Typical Russian Meal Types

 Let’s find out what meals can be found on an a typical Russian table. The food that is served will primarily depend on the time of day. Traditionally, as in most other cultures, there are 3 major meals per day: Zavtrak (breakfast), Obed (lunch) and Uzhin (dinner). The timeframe when the meals are consumed are generally the same as any other cultures, however, the Russian meals themselves are vastly different. One of the biggest differences can be observed during lunch time.

The following is the description of the typical meals that are consumed in most Russian households throughout the day.

In Russian the word for breakfast is Zavtrak. Typically, this is a quick meal prior to the beginning of the work day. The usual breakfast assortment includes: an egg omelet, a sandwich, kasha, as well as tea or coffee. The quantity of food that is consumed at breakfast will vary by person. Generally, the Russian people consume a hearty breakfast that consists of 2-3 eggs, or a bowl of kasha, or 2-3 sandwiches followed by a cup of tear or coffee. The Russian philosophy behind big meals such as this is if you are going to work, you must have the energy to do the job and to do it well.

At around 1-2 pm it is time for lunch which is called Obed in Russian. Obed is considered to be the main meal of the day. Lunch starts with a salad. A delicious salad is generally followed by soup and then the main course.

Typically, when salad is served for lunch it may contain one or more of the following: meat, fish, or cabbage. If vegetable are scarce or unavailable, pickled vegetable are used instead to make the salad. As far as dressing goes, there are several options, the most popular salad dressing among the Russian people is mayonnaise and sour cream. Besides dressings, sour cream, which is called Smetana in Russian, is a great addition to soups such as borscht. Smetana is a very popular garnish among the Eastern Europeans.

The type of salad served at lunch is called Zakuska. Which roughly translated means a light snack. As a general rule, the salad serves as an appetizer for most Russian folks.

After the appetizer is served, most people would expect the entrée to be brought out next. However, the salad is practically always followed by soup. The soup is referred to in Russian as pervoe blyudo, roughly translated it means the first dish. There is a great variety of soups in Russian cooking. There is a soup recipe for every season and occasion. For example, in the summertime, cold soups would be served and in the winter there is nothing better then a serving of hot borsht.

Russian soups can be divided into 7 categories:

1. Cold Soups
2. Light Soups
3. Creamy Soups
4. Cabbage Soups
5. Noodle Soups
6. Fish Soups
7. Vegetable soups

The soup in itself can be a satisfying meal, especially when it is served hot. This is explained by the fact that you will take your time eating and enjoying a hot bowl of soup; it cannot be swallowed all at once. Because soup is consumed slowly and has a high liquid content it does a great job in making you feel full and satisfied.

After the soup is served, then comes the main course, referred to in Russian as vtoroe blyudo. Vtoroe blyudo usually consists of a serving of either meat or fish with two side dishes. One of the side dish is almost always either fresh or pickled vegetables. The other side dish, commonly referred to as garnir, consists of cabbage, potatoes, or porridge, known as kasha to the Russian people.

Kasha is almost as popular in Eastern Europe as bread. Typically kasha consists of one or more of the following: wheat, rye, rice, oats, or buckwheat.

There is a Russian proverb that states: "shchi and kasha are our food" roughly translated it means that cabbage soup and porridge are all we need in order to survive.

The most common traditional main dish in Russia is called Pelmeni, the literal translation of this dish is an ear shaped dish. This dish is made of minced meat filling wrapped in thin dough. Any type of meat or fish may be used to prepare this dish.

Once the filling is wrapped, the Pelmeni are put into hot water and brought to a boil until they float. Another method of preparation includes frying them prior to serving. The dish is served with sour cream and or vinegar.

The Russian Pelmeni are very similarly prepared to dumplings. The difference between dumplings and Pelmsni is that Pelmens are spherical in shape. Pelmenis are about 2-3 cm in diameter as oppose to dumplings which are often more elongated.

The last meal of the day for the Russian people is, of course, supper, called Uzhin in Russian. In most Russian families, this the time when the whole family comes together to eat and share the events of their day with the entire family.