Russian & Ukrainian Food

Some Tasty Russian
and Ukrainian Foods

An assortment of Ukrainian breads.

Vodka, caviar and blinni are a must on your first trip to
Russia!

"Pelmeni," a kind of Russian ravioli is often served with dill
and sour cream.

Seliodka (Herring,) Hleb (Brown Bread,) Kartochki (Potatoes) and Vodka!
A very typical Russian/Ukrainian lunch.

Fish is a staple in Russian and Ukrainian diets.

Most Russian cafés offer a variety of delicious deserts.

Russians love to grill shashlik (shish-ka-bobs.)

So, it's only natural to wonder what kinds of foods you're
likely to encounter on your first visit to the Former Soviet
Union. (Hope you like dill - Russians use it in virtually
everything!) While your Russian hosts are likely to expose you
to some typical Eastern European dishes, I promise you they
will be quite aware of our different diets and not be offended
if you don't particularly like something. Russian and Ukrainian
people are very, VERY good hosts. Keep an open mind and
you'll likely encounter tasty soups, various salads (both oil and
mayonnaise based) and healthy, home-cooked dishes. People
of Russia and Ukraine east fast food maybe two - three times
per year. They are not obsessed with Big Macs and canned
ravioli like our salt and sugar heavy culture is. There are very
good reasons foreign ladies stay so thin and healthy! Again,
whether dining at a local café or while visiting your girl's family
- open up and enjoy the local cuisine!
Me personally - I can't get enough of it!

Here's a primer on some typical things to expect to see on
your Russian or Ukrainian plate!

Viktoria tells me that Russians (and Ukrainians) are much better at
maintaining their friendships and other relationships than Americans are.
Despite all their daily pressures around work, they still cherish getting
together for a Sunday dinner, complete with main dishes, soups, salads - and
plenty of vodka. Vodka is the celebratory drink of choice in Russia and
Ukraine - and be sure their stuff is WAY BETTER than most of the crap we
drink here in the states. It's pure and... how do I describe it... feel so good
going down. The picture above is a typical meal: some fish, potatoes, fresh
herbs, brown bread. "Herring Under Fur Coat" is a common salad starting
with a layer of herring, then onions, then beets, then potatoes in
mayonnaise, add fresh dill - and repeat for more layers! Delicious - and great
with vodka and Hleb (brown bread.) This is usually followed by a main dish
like roast pork or soup with big pieces of meat. Russians are very meat and
potatoes oriented people.

When families get together to eat like this it's always pure, fresh and natural
in preparation. Even the juice is 100% natural with no trace of the corn syrup
fructose sweeteners in virtually everything we drink here in the states.

You will enjoy a variety of breads in Russia and Ukraine! Rye and dark
wheat breads are very popular. Many bakeries will brade breads together
for an attractive, yummy look. Some breads are sweet, others are more on
the dry, rustic side - like dark rye, for example. But all are delicious! Locals
use bread the same way we do, but also with vodka the way we use lemons
with tequila. Drink the vodka, breathe in the smell of your delicious bread
to clear your palate, then eat and enjoy!

Pelmini is also a very common dish in the FSU. It's a kind of ravioli served
most often with sour cream and a splash of vinegar versus a tomato based
sauce. There are different varieties including pork, chicken, beef,
mushroom and cheese varieties. The meat inside is usually a little spicy - not
in a hot way but distinctive, not bland. It takes a little getting used to - but
after a few bites it's really good, especially on a cold day. Very filling!
You might find pelmini is any local ethnic markets or in the ethnic food
section of a large grocery store here in the sates. You boil it like ravioli then
add sour cream and vinegar in your serving dish! Try it!

Shashlik is a very popular summer food, especially at picnics, trips to
the beach or forest parks, or while visiting friends at their family
dacha. (A dacha is a cabin in the woods. Most Russians and
Ukrainians know someone who has one, or have one themselves.)
Shashlik is usually made from beef or pork that has been marinated in
a mixture of vinegar, water and some spices. It is often cooked over
wood coals versus charcoal. This is eaten with a dipping sauce (like
steak sauce) or with ketchup. This is served with salads and bread.
Offer to make a yummy shashlik for your friends and you'll be very
popular! Offer to be Zavstroyu (Chief of the Stream - in other words
the stream of vodka or wine or beer to everyone's glass. You never
let anyone's glass get empty!) and you'll be the best host ever!

Russia and Ukraine have a way of getting in your blood. It happens in
different ways, really. One of them is through the local cuisine. Stuff I
would have never tried in America, I began to crave again and again
after trying them in Russia. Fresh, raw, slices of fish - both white and
red - is one of those. This is a typical salad offered in many cafés - a
variety of sliced fish, a few greens, some olives or pickles. This is
accompanied by bread so you can it like bagels and lox. If you enjoy
sushi, you'll like this type of dish. The fish is room temperature, soft in
texture, mild to the taste and melts in your mouth. It's subtle and not
at all overpowering - and I think it's a Russian aphrodisiac. But then
again, what sort of seafood isn't? Add vodka or some great Moldavian
wine. For those of you who prefer your seafood cooked - no worries -
there are soups, pies and broiled fish dishes everywhere!

And of course, what trip to Russia or Ukraine would be complete without a
sampling of their world famous caviar. I prefer the black variety, but there's
plenty of choices. Caviar is usually served on buttered bread or with
crackers, but Blinni (thin pancakes, like crepes) are also common. Add some
fresh fruit and vegetables, and a shot of vodka or a glass of wine for the
best combination. Again, the cuisine in The FSU is so often fish and seafood
based - it's no wonder the women are so ardent in their love!

How many times have I ventured into a café in St. Petersburg to
discover a mouth-watering display of cakes and pastries! I once
offered to bake Viktoria a cake for her birthday. She agreed and
was duly impressed - until I asked her where I could buy cake mix in
a box. She looked at me quite puzzled. "Vat cake in zis box? Vee
hav no cake in zis box in Russia." Oops! NO cake in the box? How
will I make a cake now? I'm no Julia Child! The day was saved
when we found enough ingredients to make our own kind of wafer
cake. This was multiple thin layers (like waffle ice cream cones only
flat and circular) covered with Sgushonka, or condensed milk and
some nuts. Tasty - but hardly looked like a birthday cake. The local
cafés we visited later that week had all the gourmet cakes we
wanted. Beautiful and sweet!

Here's a great recipe for a fun first date: Go to a local museum
or gallery - there are many in every city in Russia and Ukraine and
they cost little. Then spend a few hours talking over coffee and
desert at a local café. Very fun, totally appropriate (if not a little
fattening) and memorable!

THERE IS ONE DISH TO AVOID AT ALL COSTS DURING YOUR VISITS TO RUSSIA OR UKRAINE!!
BEWARE!!! BEWARE, oh, unsuspecting reader! The one thing you must never do when you go to meet your girl abroad:
DON'T LET HER COOK YOU BORSCHT!!!

Borscht is a soup consisting of beetroot, potatoes, cabbage, onions, and large pieces of meat. It's served with sour cream, dill and a
splash of vinegar. There is a cold variety as well that includes agorits (cucumber) and eyitsa (eggs) instead of carpusta (cabbage.)
Legend has it that women of the FSU put something unknown in their borscht which has an immediately gratifying effect on their
foreign suitors! Noone knows for sure what the secret ingredient is - but it almost assuredly contains secret chemical compounds that
overwhelm even the strongest man! One lady from Kharkov, Ukraine suggested to me it was love itself that made borscht - and the
woman who makes it - so irresistible! "A woman puts her soul and spirit into what she cooks" she said, "and as he eats he will
breathe her in and be full to his soul with her." Borscht is the secret love weapon of marriage-minded FSU women!!
"Borscht? Really Bud? The secret love weapon of FSU women?"

Yes! I've seen this in action - don't let it happen to you!!!!

Or do let it happen - 'cause borscht is yummy and foreign women are hot!!

Life - is good!

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