Russian Cuisine: A Peasant's Cuisine!

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Russian cuisine is noteworthy for its humble ingredients as well as its simplicity of preparation. Indeed, anyone who can handle a simple cooking paring knife will be able to prepare an authentic Russian dish with aplomb. It is little wonder, since this particular ethnic cuisine has evolved from the culinary traditions of the Russian peasantry of centuries past.

With its long-lasting winters, Russian cuisine is most noteworthy for its heartwarming soups that, along with its hearty rye bread, constitute the mainstay of the Russian diet. These ethnic soups range from thin vegetable broths flavored with simple herbs, to thick, hearty stews rich with vegetables and meats. The most popularly known soups of Russia are borshct and shchi, or cabbage soup. The former is one based on red beets and is served in a variety of ways throughout Russia. Shchi consists, in its simplicity, of solely cabbage and onions, or enhanced with beans, sausage, fish, or other hearty vegetables. Other popular soups include fish-soup, or uha with carrots and potatoes; chicken, or kuryniy soup; mushroom, or grybnoy soup; and cold soup, called kvas served with vegetables, potatoes, and eggs. It is important to mention that each category of soup, though fundamentally similar, varies throughout the many regional districts of this vast continent.

The other staple in the typical Russian diet is bread. In particular, Russian black rye bread is incomparable with other ryes with its heavy and meaty texture and piquant sour taste. Indeed, Russian rye is so hearty that, slathered with butter, it constitutes a meal in itself, and is, in fact, a perfect breakfast staple. Additionally, it is the perfect accompaniment to the hearty soups that are so fundamental to this altogether humble cuisine.