Блины or blini
The French have their crepes, the Americans have their pancakes, and the Russians have their blinis.
A blin is a very thin circle of batter cooked the same as pancakes.
Blinis are used to hold hot food and depending on personal preferences can be filled with anything to accommodate every unique taste.
Fill it with fruit, jam, honey, jelly, or cottage cheese to make a terrific dessert; roll chicken, meat, salad, or fish into blini for a nourishing dinner, and for special events use caviar as a filling.
Пельмени or Pelmeni
Pelmeni translates literally to "ear-shaped dish". It is very similar to ravioli. Tiny pockets of cooked dough, pelmenis are usually filled with seasoned meat.
They are simple to cook and easy to eat and are most delicious with melted butter and sour cream.
Суп or Soup
Russians love soups! Borsch, fish soup, cabbage soup – the possibilities are endless. Traditionally eaten at the start of a meal, soups are believed to aid in the digestive process.
Russians have a mind-boggling variety of soups: rassolnik - chicken soup with pickles, salanka - meat soup with olives and sausages, okroshka - a cold soup made of chopped vegetables, orange borsh - cabbage soup, soup s frikadlkami - meatball soup, uha - fish soup and the list goes on.
There is one secret that makes Russian soups so good - podjarka - which is a pre-frying of chopped onions, grated carrots, and a little bit of garlic in vegetable oil. When carrots take on a golden hue and onions become transparent "podjarka" is added to the soup.
Borsch beet soup is by far the most popular. Its recipe differs from family to family, providing an array of tastes based on region.
Common borsch ingredients are beets, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, meat, and a variety of spices.
Its finishing touch is sour cream, and though hot sour cream may seem too bizarre, it melts into the soup and adds a creamy, tart twist to the savory dish.
Салаты or Salads
Russian salads are not the usual lettuce-and-dressing, they are more reminiscent of American potato or chicken salad. Composed of many different chopped ingredients, they are held together by a good helping of mayonnaise.
Sometimes the ingredients are quite simple, like mayo, ham, and cheese salad, and sometimes they are packed with every vegetable within reach – carrots, garlic, peas, pickles, cabbage. Though the way Russians use their ingredients may seem elaborate you are almost guaranteed to leave Russia a few pounds heavier than you arrived.
Напитки or Beverages
While Russians are most famous for vodka, there are a number of other delicious national drinks as well. Aside from alcoholic beverages, many Russians drink tea, coffee, and a variety of juice.
They also produce a beverage called Kvas, a drink made from fermented bread. Another delicious traditional Russian drink is mors (juice of boiled berries. And, of course, the Russian tea ceremony with a samovar is a must-experience.
Десерты or Desserts
As for sweets, Russia is not without its fair share of sugary wonders. The most popular gifts given during the holidays are chocolates, cakes, and pastries.
Stores devote entire aisles to chocolate, providing different flavors, forms, fillings, and more. Belgium may be famous for producing chocolate, but Russia is where chocolate is appreciated.
