moscow historical museum by Carl MydansFederal Agency for Tourism
Historically, for almost nine centuries of its existence, Moscow has absorbed what suited it: the style of Italian architects who built the Kremlin cathedrals, the trading habits of German artisans brought by Peter I, French aristocratic words - and, of course, a variety of tastes of it.
Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow by Marina LuzinaFederal Agency for Tourism
Today’s Moscow remains cosmopolitan – here, just like in London or New York, amongst old and new architecture, business districts, parks, and museums there is the rapid pulse of a vast city that never sleeps.
Original Pozharsky cutlet (21st Century) by tm agencyFederal Agency for Tourism
What People Ate Then and Now
Cutlets
The word ‘cutlet’ means ‘tenderized meat chop’ in all languages. For example, cotoletta alla milanese – a thin veal rib chop tenderized, breaded, and fried. ‘Côte’ is French for ‘rib,’ ‘côtelette’ is a slice of meat from the rib. In Russian, however, this word means fried ground meat – mincemeat.
As initially a cutlet was meat on the bone, the most well-known type of Russian cutlet – the pozharsky cutlet – features a chicken bone. Cutlets can be made from any kind of ground meat – chicken, beef, turkey, fish, or even carrots or cabbage.
A key Moscow invention of recent times is crab cutlets (featuring crab meat and eggs, cheese optional).
Shashlik (barbecue) by RustourismFederal Agency for Tourism
Shashlyk (Shish Kebab)
Meat chopped, skewered, and fried over charcoal, marinated beforehand in vinegar, wine, spices, onion juice, or not marinated at all. Shashlyk has been cooked in Moscow for the past two centuries, but it achieved true fame after WWII.
Moscow Does Not Believe in TearsMosfilm Cinema Concern
In the 1950s, the best shashlik could be found at Aragvi and restaurants of its kind, but above all, shashlyk was cooked at resorts on the Black Sea, where Muscovites started vacationing in the 1960s. When city-dwellers started getting dacha (summer house) land plots, shashlyk transcended gastronomy to become a cultural phenomenon.
Shashlik (barbecue) by RustourismFederal Agency for Tourism
When city-dwellers started getting dacha (summer house) land plots, shashlyk transcended gastronomy to become a cultural phenomenon. Shashlyks are both a dish and an event, similar perhaps to American barbecue.
Syrniki by RustourismFederal Agency for Tourism
Syrniki
The benchmark for Moscow syrniki — fried with very little flour.
Italian-style Moscow syrniki made with ricotta are also very popular. The capital’s foodies also love Severyane’s signature take on syrniki – tvorog syrniki made with baked milk.
Forshmak by RustourismFederal Agency for Tourism
Vorschmack
Historically, vorschmack was a hot veal-based appetizer that gradually turned into a cold fish-based appetizer in the Baltic governorates and then reached us as an exclusively herring-based appetizer. Thanks to its simplicity and low cost, this dish that came from Jewish communities became a hit all over the Soviet Union after WWII and then proceeded to move from home kitchens to restaurants.
According to tradition, the herring is put through a meat grinder, and then hard-boiled eggs are added, together with onions and butter. Apples and white bread, which are also included in certain versions of this dish, remain a matter of debate.
Khinkali by RustourismFederal Agency for Tourism
Khinkali — Pelmeni
Khinkali are a Georgian take on large pelmeni (dumplings) with a fragrant meat-based broth as a filling that you have to find a way not to spill all over yourself while eating. This means that it is best to eat khinkali with your hands – hold the tail, bite into the dough, and drink the liquid.
When it comes to popularity, this dish has the upper hand over pelmeni, especially as every Russian has their own image of the perfect pelmeni from their childhood and eats them at home quite often, but for khinkali, which require more work, they go to a restaurant or a khinkalnaya.
Medovik (honey cake) by RustourismFederal Agency for Tourism
Medovik (Honey Cake)
This variation on millefeuille made from very thin sponge cake layers with honey and smetana probably gained its current appearance during the Soviet period. It was so successful that today, it is a source of inspiration for chefs at the best Moscow restaurants – every self-respecting establishment has their own medovik.
An outstanding example is the sea urchin and yellow tomato medovik by Berezutsky brothers. Some other excellent and more traditional takes on medovik can be found at Pushkin and Matryoshka.
Coffee by RustourismFederal Agency for Tourism
Raf Coffee
Rafs are made all over and outside of Russia. The Raf was invented specially for a customer called Rafael in Moscow in the late 1990s.
At first, people referred to this espresso with cream and vanilla sugar as coffee ‘like Raf’s,’ and then the recipe for this coffee drink spread to other coffeeshops as ‘the Raf.’ Today, there are several versions of the Raf, from citrus to lavender.
Moscow by Alexey BaulinFederal Agency for Tourism
Contemporary Moscow Cuisine
The contemporary Moscow restaurant scene – just like Moscow itself – is an exceptional phenomenon. New Moscow cuisine is a mix of a very few Russian recipes, Transcaucasian cuisines, Soviet cuisine, Italian cuisine, Japanese cuisine, and what is commonly called Pan-Asian cuisine.
Confectionery (21st Century) by tm agencyFederal Agency for Tourism
You are unlikely to find an imprinted pryanik on the dessert menu of most restaurants, but you will probably see dozens of kinds of panna cotta made with a variety – including some typically Russian – ingredients, like ryazhenka or sorrel.
Borscht with cherries and croissants with foie gras (21st Century)Federal Agency for Tourism
At the head of this were the masters of Moscow cuisine – Alexander Filin and Andrei Makhov (Café Pushkin), who had already begun to combine French techniques and recipes with domestic products in the late 1990s.
Vladimir Mukhin by Alexander AverinFederal Agency for Tourism
The most famous Russian chefs in Moscow are, of course, Vladimir Mukhin (White Rabbit) and Ivan and Sergei Berezutsky, having successfully presented signature takes on new Russian cuisine, which has hit new heights in global restaurant rankings with their help.
Dish with strawberries (21st Century) by photo by Aleksander AverinFederal Agency for Tourism
The ‘known unknowns’ are Vitaliy Karsaev leading a team that has been responsible for the syrniki benchmark, and Kirill Martynenko (Torro Grill and Boston Seafood), who did so well establishing his steakhouse chains that now he serves as a model nationwide.
However, if you really want to try more or less traditional Russian food in Moscow, then the capital has that, too: Café Pushkin, Matryoshka, #SibirSibir and Tsarskaya Okhota will provide that.
Сhief Сonsultant — Ekaterina Drozdova, restaurateur, gastronomic entrepreneur, food and social activist, Contributors — Natalia Savinskaya, Anna Kukulina, Proximity Russia, Translation Services Win-Win, Marina Luzina, Alexey Baulin, Alexander Averin
