Foraging and Hunting:
For culinary purposes, Russia can be divided into three regions, with the third region being more historical: Northern, Southern, and Republics that once made up the Russian Empire. The Northern region is expansive, cold, and sparsely populated. Dominated by the Tiger Forest, a huge mass of trees that stretches across all of Russia and into Europe, foraging and hunting are the main methods of food collection. Mushrooms of all types are common and are pickled, marinated, or dried. Berries, such as strawberries, cranberries, and currants are also collected and are used in jams and preserves. The juice of these berries is often fermented and turned into a thick drink called kisel. Shrouded in an arctic climate through much of the year, northern Russia has a very short growing season. Crops are cultivated that can be stored for the long, winter months. These include potatoes, cabbage, carrots, and apples. The Vikings introduced the salting and drying of fish which allows fish to be stored through the long winter months when many of the inland lakes are frozen over. Soups and stews are main stays of the cuisine. Meat is highly desirable, but rarely eaten because of the prohibitive cost.
Caviar and Kasha:
Southern Russia is warmer, has access to the seas year round, and is more heavily populated. While warmer, the climate is still very cold most of the year. Thus, potatoes and other root vegetables make up large part of the diet. However, the Steppes, a large plain that stretches throughout central Russia, provides a bountiful harvest of wheat and buckwheat, both used to make breads and kasha. There is more grazing livestock in this region than in the north and these produce dairy products such as sour cream, curd cheeses, and a type of cultured yogurt. Pastries stuffed with meat, fish, or vegetables are popular and are known as pirogis. This region is also home of the Caspian Sea which produces some of the world’s finest and most expensive caviar. The most prized type is the roe of the sturgeon fish which, because of pollution and poaching, has become extremely rare. The culinary flavor of this region has been most heavily influenced by Mongolia to the south. The Mongols conquered much of southern Russia in the eleventh century and introduced tea, fermented cabbage, curd cheese, honey pastries, dried fruits, and lamb.
The Russian Federation:
Historically, the Russian Federation comprised fifteen republics with Russia being the largest. Others include Ukraine, Georgia, Estonia and Lithuania just to name a few. These republics each contributed to contemporary Russian cuisine. The Baltic States, those resting on the Baltic Sea, are influenced by Scandinavian culinary traditions and introduced fresh seafood, milk, and eggs to the Russians. The Ukrainian Republic, traditionally the bread basket of the Russian Empire, made grain and bread popular items and introduced the famous Borscht Soup. The Caucus region, including Georgia and Armenia, introduced expensive spices such as saffron, pepper, cumin, and coriander and has perhaps the most developed cuisine with Georgian dishes popular in fine dining Russian restaurants. Lastly, the eastern Tartar region is heavily influenced by Chinese cuisine with noodles and wontons being popular street foods.
Russian cuisine is, above all, utilitarian. With root vegetables and grains grown for their ability to be stored throughout the harsh winter and a reliance on hunting game and foraging, Russian culinary traditions have roots in common peasant techniques. However, Russia’s once vast empire allowed for foreign innovation and chic, expensive ingredients that have had a lasting influence on contemporary Russian cuisine.
