An Analysis of the Traditional Russian Cuisine and Culture Essay

Every culture has its own way of life, traditions, holidays, songs and fairy-tales. That makes us different and is also what makes us a culture. Every culture has its favorite dishes and its inherent feast customs. Rich natural resources favored making particular national dishes. In Russia the first recipes were written by monk-chroniclers. The monks lived by their own labors and by the fruit of their labors. They cultivated the land, fished, gathered herbs, kept bee-hives, made wine, made mead, and baked breads as well as smoked and preserved meats, fruits, and vegetables (Volokh, Mavis 55). For this reason, monastery libraries contained chronicles of cooking recipes which later became cook books, medicinal compounding, and herbals as well. In this way, monasteries played a very important role in the conservation of the cuisine of the Russians. Since the sixteenth century, it has been possible to select out royal, country, and monastery cuisine (Volokh, Mavis 62). In monastery cuisine, vegetables, herbs, greens, fruits were of greatest importance. They were used for base dishes during the fasts. Country cuisine was not very rich and diverse, but it was always tasty and nourishing. Dinner parties were supposed to offer not less than a variety of 15 dishes. The principal meal was dinner. The dinner was usually served in 4 courses cold appetizer, first course, roast meat and beverages, and the desserts of cakes or pies. The first course dishes were served in earthenware crockery, wooden, stannic, or silver plates. The beverages were brought in large tubs and served in bowls with little ladles on the brim. All products were kept in wooden barrels, casks, tubs and tins in the storehouses or cellars. Dough was made only in wooden tubs and food was fried only in copper pans. (Volokh, Mavis 66) The appetizer table was very rich and diverse, but salads were usually...