Third chapter in the series of our journey through the cuisine of Russia, in this article we are going to bundle up again, something warmer and move on to visit the Siberian cuisine.
Siberian cuisine: Fish, pelmeni, shangi and tea
Too much fish
Like the peoples of the north; in Siberia one of the main dishes was fish, however, for these places they preferred other varieties: “sturgeon”, “salmon”, white fish.
Some types of fish were not considered fish at all: “burbot” was fed to dogs, and “Golden fish” and “ide” were fed to pigs.
The fish was also not cooked as in the cuisine of Northern Russia: “omulya”, “shiga”, “muksuna” or “nelma” were salted, other kinds of fish were baked in sour cream, stuffed with porridge with mushrooms and onions, dried in the air or in an oven.
From slightly salted fish, the small “tugunok” was especially valued: if cooked correctly, it smelled like fresh cucumbers. In the XIX century, it was called Sosvinskaya herring and was served in St. Petersburg, at the imperial table and in the best metropolitan restaurants. Smoked fish began only in the 19th century.
Meat in Siberian cuisine
The most popular meat dish in Siberia was “Pelmeni”, for its filling several types of meat were usually mixed: poultry, beef, pork, venison or elk. The dough was kneaded not with water, but with tea, so that the frozen pelmeni stored longer and remained juicy. Pelmeni were often taken on trips or to workplaces for quick cooking over a fire or directly in a samovar.
Do not miss the bread and tea
Bread was an obligatory part of Siberian food. Until the 17th century, bread was brought from the Urals, then they began to grow wheat themselves. In addition to bread, other pastries were served to the table: open “shangi” with hearty or sweet filling, folded sewn at the edges, fried in butter on crispy firewood.
Every meal was accompanied by tea: merchants and other wealthy people preferred “flower” tea. It was prepared from the top leaves of the tea bush, such a drink had a pleasant taste and a delicate aroma. Of the cheaper varieties, “red” tea was common: it was sold in cubics pressed into the form of bricks.
We invite you to enjoy your trip to Russia
If you have plans to travel to Russia, we invite you to visit typical Russian restaurants with our guides in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and other cities.
