the possibilities for desserts. The possible combinations, however, were still limited because ingredients are not crushed and were not allowed to be mixed. Were formed out of three basic types of Soups: Kalja, solyanka and Rassolnik.

18th century and St. Petersburg Kitchen

The cleavage of the eating habits of the rich and poor in the 18th century even clearer: while the upper class ever further from the original dishes from and to foreign cuisine, especially from Western Europe, hinwandte, impoverished the kitchen of ordinary people on. This went so far that there was almost no cooking books on original Russian cuisine, but only cookbooks with dishes from abroad. Thus, casseroles and pies, bread and butter known (to date a German word in Russian ) and dumplings. Only after the war against Napoleon in 1812 awakened by a stronger national consciousness again the interest in Russian cuisine. Nevertheless, the foreign influence was clear. The meals were more combined, there were now mixed side dishes and salads. With the spread of the oven and kitchen appliance dazugehörendem new preparations were possible. International solved the usual in Russian cuisine service à la russe, in which the individual transitions were applied successively, until then usual method of service à la française from where everything was applied at once, which was indeed impressive, but impractical and as it is still to be found at the buffet today.

All-Russian cuisine

Due to the faster connection of the railroad and the associated exchange of the various regional cuisines of Russia were influencing each other. Dumplings ( pelmeni ) and pink salmon from the East were all-Russian national dishes. Reindeer from Siberia and Kumys ( sour mare's milk ) from Central Asia were later consumed in the other regions. The preference for bread and stuffed dumplings, porridge, mushroom and fish dishes as well as soups and pickled vegetables were preserved until today. Industrialization allowed canned and ready-made food, western European dishes were taken, spread and became " Russian" dishes.

Soviet kitchen

The Revolution of 1917 to the following civil war and Stalin's forced collectivization and resettlement policy had an even stronger mixing of the settlement areas of the different nationalities of the Soviet Union resulted. In the factories and the companies, caterers prevailed. The cooperative food production took part, the domestic kitchen. Culinary traditions were neglected, and the menus impoverished. Since the 1970s, a return to the old Russian and Moscow began cuisine. With the end of the Soviet Union, the international cuisine as well as fast food chains such as McDonald's came to Russia. The Soviet kitchen is also interrupted the vegetarian tradition in Russia. After Peter Brang played in Czarist Russia vegetarian cuisine, restaurants and appropriate associations also an important political role as a vegetarian lifestyle modeled after Tolstoy, as in the case Natalia Nordman's, was regarded as a hallmark of intellectual political opposition.

Eating and drinking habits

In the dachas and in the country often still prevails self-sufficiency in fruit, vegetables and milk.

For breakfast, coffee or tea, sour milk products ( cottage cheese, kefir, sour cream ), eggs, cooked sausage or cheese, porridge and bread. Sometimes blinis are served, actually a dish that typically part of Maslenitsa. The flashing is coated with sour cream or sour cream and then rolled or eaten with caviar. Children receive in school is often a hot breakfast.

In canteens a daily menu ( kompleksnyj obed ) of a soup, a main dish and a drink ( or compote Kissel ) was offered in the time of the Soviet Union at noon usually. Often were the soups made ​​from poultry or meat broth were added to the deposits as barley or rice. Bread has always belonged to it. Lunch may be accompanied by a salad as a starter.

Caviar

Caviar comes from sturgeon, which is mainly caught in the Black Sea, Sea of ​​Azov and the Caspian Sea. It is mostly consumed in combination with vodka to New Year's Eve. To stereotype that caviar is a typical Russian treat, writes the German writer of Russian-Jewish origin Wladimir Kaminer: "How any reasonable person would the Russians for vodka eat much prefer pickles and save the caviar for New Years Eve. " Had the caviar and has an exceptional position in Russian cuisine. So caviar in the Soviet Union was more intended as a prestige object for foreign than for the population, which evaded due to the expensive product to other canned fish such as salmon.

Soups

The Russian cuisine is rich in soups. The best known among them are borsch ( beetroot soup), Soljanka, Rassolnik, Ucha (fish soup) and Shchi (cabbage soup). Among the soups rye bread and pasties are eaten.

Also popular is Okroshka, a refreshing cold soup that is served in summer. It is prepared from cream and kvass, meat, cucumbers, herbs and spices. These sour cream and chopped hard-boiled eggs are served.

Zakuski

A festive meal always begins in Russia with the cold starters, a number of different salads ( Oliviersalat, herring in a fur coat, egg salad, and combinations of vegetables with a lot of mayonnaise), aspic, pickled fish ( sprat, herring and more herring fish), caviar, sausage, the pierogi (Russian piroschki ), filled eggs, sandwiches.

The serving of appetizers before the main course is an old tradition. Came early in the 10th century to the beginning of a meal cold dishes on the table. The Russian housewives always developed over time with a lot of fancy new recipes. The number of starters rose and left the table beautiful and decorative are. Among the appetizers drink hosts and their guests wine, vodka and other strong drinks; Toasts are issued.

An old custom that is rarely practiced, was the reception of the guest with bread and salt, which were presented to him on an embroidered towel. This ritual is used today mostly for tourists in hotels and receptions.

Tea

Tea, called in Russian Чай ( chai ), is a Russian national drink. He arrived in the 16th century via the Silk Road from China to Eastern Europe. In a small ceramic pot a powerful extract is angebrüht, which then with boiling water from the kettle for self- invented (in Russian samovar ) is diluted to the desired strength.

Prefer strong Indian tea is drunk. Sweetened tea with sugar or honey, milk and lemon also be used. To this end, among other things Suschki, Gingerbread ( Prjaniki ) Watruschki and sweets are eaten. A homemade jam (Russian Warenje ) is served on small plates and either eaten plain, dissolved in hot water or tea.