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What to Look for at Moscow Restaurants

Russia is such a bountiful land with an array of fine foods. Some dishes have existed for centuries. Some have been added from outside influences and have been incorporated into the national menu.

How to Begin the Meal at Moscow Restaurants

To start off a meal, Russians usually order zakuski, which are, basically, appetizers. Zakuski can be anything from a beat and nut or fresh vegetable salad, to pickles and pickeled vegetables, to mushrooms in a creamy sauce with cheese, called Julienne, to caviar, to a fish or meat platter, to pirogi. The true purpose of zakuska is to get the diner ready for the meal and to accompany the vodka that was a part of any Russian trapeza, or banquet. Zakuski can be hot and cold, and the two types are usually separate on the menu.

What Comes Next at Moscow Restaurants

Next comes the list of famous Russian soups that have been a part of Russia 's culinary history for ages. The commonest was shchi, which can be called cabbage soup because it always contained fresh cabbage in summer and sauerkraut in winter, although it could include almost anything else the household had on hand. If the family was very poor the shchi might be made of nothing but cabbage and other vegetables boiled together and flavored with dill or parsley. The simple dish was not at all bad, and it added valuable vitamins to a diet that otherwise consisted mostly of cooked grain. More elaborate kinds of shchi were simmered with a soup bone or made with soup stock. The most elaborate kinds were thickened with flour browned in butter and cooked with a large chunk of meat that was served separately. But any kind of shchi was a hearty dish.

Almost as common as shchi and as inexpensive was borsch, which is based on beets and gets its red color from them. Borsch, like shchi, might contain nothing but beets, a few other vegetables and flavorings. In prosperous households it took in more and more ingredients, including sausages or a variety of meats, and became an elaborate meal in itself. Often it was hard to tell whether the soup was borsch or shchi. Some women kept a great pot constantly on the stove and tossed into it anything they happened to have on hand. If cabbage predominated, the soup shchi; if it showed red beets, it was borsch.

A third basic soup, ukha, was made possible by the happy fact that even the bleakest parts of European Russia are thickly laced with slow-flowing, fish-filled streams. Simmering cleaned whole fish in water flavored with herbs and seasonings made the simplest kind of ukha. Russians believe that ukha is best when made from several kinds of fish.

Main Courses at Moscow Restuarants

Another important food of all Russians at all times of history was kasha, which is usually served as a side dish, unless it is with meat. Almost anything could be added to kasha. An egg might be stirred into the grain, or fried chopped onions. Kasha is excellent by itself, but when fortified with mushrooms or soup stock or chicken it is absolutely delicious. If the family had a piece of meat that was not big enough to serve separately, it was chopped fine and combined with the kasha so that each serving would contain a little---a tactful way to divide a scarce delicacy among a large and hungry family. Kasha is still very popular today and is a regular ingrdient of any Russian's diet. It is also often served at most Moscow restaurants, even the most expensive!

Russians are big fans of meat and fish. They have dozens of ways to prepare both. There is the shashlik, which has become a part of Russian cuisine, originating in the Caucases. In short, this is shishkabob that can be made of beef, pork, or sheep. Most Russian entrees will be some sort of meat grilled, fried, or baked; or fish that is also fried, baked, or grilled. The difference between all other cuisines is in the sauces and ingredients which are combined with the meat, fish, or pultry. For example, duck in prune sauce with nuts. Or kotlety po kievsky – chicken cutlets with ham, cheese and butter inside.

What to Drink at Moscow Restaurants

An authentic Russian drink is kvas, which is much like the “small beer” of Western Europe. It could be made from grain and malt, but was often made from leftover dark bread soaked in hot water and allowed to ferment for a few hours; sugar, fruit or honey customarily was added as a sweetener. The finished brew could be drunk on the spot or bottled for later use; in some households a part of the brew served as a fermented stock for soups. Homemade kvas is somewhat effervescent and only slightly alcoholic. It never enchanted any non-Russian visitors, but it's worth a try at least as an alternative to the ubiquitous Coke. If you're up for something a bit stronger, try the different vodkas and nalivkas, or nastoikas. Nalivkas are made by distilling vodka with berries or other ingredients that add flavor. Among the most popular is the cranberry nalivka. But the possibilities are endless with nalivkas, and each family has its own special recipe to make them.