country Essentials · 15 foods
Russia Essentials
A considered first route through Russia: the foods that carry its everyday habits, celebrations, ingredients, and memory.
Explore all Russia foods →THE
ESSENTIALS
The complete shortlist
15 foods to know.
Each selection includes the reason it belongs here—so this is a guide, not just a pile of names.
Russia
Beef Stroganoff
Бефстроганов
Tender beef in creamy mustard sauce over noodles or mashed potato, the 19th-century Stroganoff family dish the world adopted.
Russia
Blini
Блины
Thin yeasted pancakes symbolizing the sun, served with caviar, sour cream, or jam since ancient times.
Latvia
Pelmeni
Пельмени
Small boiled dumplings filled with meat, the soul of Russian home cooking passed down through generations.
Russia
Caviar
Икра
Salted sturgeon roe from the Caspian, the ultimate Russian luxury that marks celebrations and prosperity.
Russia
Medovik
Медовик
Layered honey cake with sour cream frosting, the most beloved homemade dessert on Russian tables.
Bulgaria
Olivier Salad
Салат Оливье
Mayonnaise-bound salad with vegetables and meat, mandatory at every Russian New Year's Eve table.
Russia
Herring Under Fur Coat
Сельдь под шубой
Herring buried under layers of beets, potatoes, and eggs with mayonnaise, festive and whimsical.
Russia
Borodinsky Bread
Бородинский хлеб
Dark sourdough rye with coriander and molasses, the daily bread of every Russian bakery and lunch table.
Russia
Shchi
Щи
Sour cabbage and vegetable soup, a foundational Russian everyday dish served from village kitchens to city tables.
Russia
Pirozhki
Пирожки
Small baked or fried pastry pockets filled with meat, cabbage, potato, or sweet fillings.
Russia
Syrniki
Сырники
Pan-fried farmer-cheese cakes served warm with sour cream, jam, or honey for breakfast.
Russia
Ukha
Уха
Clear Russian fish soup made from freshwater fish, herbs, and a clean aromatic broth.
Russia
Okroshka
Окрошка
Cold summer soup of chopped vegetables, egg, and meat loosened with kefir or kvass.
Russia
Solyanka
Солянка
Thick, sharply sour soup combining meats or fish, pickles, olives, and lemon.
Belarus
Kvas
Gira
Dark rye-bread kvass, faintly sour and lightly fizzy, sold from street tanks all summer and drunk by the mugful.