Among the Symbols of Tradition

The Russian stove is a symbol of homeliness in Russia as a whole, as well as its central part. The central Russian cuisine is heavily dependent on a stove that is able to maintain the right temperature.

Traditional Russian stews were made in a Russian stove, and many restaurants have been installing stoves to ensure the same taste qualities. The stove was so important that it was even featured in Russia folk tales hiding good characters from bad and even being driven around by a young man named Yemelya.

Its whole design was adapted to peasant life and local climate. The stove takes a lot of time to cool down, staying warm in the winter right until the morning if well heated the previous evening. 

These kinds of dishes benefit most from long low-heat cooking, becoming the staples of Russians’ daily diet. 

Samovar may not be a Russian invention with its oldest ancestors found in Iran, but it is in Russia where it acquired a truly iconic status. In fact, by keeping the water warm for a long time, it gave rise to the practice of long and thorough tea drinking shaping the entire Russian tea culture. 

With tea come desserts owing their very existence to the samovar as well. The samovar has a simple design with a pipe running through the body to let smoke from the base out. The fuel is usually charcoal, but it may also be wooden chips. Pine cones or juniper twigs may be added for flavour.

A samovar tea party must include baranki, traditional sweet bread rings. It may be a relatively new tradition to adorn the samovar with a string of baranki, but sushki and baranki have been served at tea for a very long time. 

Both look and are made the same way by steaming dough before baking, but sushki are usually thinner and smaller. The very name “baranka” comes from the idea of steaming, being derived from the verb “obvarivat”.

Baranki can be topped with popper seeds, lemon peel, cinnamon and cumin, sushki feature a salty variety. The most famous baranki were made in Valdai. Bubliki, which remotely resemble bagels, were invented in the southern parts of the country; they are much larger, and are supposed to be consumed differently.

Baranki and sushki have a long shelf life, which explains why they would be served at roadside taverns or large rail stations such as Valdai. Bubliki, by contrast, should be eaten fresh. Bubliki dough will also be steamed before baking, but pure boiling water may be mixed with molasses or milk. Bubliki are most often topped with popper seeds and make for a great side dish for tea and jam.

Another place worth a visit is the famous Preshpekt cafe at Yasnaya Polyana Leo Tolstoy Estate Museum. Here, you can try Anke’s Pie, originally made by Leo Tolstoy’s wife Sofia. She inherited the recipe from a family friend, Dean of Moscow University’s Medical Faculty Nikolai Anke.