Heroes of Russian cuisine

Beets. This wonderful vegetable, known by the Assyrians in 2000 BC, has been used in Russian cuisine since the 10th century. Starting from early childhood, Russians savor borsch, cold beet soup, famous "Russian salad"
and herring under a coat of beets. Beets are nothing special for us. But in
Italy, for example, this tasty root with red juice is not cultivated, and there it is something out of the ordinary. Recently, beets have been accepted by adherents of healthy food throughout the world. Famous European
restaurants now include beets in their menus as a delicacy. Beets are not only good for metabolism and digestive functions, but are also low-calorie, and therefore irreplaceable for a healthy diet. By the way, Europeans have managed to concoct a new recipe for beets: they eat it with almond
ice cream. We decided not to go that far. But we have prepared for you a true borsch, and herring under a coat of beets.

Fermented vegetables. Inhabitants of tropical countries are lucky to
have fresh fruits and vegetables available all year round. But our wise
ancestors in wintry Russia took care to make our meals alive and
full of vitamins the whole year round. Russians have used simple and
natural methods to prepare fruits and vegetables for winter storage:
salted pickling and fermenting. As opposed to contemporary vinegar
pickling, salted pickling and fermenting are unique "live" methods of preserving products, allowing them to keep all their health-giving features. In Russian cuisine fermented vegetables are often added to main courses (rassolnik, cabbage soup, Russian salad). But they are first of all an excellent snack. Tasty and crunchy, they are excellent appetizers and emphasize the taste of cool vodka, especially if they are well prepared in a village style as in our restaurant.

Blini. This is an old, authentic Russian dish, although some archeologists
assure us that in the sepulchers of Egyptian pharaohs there have been found forms for cooking pancakes. The fact is that our ancestors worshiped the sun god and welcomed his appearance at the start of spring with hot pancakes. Since then, the tradition has arisen to mark the happy end of winter with the Shrovetide holiday (Maslenitsa). Actually, pancakes are not only tasty but also an essential component of all Russian rites of the life cycle. A woman who just gave birth is treated to pancakes. The recently deceased are remembered over a meal of pancakes. The day after the wedding is when the newly wed bride displays her culinary skills with a “table of pancakes”. One can make the case that a well-prepared pancake is a chef’s calling card; this is certainly the case with our pancakes. Try them and see for yourself.

Pelemeni. As they say, ‘I’d get down on my knees before the person who concocted pelmeni’. This ancient Siberian dish can rightfully be called the symbol of wisdom among the inhabitants of the North. Pelmeni are prepared ahead of time and can be kept frozen throughout the winter, with passing time becoming ever more flavorful. The secret of preparing this “ear of dough” was shared with the inhabitants of the Urals by the Urgo-Finns as they migrated from Altai to the West. In the Urals pelmeni were a component of rituals honoring the deity of livestock, and therefore contained strict proportions of beef, lamb and pork. The dish was subsequently simplified, and is now usually prepared either with just beef, or a mix of beef and pork. We decided to return to the origins of pelmeni, and therefore use three sorts of meat in a proper mix with the right spices. For variety, we also prepare exquisite pelmeni with salmon, as well as the famous Georgian variant, Khinkali – for those who love things on the spicy side.

Caviar. How do Russians differ from the Chinese? Here’s one of life’s truths: a Russian, having caught a salmon, will keep the caviar and toss the fish back into the Amur river. A Chinese on the other side of the river will do just the opposite. Therefore, unpressed caviar is the first thing one thinks of when one thinks of Russia. Vodka, bears, and cold are all secondary. The most expensive and elite caviar is, of course, black Beluga. One would have to write an entire book in order to expound on its healthy properties. Red salmon caviar, while more affordable, is no less delicious or useful. The inhabitants of Siberia and the Far East love it even more than black caviar. In contrast to black caviar, which can be prepared in a variety of ways, red caviar is prepared only one way, unpressed. It is not recommended to eat caviar with bread, as this takes away from its true flavor. Caviar is best eaten with a small spoon, or with a hot buttered pancake