Traditional Russian soups

Russian cuisine which you can discover in our Russian restaurant, became famous thanks to its first course that is well-known throughout the world. Among them we can name shchi (cabbage soup), borsch (red beet soup), rassolnik (soup with salty cucumbers), saltwort, okroshka, botvinja, svekol'nik and uha (fish-soup). Each kind of traditional Russian food, especially different soups looks very attractive and will decorate a dining table.

For your reference, some centuries ago soups in Russia were called as 'hlebov' or skilly. The word 'soup' originates from the times of Peter's I reign. It was always served as the first course and it was called 'tasty dish' as soups stimulate good digestion. . Russian soups are generally divided into two groups: hot and cold ones. Cold soups (beet soup - svekol'nik and okroshka) are often cooked with kvass (Russian traditional non alcoholic drink). Shchi, borsch, rassolnik, saltwort, and uha belong to hot soups. Shchi play a special role in Russian cooking, they are shchi with cabbage, sorrel and nettle. Today as well as many centuries ago shchi is a one of the most popular dishes of Russian cuisine. Rich and poor people, tsars and monks loved to taste this dish. Shchi with fresh cabbage is usually eaten with pasties or kulebyaka (a pie filled with meat, fish or vegetables). Boiled buckwheat or buckwheat pudding with curds sometimes are served to substitute kulebyaka.

Another dish of Russian food, borsch is not inferior to shchi in popularity. Modern borsch differs very much from that which was cooked in Russia in ancient times-it was cooked with cabbage kvass. Correct cooking procedure of borsch plays a great role: stewing, passaging, boiling and baking are major kinds of cabbage's preparation for borsch. Borsch must be very thick so that the spoon could stand straight in the plate and of course it must be substantial.

It is served with sour cream and fresh herbs.

One more 'representative' of Russian cuisine, rassolnik is cooked with picled cucumbers. This kind of soups is also very popular as Russians are fond of salty dishes. In general, rassolnik is used frequently as the base for other watery dishes of Russian food. Rassolnik has rather salty and sour taste and stimulates appetite very well. Rassolnik is usually served p with sour cream, fresh herbs, sometimes rasstegai (pasties with filling) with fish are served.

Saltwort is cooked with very concentrated meet, fish or mushroom bouillon with hot spices. A great variety of different products can be added to the saltwort: meet, fish, mushrooms, salty cucumbers, onion, olives and even slices of lemon. Before eating you should add some sour cream to the soup.

That's hard to imagine such kinds of soups in restaurant for example but our Russian restaurant proposes different Russian soups to your taste. Uha is not an exception. It's often said that uha is the 'queen' of Russian cooking; soup made of fresh fish with spices is very tasty and delicious. Real uha is cooked with fish that was caught 'just now', fresh fish. Small fishes (ruff, perch) are used for making broth stronger, thicker. Boiled tench, cat-fish and eel-pot influence the sweetness of bullion. Basic spices are cinnamon, cloves and black pepper. That's now very difficult to cook uha, best uha is the one cooked on campfire.

For soups ceramic pots were usually used, later - cast-iron kettle. Ceramics has lower thermal conductivity so it allows cook soup slowly almost without boiling. Small diameter of the bottom allows to supports constant heating temperature, a narrow neck decreases exhalation and contact with air.

In ancient time soups were generally eaten with wooden spoons and there was a great amount of spoon masters. Handmade wooden spoons have many advantages: they do not scorch lips and are very lightweight.

Taste different dishes of Russian cooking in our Russian restaurant and we are sure it will be a very pleasant experience for you!

	Soljanka
	Shchi
	Rassolnik
	Borsch
	Okroshka

Cafe STOLI is your choice destination for exquisite authentic Russian cuisine.

Enjoy Russian food and Bon appetite!

Traditional Russian cuisine, an important part of Russian national culture. Bar & Restaurant Stoli goal is to introduce you to the Russian national cuisine, with all its authenticity and originality. Traditional Russian food is a homemade food always prepared from scratch, not a fast food. Russian cuisine chefs prepare wonderful things using meat, cabbage, potatoes, and dough (both bread and pastry).
Lots of choices, such as Golubtsy (cabbage rolls), Zapekanka (meat, potato and cheese casserole) and Blini - crepes filled with beef, chicken, vegetables or fruits, or sweet dumplings called Vareniki or Pelmeni, boiled dough filled with beef, chicken, potato, farmer's cheese or cherries and topped with sour cream, borscht (beet soup), Chicken Kiev, Draniki (potato pancakes), Pirozhki (small pies). Russian dishes include: Russian appetizers (salads) look and smell very delicious, and stimulate appetite, Russian soups are served as the first course, Russian meat dishes are served with vegetables (mostly fried) or with mashed potato, noodles or cereal as well as Russian fish dishes ( sturgeon, salmon are delicacies).