A Minor Russian Inspiration

Dear Bloggers,

I am writing to you today with a new inspiration, Russian food. I know very little about their culture and the foods that are staples to their diets, however, after reading up on it, I am more educated. Traditional Russian food was mostly formed on the harsh winters that they would encounter. Their main focus would be carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to sustain the cold winter season. Not many of the traditional Russian dishes contain fresh fruit and vegetables. The five main aspects that form the traditional Russian cuisine are eggs, potatoes, meat (mostly beef), bread and butter. What I came to find about their culture is that they cook with pure simplicity and leave herbs out a lot of times. However, many popular foods include, cabbage, milk, sour cream, curds, mushrooms, lard, cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, berries, honey, sugar, salt, garlic, and onions.           

Borshch, which is a traditional beet soup, is one of the most famous Russian dishes. This soup is packed with vegetables and meat and has a kick of flavor that would go wonderfully with a dollop of fresh sour cream. Pirozhki are small pastries that can be filled with potatoes, meat, cabbage, or cheese. Blini are also served rolled with a variety of fillings from jam, to cheese, to onions, or even chocolate syrup. Blini are such an important part of Russian cuisineand are mostly found at a festival called Maslenitsa, which celebrates the beginning of spring. And of course, there is always vodka. How they are known for their fantastically made vodka. Although, I am not an avid consumer of hard liquor, turning down vodka from it's origins would be a sin. I hope I've helped you understand more about the Russian cuisine today. Have a good day and happy cooking