Have You Tried Some Russian Cuisine Lately?

Russia is the largest country in the world and Russia's cuisine most certainly reflects that. Russian cuisine consists of a wide variety of traditional dishes. The climate of the country is the determining factor in its menu. The cold climate makes fish, game, poultry, berries and mushrooms staples in the Russian diet. The popularity of stews and soups comes from the ability to use game and other meats, and store the food in the colder climate. The staple diet also consist of different varieties of breads and pastries made from millet, wheat, barley, rye, and honey.

Since the 16th through the 18th century ushered in many refined foods from other parts of the world the Russian cuisine has expanded and is now one of the more diverse cuisines.

One of the traditional dishes of Russia is soup, soup has been a staple for centuries and they have a vast variety of soups to choose from. The traditional soups are:

rassolnik, shchi, solyanka, botvinya, okroshka, ukha, tyurya, and borscht. With other influences fro Asia and Europe over the years clear soups, cold soups, stews, and purees have been added to the menu.

A Native Russian dish that goes back in history is the dish called Kasha. Kasha comes in many different types, such as:

• Buckwheat Kasha
• Carp Stuffed with Buckwheat and Mushrooms
• Turia
• Gouryevskaya Kasha
• Ancient Buckwheat Kasha
• Holiday thin porridge
• Kasha "Simenukha"
• Millet gruel with prunes
• Millet Porridge With Pumpkin
• Semolina Kasha
• Buckwheat Kasha with Liver
• Peas Kulesh kasha
• Rice Kasha with Cheese
• Rice kasha with mushroom
• Millet Porridge With Pumpkin

Kasha is made from a variety of meats, onions, mushrooms, liver, and or fish. The base of the dish is made from combinations of cream, milk, fish and other broths. A Kasha is one of the main parts of many Russian dishes. It is said in a Russian proverb, that; "You can't feed a Russian without a kasha". In other words a Kasha is like a rice in China, or meat in America.

In Russia there are a wide variety of mushroom dishes. Mushrooms are a part of almost every meal. Here is a list of some of the mushroom dishes:

• Carp Stuffed with Buckwheat and Mushrooms
• Field mushrooms with toasts
• Gryby V Smetanye(Mushrooms W/sour Cream)
• Kapoustnik Belorussky (Byelorussian sauerkraut soup)
• Kournik
• Fruited Rice W/ Mushrooms & Almonds
• Mushroom Cutlets
• Cabbage Rolls with Mushroom Sauce
• Mushroom dressing
• Chicken julienne
• Mushroom Julien starinny
• Mushroom and Shallot Buckwheat

If you have never enjoyed Russian cuisine any time would be a good time to try it.

Valik Rudd
Valik's mom cooks great Russian meals, and she publishes great Russian recipes on her blog. Visit her blog at http://www.cookwitholga.com. You will find everything from breakfasts to dinners, from snacks to deserts. It's a real Russian mom, sharing real Russian recipes.

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