Russian Cuisine Practical And Exotic

Russian food isn't everyone's go to cuisine. In fact if you re not of that ancestry you probabyl knwo very litle about it, except maybe for blinis and borscht soup. However it's much more than that. This ancient and varied land has a table that is both unique and earthy ,practical yet amazingly exotic. Try Russian food and you're hooked.

The food evolved through the land but also through foreign influences. Like the French court, the Russian court was swayedby the ruling families likes . Austrian and French cooking first made their way to the royal tables and then filtered down to the masses. The most famous hybrids of the Franco Russian regimes are Beef Stroganoff, beef chunks in a creamy gravy and Chicken Kiev which is herb butter stuffed chicken breasts that are breaded and fried. Most dishes rely on harvests, Sturdy plants such as rye and barley provided flours for pancakes and bread. Cabbages and rutebegas were the vegetables for meals. Various fish and meats , such as jellied veal figure prominently in the cuisine as well.

Russian desserts ar e not as varied as other countries' sweets. Peter the Great, the 18th century czar, was fascinated by all things ,Dutch . German, French and Swedish. However there are a few dishes that are strictly true to the area. Tthere are blini, barley pancakes, filled with caviar and mushrooms/ However they can also be filled with cream and dried fruit. Baked desserts are also very popular and are stuffed with a sweet cheese and raisin filling. These are called vareniki and can also be eaten for a light supper.

Russian cuisine is an exotic blend of the foreign and the domestic. It combines native ingredients with foreign spins. All in all it is a different but interesting variety of dishes , both sweet and savory.