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FEATURES OF THE RUSSIAN CUISINE

"Not blaming neither German, nor French kitchens I think, that it is in every respect more healthy and more useful to us our, Russian, native to what we have got used to what have got used, that is taken by experience of centuries, transferred from fathers to children and justified by a climate, a way of life..." The manual book of the Russian skilled mistress. 1843

 

The Russian cuisine is widely known all over the world. The assortment of dishes of a Russian cuisine is so various, and its popularity in Europe is so great, that else in the beginning of the last century about it spoke with the same respect, as about the well-known French cuisine. Russian ethnic cuisine is original, original and original. In one country of the world there is no such wide assortment of the vegetable, meat, fish and other cold snack, the first, second, sweet dishes, culinary products.

 

From time immemorial in Russia grew up a rye, wheat, barley, an oats, millet, seized technics of preparation of a flour, before many people of Europe and Asia have opened a secret of manufacturing of a yeast dough. For this reason for Russian cookery the abundance выпечных products is peculiar: every possible pies and pies, кулебяк, doughnuts, kalatches and rolls, loaves, расстегаев, pancakes, оладий. Of what only pies are not known by a Russian cuisine: rye and wheaten, fast and rich, защипанные, deaf persons and незащипанные, расстегаи: round, oblong (кулебяки) and triangular, big and small, with different stuffings - mushrooms, porridge, cottage cheese, peas, fish, meat, berries, jam … Many of these products prepared only on the basis of the sour test. More modest place is occupied with products from the fresh test. From it basically prepare pelmeni, вареники, fritters, noodles, pancake-shaped pies etc.

 

For a traditional Russian cuisine dishes from various groats are characteristic: porridges, baked puddings, крупеники, овсяные kissels, dishes from peas, lentils, combinations of groats to other products - cottage cheese, milk, eggs, vegetables, fish, mushrooms. Prepared many dishes in the Russian furnace. The foods prepared thus differed special taste and aroma. In it baked bread, cooked beer and kvass, dried products.

 

From the most ancient times in Russia were engaged in cultivation not only grain, but also garden cultures - the certificate of it is the abundance in a Russian cuisine of the cold vegetable snack, the first, second dishes in which there are vegetables. One of the first places on the importance was occupied with cabbage. Turnip, a swede, a radish were not less widespread. Dishes from them have kept the popularity and up to now. Turnip was a part of many culinary products, especially a Russian cabbage soup, it used as a stuffing for pies. From a radish prepared not only simple snack (a radish grated with oil, with kvass), but also more difficult dishes (pelmeni with a radish, a radish with honey).

 

Without pickles it is impossible to imagine a table, they are a part of many dishes - Russian salads, rassolniks, солянок. Later the pumpkin, vegetable marrows, salad began to be used. In ХVIII century the big popularity has got a potato (it has made the present revolution in traditions of Russian table), in ХIХ century began to cultivate tomatoes.

 

In one other national kitchen such variety of soups is not presented. From an extreme antiquity and up to now the rich assortment of the first dishes and, in particular, refuelling soups (a Russian cabbage soup, borsches, rassolniks), солянок has remained. One only a Russian cabbage soup in a Russian cuisine is more than 60 kinds. These are a Russian cabbage soup with meat, fish, головизной, mushrooms, a Russian cabbage soup lazy, daily, green, a Russian cabbage soup from a nettle with beef etc. Favourite our dishes is a borsch (Moscow, Leningrad, Siberian, a borsch with mushrooms and prunes), fish and meat солянки, an ear. The assortment of soups on крупяной and a krupjano-vegetable basis, cold soups on kvass and beet broth is various: okroshka, beetroot soups, ботвиньи.

 

The assortment of cold snack is wide and various. The Russian word known in some countries "snack" designates mainly fish dishes - salty or sharp. Culinary specialists have achieved their surprising variety, using not only different fish, but also different ways of its processing. Submit them with a horse-radish, vinegar, brines, garlick refuelling and other seasonings adding to these snack a special savour and a sharpness. Their registration differs simplicity and expressiveness. Special taste to dishes was given by various oils, mainly vegetative (olive, конопляное, nut, маковое and it is considerable later - sunflower), and spices - garlic, an onions, a horse-radish, fennel, and used them in rather considerable quantities, and also parsley, a coriander, a bay leaf, black pepper and a carnation: they were added later with ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, a saffron.

 

Huge large forests were a game source (black grouses, hazel grouses, hares, wild ducks) and other gifts of the nature: mushrooms, nuts, a cranberry, a cowberry, honey. Use of these gifts - one more prominent feature of a Russian cuisine (salty, marinaded, dried mushrooms, моченая a cowberry, a cranberry, cloudberries).

 

Honeys though have received in Russia a wide circulation, never were drinks ordinary, popular. They intended mainly for feasts, celebrations in estates rather well-founded. To that to be surprised, if on a table drinkable honey got at times after 10-12 summer endurances? Of what only honeys were not used to know by our ancestors! Judge under names of the remained recipes: "Astrakhan", "Antique липец", "Балбузан", "Bordossky", "Seigniorial", "Drinkable" etc. From honey produced various sweet dishes and drinks. There were classical Russian drinks - kvass, сбитень, медовуха. The foreigners visiting Russia in days of Peter I, with delight responded about сбитне, naming it "Russian mulled wine". It is curious, that teapots have appeared in Russia long before occurrence of the tea and served for giving сбитня.

 

Getting acquainted with ancient recipes you are surprised wisdom, resource, sharpness of the Russian person. Presently the Russian cuisine was enriched with new dishes, flavouring and nutritious qualities is conclusive are high. And still we should, not forgetting experience of our fathers and grandfathers to keep and increase greatly glory and pride of a Russian cuisine.

 

Irina Rusina

 

11.05.04

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