10 Meals That Shaped Russian Culinary History

Across Russia, the vinaigrette salad is a colorful favorite. A medley of diced beetroots, potatoes, carrots, onions, sauerkraut and brined pickles, it's a sweet, bitter, gorgeous plate.

A popular addition to this vegetable salad in Saint Petersburg is Baltic sprats – small salted fish caught in the Baltic Sea.

This is a salad with a deep-rooted tradition spanning Russia, Ukraine, and other countries such as Turkey, Iran, Israel, Mongolia and much of Latin America.

It's a dish as intense and varied as its storied past, and its deep ties to Russian culture are reflected in the fact that, in many countries, it is known as Russian Salad.

These pancakes are as sweet as they are small, and are made mainly from tvorog (quark, or farmer’s cheese) with very little flour. They're sometimes also called tvorozhniki. They're important in the culinary culture of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Latvia, and Serbia.

Said to be "the heart of Russian cuisine," these dumplings are made with thin dough and packed with delicious fillings! Traditionally originating in either Ural or Siberia, they're usually filled with minced meat. 

But there is more to pelmeni than just a piece of minced meat wrapped in dough and boiled in water. Pelmeni can be boiled, yes, but also fried, and mixed with sour cream, ketchup or vinegar.

Borshch has a centuries-long history, but during the twentieth century, this hearty soup became a key element of cafe menus in several countries, including Russia.

A simple and popular breakfast dish, kasha is made with grain either baked or boiled in milk. It's a real comfort food, a staple enjoyed across all of Russia and beyond. It is linked to traditional Jewish dishes like knishes. 

The Stroganov family were the wealthiest merchants of Tsarist Russia, and the dish which bears their name is fittingly rich, hearty, and bold.

It's based on traditional Russian stews, and given a bit of French flair by the Stroganov's personal Parisian chefs. The key ingredients are stewed beef and a sauce based on smetana, a type of soured cream.

For those long, lazy summer days, Okróshka is the perfect chilled dish. It's a cold soup of raw radish and spring onion served with cooked meat, boiled potatoes, and egg. The sauce is based mainly on kvass....

The most popular dish in Russia! The versatile buckwheat flour gets another iconic use in bliny, which are thin pancakes often served with smetana, tvorog, butter, caviar and more.