Russia Tours & Vacation Packages

Despite stereotypically consisting of potatoes and pork, Russian cuisine is a hodgepodge of diverse cultures, from French innovations, to traditions from Finland to Central Asia. Many of Russia’s most popular dishes, such as meat pies, soups, and barbecue, originally came from neighboring areas. Russian cuisine is hearty and often calorific, with pork, grain, fresh vegetables (in summer) and pickled vegetables during colder times of year. Pork, fish, chicken, dairy, mushrooms, berries, and honey are key ingredients, as well as cereals.

Meals generally start with salads or soups, with Salad Olivier (also known as Russian Salad) and Herring in a Fur Coat (pickled herring covered in layers of grated boiled vegetables, chopped onions, and mayo) must-haves for special occasions. Mayonnaise, dill, and Smetana (thick sour cream) are often used for flavor. No visit is complete without Borscht (Ukrainian beet soup), Pelmeny (medium-sized meat dumplings), Blini (crepe-like pancakes also known as Blintzes), or Beef Stroganoff (sautéed beef in a thick cream sauce, one of many dishes invented by 19th century French cooks serving nobility).

Russians are famous drinkers, perhaps in part because the tap water should be avoided! Vodka is of course omnipresent, and is often flavored, with anything from bison grass to rowan-tree berries, or hot pepper. Be sure to pay a bit more for smoother varieties, although there’s often little different between premium vodka and more typical brands. Vodka is traditionally drunk chilled, then immediately followed by a bite of caviar, or pickled vegetables, and often served with spicy or fatty meals. Russia is also one of the world’s largest producers of beer, and has a wine industry, although locals tend to drink imports, especially from Georgia and Armenia. Russia has a tremendous variety of ancient non-alcoholic drinks, such as Kvass (a fermented bread drink popular in summer, when it is often sold from large trailers). Black tea made in a samovar is a central part of Russian culture.