Local Dishes

1. борщ

   borshch

   Borscht (beet soup)

   Usage

   Listed under soups on the menu; usually served with a spoonful of сметана (smetana), sour cream

2. щи

   shchi

   Shchi (cabbage soup)

   Usage

   Made either with fresh cabbage or with квашеная капуста (kvashenaya kapusta), fermented cabbage

3. солянка

   solyanka

   Solyanka (thick sour-salty soup)

   Usage

   A thick soup with pickled cucumbers and spices; made in meat, fish or mushroom versions

4. окрошка

   okroshka

   Okroshka (cold kvass soup)

   Usage

   A cold soup served in spring and summer: chopped cucumber, boiled egg and spring onion in квас (kvas)

5. уха

   ukha

   Ukha (clear fish soup)

   Usage

   A clear broth of fresh fish with potato, carrot and onion — not a creamy fish soup

6. пельмени

   pel'meni

   Pelmeni (boiled meat dumplings)

   Grammar Note

   Menus use the plural пельмени (pel'meni); the singular is пельмень (pel'men')

7. вареники

   vareniki

   Varenyky (filled boiled dumplings)

   Usage

   Fillings include творог (tvorog) curd cheese, potato and mushroom, and also sweet fruit or berries

8. блины

   bliny

   Blini (thin pancakes)

   Usage

   Served with sweet or savoury fillings, often with сметана (smetana) or икра (ikra), fish roe

9. сырники

   syrniki

   Syrniki (curd cheese pancakes)

   Usage

   Small round cakes of творог (tvorog) and flour, fried; a common breakfast item

10. оладьи

    olad'i

    Oladyi (small thick pancakes)

    Usage

    Smaller in diameter and thicker than блины (bliny), made from a stiffer batter

11. гречневая каша

    grechnevaya kasha

    Buckwheat porridge

    Usage

    Porridge of buckwheat grain, eaten on its own or as a side with meat dishes

12. плов

    plov

    Plov (pilaf)

    Usage

    A rice dish of eastern origin; the rice is cooked with fat so the grains stay separate

13. голубцы

    golubtsy

    Cabbage rolls

    Usage

    Cabbage leaves rolled around minced meat and rice, stewed in a sour cream and tomato sauce

14. винегрет

    vinegret

    Vinegret (cold beet salad)

    Usage

    A cold salad that always contains cooked beetroot; despite the French name it is not the dressing

15. салат Оливье

    salat Oliv'ye

    Olivier salad (Russian salad)

    Usage

    Root vegetables, egg and meat or sausage in mayonnaise; known abroad as "Russian salad"

16. сельдь под шубой

    sel'd' pod shuboy

    Dressed herring ("herring under a fur coat")

    Usage

    Layers of salted herring, cooked root vegetables and egg under mayonnaise; a New Year table staple

17. холодец

    kholodets

    Kholodets (meat aspic)

    Usage

    A cold starter of meat broth set to a jelly, served with хрен (khren), horseradish, or mustard

18. шашлык

    shashlyk

    Shashlik (grilled meat skewers)

    Usage

    Meat threaded on a шампур (shampur), a metal skewer, and grilled over charcoal; choose the meat

19. пирожки

    pirozhki

    Pirozhki (small filled pastries)

    Usage

    Either baked or deep-fried, with fillings such as cabbage, meat or potato

    Grammar Note

    Menus use the plural пирожки (pirozhki); the singular is пирожок (pirozhok)

20. чебурек

    cheburek

    Cheburek (deep-fried meat turnover)

    Usage

    A half-moon of thin dough filled with minced meat and onion, deep-fried; common street and canteen food

21. беляш

    belyash

    Belyash (fried meat pie)

    Usage

    A round fried pie with an opening in the middle; typical station-buffet and snack-counter food

22. драники

    draniki

    Draniki (potato pancakes)

    Usage

    Grated potato fried as pancakes; formally картофельные оладьи (kartofel'nyye olad'i), драники being colloquial

23. хачапури

    khachapuri

    Khachapuri (cheese-filled bread)

    Usage

    A Georgian cheese-filled bread that is also widely listed on menus in Russia

24. шаурма

    shaurma

    Shaurma (shawarma wrap)

    Usage

    Spit-roasted meat and vegetables rolled in flatbread; also called шаверма (shaverma)

25. медовик

    medovik

    Medovik (honey layer cake)

    Usage

    Layers of honey cake sandwiched with a sour cream filling

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