Stereotypes about food in foreign countries: Russia

The picture of Russia in the survey came out much more full than I expected. But still it is rarther far from reality.

I’ll try to give my perception of how people actually eat in Moscow. First of all, people tend to consume a cocktail of world famous dishes including Caesar salad, pizza Margarita, California rolls, mushroom cream soup etc.
I’ll also name some “Russian” dishes that are still widespread. Among soups these are certainly borsch (on the picture, nice to see it in the survey), shi (beef and cabbage soup), chicken soup with noodles.

For breakfast it is often porridge (oat, rice, wheat, millet and whatever you want), sweet, boiled with a lot of milk and raisins. Salads (mostly coming from the Soviet Union period) – “Olivie” (cubed boiled potatos, carrots and other veggies, dressed with mayonnaise), vinaigrette (nice to see in the survey). For dessert, pancakes – yes. apple cakes, curdle baked pudding and curd fritters.

Dumplings – first of all I was not sure what exactly was meant. I asked one of my friends, who took part in the survey. He told me that he mentioned dumplings and what he meant was boiled dough filled with meat. So I arrived at thinking that it is about 'pelmeni'. It really is a very traditional dish, which is consumed a lot. Most of the time people buy it ready made (frozen). Most of brands are rather affordable, and the dish requires some 10 minutes to cook, so it is often associated with 'bachelor food'.

Pirozhki (patties) are also widely consumed with whatever fillings. Commonly they are stuffed with meat, beef liver, cabbage&boiled eggs, fried mushrooms with onions. Open small salmon patties have special name: 'rasstegai'. There are also common sweet fillings like apples&raisins, sweet curdle, berries etc..

Special comment in relation to salmon and fish in general. The supply of quality fish in central region of Russia is quite limited. It is very difficult to buy good fish at reasonable prices. That is why it is not really consumed a lot. Mostly - in casual or fine dining restaurants. Caviar is consumed mostly on certain dates of the year (New year’s eve, Shrovetide), and is not normally eaten throughout the year. Vodka is certainly a dominating alcohol drink, but along with it largely consumed are beer, vine, Champaign etc.

As far as non alcohol drinks are concerned – we drink tea (most of all), also coffee. I’d say that national soft drink is cranberry water.