Question

Eating customs in Russia

Answer 1

Eating Soup is common for lunch or dinner.Traditionally,zakuski are a popular feature of any meal to which guests are invited.Zakuski are a wide range of appetizers—examples include salads made of fresh or cooked vegetables,and sliced vegetables,meat,or cheese.Those on fixed and limited incomes,mainly the elderly,eat more bread than anything else.Potatoes,carrots,beets,and onions are the most widely available vegetables because these root crops and other cool-weather vegetables grow well during Russia's short growing season.In the winter,when fresh vegetables are not available,pickled or marinated vegetables are popular.These vegetables are often grown at a family's dacha,a cottage in the country.Common Russian foods include borsch,which is cabbage soup with beets; pirozhki,fried or baked dough filled with meat,rice,or vegetables; and blini,unsweetened pancakes eaten with toppings such as honey or sour cream.Pelmeni,boiled dumplings made of thin dough and stuffed with ground meat,spices,and sometimes vegetables,are served with sour cream and butter.Varenniki are dumplings stuffed with mashed potatoes or cottage cheese.They may also be stuffed with cherries or other fruit and eaten for dessert.Pork,sausage,chicken,and cheeses are popular.Russians drink a great deal of tea,as well as vodka and wine.The latter is produced in the south of the country.Kvass,a slightly alcoholic beverage,is particularly popular in the summer,when it is also used in cold soups.When entertaining,people often put more food than is necessary on the table as a gesture of respect and generosity toward their guests.This gesture also indicates that there is abundance in the house,which may or may not be the case.Russians generally do not go to lunch in cafés or restaurants because of the expense,or because they feel they can bring better food from home.Some opt to eat in workplace cafeterias.