Thanks to my grandmother’s absolute passion for cooking, my childhood in a Russian-speaking home was defined by delicious food. She made sure I experienced every side of traditional Russian cooking, whether that meant enjoying hearty savory dishes for lunch and dinner or waking up to warm, sweet breakfast favorites. Here are my reviews on some of the most popular Russian dishes:
Pelemeni-Пельмени are meat-filled dough foods they come in very small to around the size of dumplings. The meat inside is beef and pork. Pelemeni are famous for being mixed with smetana (sour cream), my personal favorite mix. These delicious pelemeni are served hot. Personally, I eat this plate for lunch and dinner at least 5 times a week!
Blini-Блинчики – Blini (or blinchiki) are very thin crêpes. Made from a simple flour batter, they are often served sweet rather than savory. My absolute favorite way to eat them is for breakfast, stuffed with fresh strawberries and chocolate. When blini aren’t served sweet, they are typically paired with smetana (sour cream)—seeing a pattern here?
Olivier/Оливье Salad-The classic January 1st salad! This salad gets its wonderfully signature creamy texture from a mix of boiled potatoes, carrots, green peas, hard-boiled eggs, and diced pickles, all bound together with mayonnaise. Olivier is typically served on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day
Borscht Борщ – Every Russian’s favorite soup! This famous, classic red soup is best known for its vibrant color, which comes primarily from beets. It features a rich blend of beef or pork ribs, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and onions. Unsurprisingly, Borscht is almost always served hot with a generous dollop of smetana (sour cream).
Pirozhki/Пирожки – Pirozhki are small fried yeast dough pastries stuffed with meat, cabbage, potatoes, or mushrooms. These pastries can also be served as sweet filled with apples, cherries, berries, and jam.
Kholodetz/Холодец – Last and definitely my least favorite, Kholodetz. This is a savory, gelatinous dish surrounded by simmered bones and filled with meats, seafood, eggs, and vegetables. The clear jelly encased around the meat, eggs, and vegetables originally served as a traditional way to preserve food, making it a unique classic on Russian tables.