Russian cuisine is one of the most splendid in the world . this fact is noted by almost all the foreigners who visited Russia and experienced its "table" in the 17th and 18th centuries. Due to both Peter the Great and Katherine the Great, a tremendous variety of European dishes were introduced into Russia; yet still, traditional Russian cuisine held out against foreign cooking culture. In addition, Russian cooks began to prepare many borrowed dishes their own way, largely due to the typical Russian oven of the day, which featured a specific structure. Russian ovens at that time heated homes, baked bread, and made beer and "kvass." In the old recipes, special heating regimes were mentioned: hot oven, oven for baking bread, oven after baking bread, free breath. Peculiarities of the Russian oven made stewed and boiled dishes the most popular. The diversity and richness of Russian cuisine is unbelievable! For cold starters, tens of dishes could be made from a single cabbage. One very old and popular appetizer is called "holodetz" - add gelatin to a spicy broth and pour it over pieces of boiled meat or chicken; chill, cut like a pie and serve. The most famous Russian cold starter is caviar. Russians also adore mushrooms - dried, marinated and salted. You will be truly fascinated by the rich assortment of Russian main-course dishes. The most honored Russian soups were always rich "schi," "solyanka," fish or meat "rassolnik," and, of course, borsch. One of the oldest soups is "ukha," fish soup. There are also many cold soups in Russian cuisine: beet soup, "botvinya," "okroshka." The Russian table was always abundant with meat dishes (smoked, marinated, skewed or stewed). Fish is also a key part of Russian cuisine, from royal sturgeon and whitefish to ordinary ruffs, perches and carps. Fish was stewed, cooked as a whole, stuffed, salted, dried. We even stuff pies with fish, making famous "kulyebyakas" and "rasstegays." It is impossible to overestimate the role of porridge on the Russian table. Each Russian home has buckwheat, semolina, pearl-barley. These cereals are used not only for making breakfasts, but also as side dishes, for preparing stuffing, baking puddings and traditional sweets called "krupeniks." Baked dishes are the most beloved in Russian cuisine. Pie, for example, was a symbol of a fertile field; pancakes (called "blini," which resemble French crepes) were symbolic of the Sun. Pies were stuffed with various ingredients: meat, fish, vegetables. We already mentioned traditional Russian "rasstegays" with fish and "kulyebyaks"; the other national baked dishes are patties, flat breads, "kalatchi" and "bulki" (muffins). Each Easter on the Russian table, one could find pancakes, fritters and a variety of stuffed pies. The original Russian drinks are "kvass" and "sbiten" (a honey-based drink), "compots" (water of boiling fruits or berries) and "kissels" (almost the same as "compot" but cooked with a pinch of starch). In Russia we traditionally prepare home-brew beer, vodka and wines.

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