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Thali

🇷🇺 The food of Russia

75 dishes from Russia, best known first, across 13 cities and regions.

Russian cooking blends ancient peasant traditions with influences from Europe and Asia, shaped by a cold climate and diverse regions. Soups, breads, grains, fish, and preserved foods are central, with dishes varying by local ingredients and ethnic customs. Meals often feature hearty, storable foods and a range of flavors from sour to savory.

  • Soups like shchi and borscht are central to Russian meals.
  • Preserved foods are common due to long, cold winters.
  • Okroshka is a cold soup made with kvass or sour milk.
  • Smetana is widely used as a topping for soups and other dishes.
  • Regional cuisines use unique local ingredients, from cloudberries to Kamchatka crab.

The cooking of Russia

Russian cuisine developed from rural traditions, with a focus on foods that could withstand harsh winters. It draws on grains, root vegetables, fish, mushrooms, and preserved items like pickles and salted meats. Over centuries, it absorbed techniques and ingredients from neighboring cultures and Western Europe, especially during the imperial era. Soups are a mainstay, and meals often feature breads, porridges, and pies. The cuisine is known for combining earthy, sour, and savory flavors, and for adapting to local resources across Russia’s vast territory.

Staple foods in Russia

Staple foods include rye, wheat, barley, and millet, used for breads, pancakes, and porridges. Potatoes, cabbage, beets, and carrots are common vegetables. Fish, pork, poultry, mushrooms, and berries are important, especially in rural areas. Preserved foods—pickled vegetables, salted fish, and smoked meats—are widespread due to the long winters. Smetana (a cultured cream) is a frequent addition.

From region to region in Russia

Russian cooking changes with geography and local resources. In the north, dishes feature local berries like cloudberry, fish such as cod, and game meats including elk. Siberian cuisine uses local fish like muksun and arctic cisco, and sometimes serves fish raw and frozen with spices. The Far East adds specialties like scallops and Kamchatka crab. Ethnic groups within Russia, such as the Bashkirs and Tatars, maintain distinct food traditions, though there is much mutual influence.

Where this page comes from

The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Russian cuisine", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Thali rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

Cities and regions of Russia

Bashkortostan 1Black Sea 1Buryatia 1Caspian Sea 1Dagestan 1Don 1Komi 1Königsberg 1Siberia 1Torzhok 1Tula 1Udmurtia 1Ural Mountains 1
MealBreakfastLunchTea timeDinnerSupperSnacks
KindMain dishStreet foodSoupStew or curryRice dishNoodle or pasta dishDumplingBreadGrill or roastSandwich or wrapPie or savoury pastrySalad or sideCheese or dairy foodSausage or cured foodSauce, pickle or fermentSweet or dessertDrink
DietVegetarianVeganFish and seafoodMeat
Borscht 🇺🇦 Ukraine and 5 moreA sour soup of beetroot and vegetables, served hot or cold across Eastern Europe Soup, Lunch, Dinner SauerkrautVegan 🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreFinely shredded cabbage preserved by natural fermentation in salt Sauce, pickle or ferment, Lunch, Dinner Pancake 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreFlat cakes made from batter, cooked on a griddle or pan and served sweet or savoury Main dish, Breakfast, Snacks Olivier saladсалат Оливье 🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreA Russian salad of diced vegetables, meat and mayonnaise, served at festive meals Salad or side, Dinner, Lunch Kefir 🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreA tangy, fermented milk drink made with kefir grains Drink, Breakfast, Lunch Pelmeniпельмени 🇷🇺 RussiaRussian dumplings filled with seasoned meat and wrapped in thin dough Dumpling, Lunch, Dinner MeatballMeat 🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreGround meat shaped into balls and cooked by frying, baking, or braising in sauce Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Caesar salad 🇲🇽 Mexico and 3 moreRomaine lettuce tossed with a creamy, tangy dressing and croutons Salad or side, Lunch, Dinner Mulled wineGlühwein 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreRed wine heated with spices and fruit, served hot at Christmas and winter gatherings Drink, Tea time, Dinner ShashlikMeatшашлык 🇷🇺 RussiaSkewered cubes of marinated meat grilled over open coals Main dish, Dinner, Lunch KhachapuriVegetarianხაჭაპური 🇬🇪 Georgia and 4 moreLeavened bread filled with cheese, sometimes egg, from Georgia Bread, Breakfast, Lunch Pickled cucumberVegan 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreCucumbers preserved in brine or vinegar, enjoyed worldwide in many styles Sauce, pickle or ferment, Lunch, Dinner BigosMeat 🇵🇱 Poland and 5 morePolish stew of mixed meats, sauerkraut and cabbage, simmered with spices Stew or curry, Breakfast, Dinner SmetanaVegetarian 🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreThick cultured cream used in Central and Eastern European cooking Sauce, pickle or ferment, Breakfast, Lunch Potato pancakeVegetarian 🇧🇾 Belarus and 5 moreShallow-fried pancakes made from grated or mashed potato, common across Europe Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Cabbage roll 🇺🇦 Ukraine and 5 moreCooked cabbage leaves wrapped around seasoned fillings, simmered or baked Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Beef StroganoffMeatбефстроганов 🇷🇺 Russia and 6 moreSautéed beef in a creamy mustard and sour cream sauce, often with mushrooms or onions Main dish, Lunch, Dinner AspicMeat 🇫🇷 France and 5 moreMeat or fish set in savoury gelatin, served cold as an appetizer or festive dish Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Bliniблины 🇷🇺 Russia and 3 moreThin Russian pancakes made with yeast or unyeasted batter Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch SaloMeat 🇺🇦 Ukraine and 4 moreSalt-cured slabs of pork fat, eaten across Central and Eastern Europe Sausage or cured food, Snacks, Lunch BeshbarmakMeat 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan and 4 moreCentral Asian noodles with chopped boiled meat and onion sauce, eaten with the hands Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Chicken KievMeatкотлета по-київськи 🇷🇺 Russia and 1 moreChicken breast rolled around butter, breaded and fried or baked Main dish, Dinner, Lunch Shchiщи 🇷🇺 Russia and 1 moreRussian cabbage soup, made with fresh or fermented cabbage Soup, Lunch, Dinner MortadellaMeat 🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreLarge Italian sausage of finely ground pork and cubes of fat, often with pepper or pistachio Sausage or cured food, Lunch, Dinner KutiaVegetarian 🇧🇾 Belarus and 5 moreSweet grain porridge with honey, poppy seeds and nuts for winter feasts Sweet or dessert, Dinner Pirozhkiпирожки 🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreYeast-leavened buns filled with sweet or savory fillings, baked or fried Pie or savoury pastry, Lunch, Dinner Dumpling 🇨🇳 China and 5 morePieces of dough, plain or filled, cooked by boiling, steaming or frying Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch Baked potato 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreWhole potato baked and topped with butter, cheese, beans or other fillings Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Challahחַלָּה 🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreBraided egg bread central to Jewish Sabbath and holiday meals Bread, Dinner, Lunch VinegretVeganвинегрет 🇷🇺 Russia and 1 moreA Russian salad of beet, potato, carrot, onion and sauerkraut or pickles Salad or side, Lunch, Dinner Königsberger KlopseMeat 🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreGerman meatballs in a creamy white sauce with capers Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Kasha 🇷🇺 Russia and 3 moreCooked grain porridge from Eastern and Central Europe Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch Cabbage soup 🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreA hot soup made with cabbage or sauerkraut, common in Eastern and Central Europe Soup, Lunch, Dinner PitiMeat 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan and 3 moreMutton and chickpea stew slow-cooked in a sealed crock Stew or curry, Lunch, Dinner Rassolnikрассольник 🇷🇺 Russia and 3 moreRussian soup with pickled cucumber brine, barley, and kidneys Soup, Lunch, Dinner BuuzMeatБууз 🇲🇳 Mongolia and 2 moreMongolian steamed dumplings filled with seasoned meat Dumpling, Lunch, Dinner KielbasaMeat 🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreA family of seasoned sausages from Poland and Eastern Europe Sausage or cured food, Lunch, Dinner Chicken feetMeat 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreChicken feet cooked and eaten in soups, stews, snacks and street foods worldwide Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Dressed herringFish or seafoodСельдь под шубой 🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreLayered salad of herring, vegetables, eggs and mayonnaise with a purple beetroot top Salad or side, Dinner, Snacks Pickled herringFish or seafood 🇳🇱 Netherlands and 5 moreHerring preserved in salt and vinegar, eaten across Northern and Eastern Europe Sausage or cured food, Snacks, Lunch Kreplachקרעפּלעך 🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreAshkenazi Jewish dumplings filled with meat or potato, often served in soup Dumpling, Lunch, Dinner Kalduny 🇧🇾 Belarus and 3 moreDumplings of soft dough filled with meat, mushrooms, or fruit Dumpling, Lunch, Dinner Gołąbki 🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreCabbage leaves filled with meat and grains, rolled and cooked Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Zapekankaзапеканка 🇷🇺 RussiaBaked casserole, sweet or savory, common in Russian home cooking Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch Pozharsky cutletMeatпожарская котлета 🇷🇺 RussiaJuicy breaded patties of minced chicken or veal with butter, from Russia Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Cucumber soupVegetarian 🇵🇱 Poland and 4 moreSoup made with fresh or pickled cucumber, served hot or cold Soup, Lunch, Dinner

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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Every Monday: seven dishes you may not know, what the world is cooking this week, and one way of eating.