Food news
WorldOktoberfest celebrates German food, culture in ErieIndiaThe New York Times. . Surprise raids of Mumbai kitchens called for by Maharashtra’s new top food and drug official have made him an unlikely celebrity and set off a conversation about food standards in India. https://trib.al/29fuVVuHeritageThe National Museum of the Philippines Iloilo capped off its 2026 ‘Magbasá Kita: A Reading Program for Young Learners’ with an immersive storytelling session at the museum’s Book Nook on September 23, 2026. The activity introduced the localStreet foodNew Northern Kentucky café brings Thai street food and specialty shoppingHeritage21st Sunchang Jangryu Festival to Welcome the World With K-Food and Cultural ExperiencesHeritage21st Sunchang Jangryu Festival to Welcome the World With K-Food and Cultural ExperiencesStreet foodMan dead, 3 in custody after shooting outside Piada Italian Street Food in Mayfield HeightsStreet foodBrick-and-Mortar Restaurants Need to Stop Blaming Street VendorsStreet food1 dead, 3 detained in Mayfield Heights shootingFarm and marketYour guide to Harvest Fair 2026 at Wisconsin State Fair ParkWorldOktoberfest celebrates German food, culture in ErieIndiaThe New York Times. . Surprise raids of Mumbai kitchens called for by Maharashtra’s new top food and drug official have made him an unlikely celebrity and set off a conversation about food standards in India. https://trib.al/29fuVVuHeritageThe National Museum of the Philippines Iloilo capped off its 2026 ‘Magbasá Kita: A Reading Program for Young Learners’ with an immersive storytelling session at the museum’s Book Nook on September 23, 2026. The activity introduced the localStreet foodNew Northern Kentucky café brings Thai street food and specialty shoppingHeritage21st Sunchang Jangryu Festival to Welcome the World With K-Food and Cultural ExperiencesHeritage21st Sunchang Jangryu Festival to Welcome the World With K-Food and Cultural ExperiencesStreet foodMan dead, 3 in custody after shooting outside Piada Italian Street Food in Mayfield HeightsStreet foodBrick-and-Mortar Restaurants Need to Stop Blaming Street VendorsStreet food1 dead, 3 detained in Mayfield Heights shootingFarm and marketYour guide to Harvest Fair 2026 at Wisconsin State Fair Park
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
Pirogпирог 🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreA baked pie with sweet or savory filling, common in Eastern Europe Pie or savoury pastry Rassolnikрассольник 🇷🇺 Russia and 3 moreRussian soup with pickled cucumber brine, barley, and kidneys Soup, Lunch, Dinner PitiMeat 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan and 3 moreMutton and chickpea stew slow-cooked in a sealed crock Stew or curry, Lunch, Dinner TvorogVegetarian 🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreA soft, white, fermented dairy food made by curdling milk and removing whey Cheese or dairy food Brown bread 🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreBread made with whole grain flours, often darkened with molasses or coffee Bread BuuzMeatБууз 🇲🇳 Mongolia and 2 moreMongolian steamed dumplings filled with seasoned meat Dumpling, Lunch, Dinner StroganinaFish or seafoodстроганина 🇷🇺 RussiaFrozen raw fish sliced thin and served cold in Arctic Russia Main dish KielbasaMeat 🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreA family of seasoned sausages from Poland and Eastern Europe Sausage or cured food, Lunch, Dinner SufganiyahVegetarianסופגנייה 🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreDeep-fried sweet dough filled with jam, eaten for Hanukkah Sweet or dessert, Snacks 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 PaskhaVegetarianпа́сха 🇷🇺 Russia and 2 moreMolded sweet cheese made for Orthodox Easter celebrations Sweet or dessert ZefirVegetarianзефир 🇷🇺 RussiaRussian whipped fruit and egg white confection, soft like marshmallow Sweet or dessert, Snacks SbitenVegan 🇷🇺 Russia and 2 moreHot honey drink with spices, once Russia’s winter staple Drink Kreplachקרעפּלעך 🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreAshkenazi Jewish dumplings filled with meat or potato, often served in soup Dumpling, Lunch, Dinner Mimosa saladсалат мимоза 🇷🇺 Russia and 2 moreLayered salad with canned fish, eggs, cheese and mayonnaise, topped with crumbled yolk Salad or side Kalduny 🇧🇾 Belarus and 3 moreDumplings of soft dough filled with meat, mushrooms, or fruit Dumpling, Lunch, Dinner SushkiVegetarianсу́шки 🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreSmall, crunchy, mildly sweet bread rings from Eastern Europe Bread, Tea time, Snacks 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 Tula pryanikVegetarianтульский пряник 🇷🇺 RussiaStamped gingerbread from Tula, often filled with jam or condensed milk Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time Rasstegaiрасстегай 🇷🇺 RussiaRussian baked pie with a hole on top for adding broth Pie or savoury pastry Guryev porridgeVegetarianГурьевская каша 🇷🇺 RussiaRussian sweet porridge layered with milk skin, nuts, and dried fruit Sweet or dessert BlintzVegetarian 🇷🇺 RussiaThin pancakes rolled around sweet cheese or fruit filling Pie or savoury pastry, Breakfast, Snacks Cucumber soupVegetarian 🇵🇱 Poland and 4 moreSoup made with fresh or pickled cucumber, served hot or cold Soup, Lunch, Dinner
Previous

Photo credits on this page

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

The weekly plate

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