Food Culture and Tradition

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  • Polish Foods

    FOODS IN POLAND

    DAIRY PRODUCTS

    Fresh whole milk is used mainly by children with the adults preferring soured milk or buttermilk. Sour cream is widely used as an ingredient, as a dressing or a sauce, blended into soups, gravies and as a side dish. Cheeses are available, but the bland smoothness of pot or cottage cheese is preferred both as a spread and in many cooked dishes.

    FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

    Some fresh fruits and vegetables are eaten in season, but Poles enjoy fruits in the form of compotes and stews and they like their vegetables either well cooked or pickled. Plums, apples, and pears are the most readily available fruits and these are used as compotes, thick richly sweet preserves, fillings for cakes and yeast bakeries and even as condiments with meats for a sweet-sour flavor (but mostly sweet). Vegetables widely used are potatoes, red and green and savoy cabbages, beets, kohlrabi, and smaller quantities of carrots, peas, and beans. Wild mushrooms, fresh or dried, are used in many dishes. Both mushrooms and sauerkraut are used not only alone, but in so many other dishes they can also be considered as flavorings.

    MEATS AND ALTERNATES

    Poles enjoy their meats well cooked, tender and juicy and with accompanying sauces or gravies. Broiling or dry roasting are not a part of their culinary practices. Pork and beef are the favorites but chicken, duck, turkey, game fowl and game animals are eaten when available.
    Except for herring in many different forms and occasional baked or poached pike or carp, Poles seldom eat fish or seafood. Eggs are used generously in baking and cooking, occasionally as main dish omelets, more frequently as appetizers. Legumes are not widely used. Nuts, especially almonds, find a place in baking or as a garnish.

    BREADS AND GRAINS

    Rye, wheat, buckwheat, barley, and oats are grown in quantity. Wheat flour is used in all bakery but rye flour is preferred for breads. Barley and buckwheat groats are used almost daily as stuffing, fillings, in soups, or as side dishes to meat and vegetables. This type of side dish is called kasza. Rye bread is a staple at all meals especially in the country, but potatoes often supplant bread at a meal, especially at dinner.

    No crumb of bread is ever wasted. Polonaise sauce, famed in many other lands besides Poland, is actually not a sauce in the usual sense, but a toasted mixture of crumbs browned in butter. Cooked vegetables, especially green beans and cauliflower, benefit from this “sauce”. Bread crumbs also form the basic ingredient for poached dumplings served either with meats or with a fruit sauce or sour cream as a dessert. Many fine cakes are made from light mixtures of separated and beaten eggs folded together with fine bread crumbs and ground nuts.

    FATS

    Butter is preferred for cooking and baking and as a spread. Lard, salt pork and bacon fat, rendered chicken, goose or duck fat are also used. Vegetable oils and margarine are used only sparingly

    SWEETS AND SNACKS

    Poles have an insatiable sweet tooth that encompasses a great array of fine baked goods and pastries, tortes, strudels, and mazurkas (rich, buttery cakes). They also enjoy munching raisins and almonds together as a treat. There is a general use of much sugar in beverages, and honey in cakes and drinks. Polish dishes that are purportedly “sweet and sour” are always very sweet with only a hint of the sour. An added sprinkle of sugar is felt to enhance everything from soups and meat, dishes to pickles and fish specialties.

    SEASONINGS

    Polish seasonings include sour cream, dill, garlic, paprika, and dried or fresh wild mushrooms. Horse radish is used alone or in combination with finely grated beets as a sauce for fish. Lemons and the fermented juices from grains and pickled vegetables are used for tartness, always tempered with sugar or honey. As mentioned above, sugar is believed to enhance all flavors.
    Without diminishing the importance of that little touch of sugar in so many Polish dishes, the Poles also retain a reverence for salt. Perhaps nowhere else in the world is this depicted as beautifully as in the salt mines of Wieliczka where workers have carved a small chapel graced with statues and candlesticks sculpted from salt.

    BEVERAGES

    Tea is the most common beverage, served clear or with lemon and sugar. Coffee is generally only served after a more formal meal and then it is served strong and black or with sugar. Beer served in small glasses may accompany meals; wine is used only by the more affluent or “more refined”. Polish vodka is believed to be the finest available, even by Russian standards. It is made from grains or potatoes and is taken straight with appetizers (zakaski). In recent years it has been consumed by rich and poor alike in such quantity as to constitute somewhat of a problem. Krupnik is a fine liqueur prepared from honey spices and vodka, served warm.

  • Polish Food and Culture

    FOOD AND CULTURE IN POLAND

    Her neighbors invaded her, fought with her, divided her into pieces, and for a time even erased her name from the map of Europe. Over a period of about 400 years, from the 1300s to the late 1700s, intermittent wars with Sweden, Russia, Turkey, and Germany continually changed the borders of Poland until she was swallowed up and divided into Russia, Prussia, and part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and finally disappeared. At least her name disappeared, but the western Slays known as “Polanians” or “dwellers of the plains” clung tenaciously to their own traditions and held fast to their beloved church. And, despite the influence of three foreign masters at one time for a period of more than a hundred years, the Polish spirit proved indestructible.

    Under the oppressions of the 1800s, the parts of Poland under Prussia and Austria did not fare as badly as those parts under Russia. These latter areas were subjected to forced Russification which included sharp restrictions in the use of the Polish language and even in the attendance of religious services. Feudal land systems prevailed widely and so did illiteracy and while the princes and the aristocracy dined at sumptuous banquets, the laboring peasants survived on cabbage and potatoes and their deep religious faith.

    These difficult times witnessed many Polish uprisings, and following each unsuccessful attempt, waves of soldiers, political refugees, and peasants made their way to North America. With the outbreak of World War I Poles conscripted into both the Russian and the German army resulted in Pole fighting against Pole.

    But on November 3, 1918, Poland accomplished a miraculous resurrection and proclaimed the Republic of Poland. Establishment of the republic was only the beginning. Poland also hoped to regain her lost territories and these hopes led again to conflicts, mainly with Russia. In the ensuing years, problems with minority groups, financial crises, and government turmoil added to the difficulties and the weakening of Poland. These problems culminated in 1939 with the Third Reich’s sweep of Poland and the beginning of World War II.

    This history of repeated conquest and subjugation drained the spirit of the people, as well as taking a serious toll on the country’s natural resources and arable lands. It also intensified family relationships and the enjoyment of special occasions. Today, many ancient pagan rituals blend with religious ceremonies and festive celebrations that demand a great flurry of fine cooking and baking, decorations and party clothes. Poles, in common with all Slays, love having parties, enjoy wearing their best clothes, and sharing an abundance of good food and drink in celebrations that often last several days before finally coming to an end.

    While it is inevitable that the turbulent history of conquerors and oppressions should have affected Polish life, traditions, and cuisine, it is also interesting that two royal romances, an influx of refugees, and a brief rule by a French dandy also affected the Polish culinary arts. In the early 1300s, the love Casimir III bore for Esterka, a Jewess, resulted in Poland’s welcoming Jewish refugees from all the oppressed regions of Europe, particularly western Germany. The introduction into Polish cuisine of potato puddings (kugelis) from Lithuania, honey-cakes (piernik), and sweet and sour dishes like the classic jellied carp with raisins and almonds from Germany are all attributed to Jewish influence.

    Two hundred years later when the Polish King Sigismund I wed Italy’s Queen Bona Sforza, Poland not only gained a queen but also a retinue of Italian chefs and gardeners. They introduced pastas, pastries, and ice cream desserts. Italian gardeners cultivated many vegetables new to the Poles, including tomatoes. And it was the son of Catherine de Medici and Henry II of France – Henry III – who briefly ruled Poland in the late 1500s and left as probably the only redeeming aspect of his rule, a Polish appreciation for sauces and mayonnaise.

    Also entrenched in the Polish cuisine are evidences of Russian, German, and Austrian culinary arts. Sour cream and dill, baked grains (kasza in Poland, kasha in Russia), cabbage soups and beet soups, zakaski and vodka are all as familiar in Poland as they are in Russia. Sausage-making, a taste for sweet and sour foods, and specialty potato dishes can be traced as favorites in Germany as well. And the influence of the far-flung Austro-Hungarian Empire (before 1918) was no doubt responsible in large part for the Polish predilection for paprika from Hungary dumplings and bread-crumb sauces from the Czechs, and strudels, tortes, and other delectable bakery from Austria.

    The ingenuity of Polish peasant women combined the produce of their own land with the tastes that history meted out to them from other countries and developed the great classics of Polish cuisine. These include:

    • Babka: a rich delicate yeast cake of eggs and dried fruits, special for Easter.
    • Bigos: a hunter’s stew of layered cabbage or sauerkraut, mixed meats, game, and sausage.
    • Cholodnik: a cold beet and sour-cream soup garnished with sliced fresh vegetables and shrimp.
    • Pierogi or Pierozki: boiled dumplings made of filled noodle dough.
    • Pieczony Schab: roast pork loin.

  • Glossary of Foods and Food Terms in Philippines

    FILIPINO FOOD GLOSSARY AND FOOD TERMS

    Achara: generic name for a variety of sweet/sour pickles and relishes served with meat or fish.

    Adobo: classic Philippine dish of slow-simmered chicken and pork (other meats may be used) cooked until the liquid evaporates. Oil is added to brown the meats, then the whole is served with rice. The rich sour taste and thick brown sauce is the result of first marinating the meats in mild palm vinegar liberally spiced with garlic and peppercorns, while the final browning in lard is accelerated with a dash of soy sauce. Adobo can also refer to foods cooked with vinegar, garlic, and soy sauce.


    Apa: deep-fried filled Lumpia wrappers. Apa may be filled with many combinations of meat, fish, seafood, and vegetables, almost always distinguished from Chinese egg rolls by the addition of shredded tropical vegetables or fruits, sometimes even garbanzos. Another form of Apa is similar to Mexican tacos: crisp-fried open Lumpia are layered with fresh shredded vegetables, diced bean curd, and several varieties of beans then topped with spicy condiments.

    A Pay Ng Naka: small chunks of liver simmered in a garlic-chili-lime-juice sauce with ginger and brown sugar and finished with a splash of coconut milk.

    Bagoong: a thick paste made from fermented salted fish or shrimps, sometimes called the “Philippine caviar.” It is used in cooking and as a condiment and often as an appetizer commonly served together with sliced green mangoes.


    Buko: the gelatinous pulp of young green coconuts used in many fruit desserts. Sometimes this name is given to ice cream that is served right from the green coconut shell.

    Calamansi: a local type of lemon with a taste between lemon and lime. It is used as a flavorful sprinkle on almost anything, frequently in cooking and in desserts.

    Champorodi: small bowls of pudding made from glutinous rice (Malagkit), evaporated milk, coconut milk, and sometimes chocolate. Taken as a snack, and sometimes for breakfast.

    Chinese Shrimp Toast: triangles of bread spread with a seasoned shrimp mixture and then deep-fried. Served hot as an appetizer.

    Chorizos: garlic-flavored pork sausages used in many dishes. Brought to the islands by the Spanish.

    Dilis: small cured and salted fish (similar to anchovies or sardines) dipped in batter, deep-fried then served as appetizers.

    Empanadas: meat-filled pastry turnovers, served for snacks or as appetizers. The Spanish name reveals their origin.

    Ensaimada: yellow saffron buns coated with a sugar glaze. A favorite with breakfast coffee.

    Ensalada Itlog: Philippine version of potato salad with the addition of cooked rice, all tossed with French dressing.

    Escabeche: sautéed fish, again with the cool sour taste imparted by the marinade, which is then poured over the cooked fish and allowed to chill to blend the flavors.

    Estofado: any foods prepared with a brown sugar sauce, vinegar, and spices – usually meats.

    Gazpacho: cool, tangy blend of fresh pureed summer vegetables forming a light soup. Served with small bowls of garnishes: croutons, chopped hard egg, minced scallions, etc. A Spanish import.

    Ginesa: a dish of browned pork dice, shrimp, onions, and garlic seasoned with shrimp paste and Patis. Wedged tomatoes and any prepared vegetables at hand are steamed on top. The whole mixture is tossed before serving with rice.

    Guisado: sauteed.

    Halo-Halo: beloved Philippine dessert served in tall glasses and sometimes sold in cans. Layers of mashed mixed ripe fruits and sometimes beans, shaved ice and topped with cream.

    Inehow: classic baked stuffed fish. A large whole fish is stuffed with a rice mixture including well-sautéed onions and garlic, tomatoes and flavored with Paris. The whole stuffed fish is then wrapped in banana leaves (or foil) and oven-baked or baked in a charcoal pit.

    Kaldereta: similar to the Spanish fish dish Caldereta, a stew of goat meat, sometimes lamb, rather than fish.

    Luglug: thick rice noodles also called Bijon, named for the noise they make both when being stirred and eaten.

    Lumpia: the thin pastry wrappers or skins used for Apa or Lumpiang, prepared like crepes, but made with rice flour and water.

    Lumpiang Ubod: Ubod is finely shredded coconut palm hearts, added to minced shrimp and chicken and wrapped in Lumpia before deep-frying.

    Merienda: late afternoon break of sweets and tea. The Philippine version often includes savory dishes made from fish or seafood. Rice is not included in a merienda, as it is not considered a meal. Of Spanish origin.

    Pancit Lulug Palabok: a dish of boiled rice noodles layered with a red sauce made from achiote seeds and shrimp juice, then a layer of browned diced pork and shrimp topped with a garnish of crushed garlic cracklings, flaked dried smoked fish, some shredded greens and wedges of eggs or salted eggs. The long noodles symbolize long life, making this a popular dish for special occasions.

    Pancit Molo: a Philippine elaboration of Chinese won ton soup. Molos are similar to won ton: triangle shapes of noodle dough filled with finely minced chicken and pork, liberal with garlic. Some of the filling is browned, then chicken stock is added and finally the Molos. A sprinkling of chopped scallions is the garnish.

    Pan de Sal: crusty white sourdough bread, taken with hot chocolate for a light breakfast.

    Patis: the amber fluid prepared from salted fermented fish and used widely as a flavoring and condiment.

    Pato Ng May Tsokolate: duck roasted with a dark tart sauce made with sherry, lime juice, and bitter chocolate.

    Salabat: a refreshing tea steeped from fresh ginger and brown sugar.

    Sinigang: classic sour soup made from mix of tart vegetables and a stock of chicken or pork hocks, finished with Patis and flavored with tamarind or calamansi.

    Suman: sweetened glutinous rice steamed in rolls or squares of banana leaves. A popular snack at any time of day and often taken at merienda.

    Ube: purple yams.

    Ukoy: shrimp and bean sprouts held in a light batter and deep-fried into lacy rounds. Served as snacks, appetizers, or one of the courses of a merienda.

  • Meals and Customs in Philippines

    FILIPINO MEALS AND CUSTOMS

    As in all other areas of Philippine life, the origins of eating customs can be traced to the history of the islands themselves.

    As in most Asian regions, rice is the most respected staple, for hunger is always a reality. Although many Filipinos enjoy a prosperous life and happily mingle foods, meal patterns, and eating customs that blend Malay, Chinese, Spanish, and American patterns, there are still many who cook and eat their meals traditionally, savoring every grain of rice and the slight taste of fishy condiment. Native fruits and vegetables in season fill many plates.

    Traditional Filipinos begin their day with a meal of fish and rice, others enjoy fresh fruits and ensaimada, sugary yellow buns that are the Filipino coffeecake. For others, frothy cups of hot chocolate accompanied by crusty white sourdough bread (pan de sal) mean breakfast.

    Diversity of tastes is less apparent in the other meals of the day, depending, of course, on economic circumstances. Lunch and dinner tend to consist of several dishes served buffet style, followed by fruits in season and then a variety of sweet desserts of which the flan is always one. The dishes presented often span several cultures, but somehow end up being unquestionably Filipino.

    The merienda, the small, sweet meal served in the late afternoon with tea or coffee, is suffering competition from the many street vendors, cafes, and restaurants, as well as quick-snack bars in the American style. One can snack in almost any language, or at least with enough diversity to satisfy any taste, whether the hunger pangs arrive in the morning, afternoon, or late evening.

    Despite its penchant for rice, the Philippines do not use chopsticks; western or European eating customs prevail. Hospitality is always gracious and the best dishes proudly presented to guests. Many Filipinos will even temper their own tastes for fermented fish condiments and heavy garlic to please what they believe to be an American palate, saving their traditional seasonings for when they are dining with family.

  • Special Occasions in Philippines

    FILIPINO SPECIAL OCCASIONS

    The population of the Philippines is 80 percent Roman Catholic. About 4 percent of the population follow the Muslim faith and are called (much to their resentment) Moros. The latter group live in independent groups faithfully following Islamic ceremonies and customs and are ruled by their own chieftain or sultan called the datu.

    Mestizos is the name given to those of mixed native and Spanish heritage, but more recently this term is used to denote any mixed racial background. Mestizos are also sometimes called Cacique.

    The predominantly Christian population of the Philippines is unusual in that it represents the largest body of Asiatic peoples converted to Christianity. Both the Spanish and American periods of influence have also left the islands with a more western culture than any other Asian country. Thus it is natural to expect that the Christian festivals of Easter and Christmas will have a special significance. Religion is more family-centered than church-centered and this makes for a special festive spirit on any occasion. Families gather and share special foods and their preparation brings a spirit of happy anticipation.

    Sunday is a time of family relaxation, and is often celebrated with a special dinner of puchero. This special dish is a loving combination of several meats and many vegetables cut in large chunks glowing with a rich golden sauce of well-simmered tomatoes and yellow yams all bathed in a rich blend of sautéed onions and garlic. Served with mounds of rice, it is a Sunday meal for leisurely eating conducive to rest afterwards. With a puchero, other courses are hardly necessary!

    Pork usually holds the center of attention for Christmas and Easter. Despite an ample array of many classical dishes arranged in bountiful buffet, the jamon de Navidad, a baked Christmas ham glazed with fruits and crusted with brown sugar, or the lechon de leche, charcoal-roasted suckling pig, will probably steal the scene. Inehow, the whole stuffed banana-wrapped baked fish, and lumpia will likely be other specialties on the menu. A full array of fresh fruits, cheese, and special sweet custards, puddings, and cakes as well as the leche flan will complete any festive meal.

  • Foods Commonly Used in Philippines

    FILIPINO FOODS THAT ARE COMMONLY USED

    Filipinos enjoy salty, cool, and sour tastes. They love to combine many different ingredients in one dish, favor onions and garlic as a base to most preparations, and consider frying one of their favorite methods of cookery. Tropical fruits and vegetables blend happily with pork, chicken, and seafood in an ingenious variety of dishes that borrow from China and Spain but end up definitely Philippine.

    Sourness is added with the frequent use of unripe fruits, the juice of the tart calamansi, or vinegars plain or spiced with chilies. Saltiness is most frequently added with the generous addition of either patis, the amber liquid prepared from fermented and salted fish, or bagoong, a popular shrimp paste also fermented and salted. These two condiments are on every meal table, much as salt and pepper shakers are always on the western table. Rice heads the staples list, closely followed by fish and pork, as can be afforded.

  • Domestic Life in Philippines

    FILIPINO DOMESTIC LIFE

    The influence of American and Spanish occupations is apparent in both public and private life. The Spanish occupation brought with it increased religious participation especially by women. But the newer patterns did not replace ancient Asian kinship ties: the importance of family relationships and responsibilities are of prime concern. The new religion remained family-centered, not church-centered as in Spain. Family shrines became the worship centers, and on special occasions the entire family would join a procession carrying its own personal statues rather than those belonging to the community church. It was largely through the women’s interest and devotion to Roman Catholicism that European ideas of dress, customs, and music made inroads in Philippine family life.

    Though Philippine women enjoy equal status with men, and frequently are the “family treasurers,” nonetheless like Spanish women, they manage in a very feminine way to make their husbands and sons feel dominant. The father makes all family decisions concerned with the outside world: schools, voting, business and community affairs.

    The Filipino’s family is of great importance for it represents the only source of love, sustenance, and security. There is almost nothing the Filipino will not do for the sake of family. Lamangan is a Filipino expression meaning more or less “by hook or by crook to get on top …” It is also an expression that suggests some of the difficulty of accepting loss or defeat and the intense importance of self-esteem, pride, and dignity. In fact, the Filipino’s super sensitivity is often considered to be a Malay trait called hiya and may be the underlying reason for the difficulty in giving or receiving criticisms.

    As mentioned above, it was mainly through the women that European ideas were introduced, including ideas about food and its methods of preparation. Filipinos have always been alert not only to new food ideas but also to methods of sanitation and food preservation. In the larger cities, modern kitchens and appliances abound but contrast sharply with low-income homes where the barest minimum of food and equipment are available.

  • Russian Food

    TYPES OF FOODS IN RUSSIA

    DAIRY PRODUCTS

    Smetana (sour cream) is an indispensable staple. Too many dishes would be unthinkable and uneatable without a topping of smetana. Whole cow’s milk, mare’s milk, and fresh cream are widely used in many dishes and as beverages hut usually well cooked. Sour milk in many forms, pot cheese and cottage cheese, baked milk or kaimek and many varieties of excellent local cheeses are used abundantly.

    FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

    The most available fruits are those that can survive the generally extreme climate or are imported: apples, pears, cherries, plums, cranberries, and lingonberries. Other berries such as raspberries, strawberries, currants, gooseberries, blackberries, and huckleberries are savored when they can be obtained. Some fruits are enjoyed fresh, others are preserved or prepared as stews, compotes, or the pureed fruit dessert served everywhere called kissel. Fruits are also used well sweetened as fillings for dumplings, as fruit sauces or served as a “spoon sweet” to be taken with tea.

    Most-used vegetables in Russia include cabbage, potatoes, beets, onions, black-skinned radish (rediska), carrots, turnips, and squash. Enjoyed but used less frequently are green beans, green peas, cauliflower, eggplant, spinach, sorrel, and pumpkin. The greens are used in soups and the less-used vegetables are considered a special garnish to other dishes. Cucumbers are avidly enjoyed fresh with salt to form a type of fresh salad-pickle, or brined to form pickles that will be used all winter. Homemade barrels of sauerkraut (sometimes with fermented apples) are used year-round in many ways too. Mostly the vegetables are used well cooked in soups, used as fillings or served pickled. When served cold as salads, they have been cooked first then chilled and chopped or sliced and served with sour cream or mayonnaise. Russian salads are never green leafy mixtures and seldom include raw vegetables.

    Citrus fruits are not in abundant supply, but very thin slices of lemon are a special treat in hot tea.

    MEATS AND ALTERNATES

    Beef, veal, pork, and mutton are first on the list of meats. Most chickens are tough unless they are capons; geese, ducks and turkeys as well as game birds, deer, and hare are used when possible.

    Fish is eaten fresh, salted, or smoked. Salmon, herring, crayfish, and caviar from sturgeon are considered special delicacies.

    Soft-cooked or scrambled eggs are beaten occasionally for breakfast, but most eggs are consumed as garnishes, appetizers (pickled, stuffed, chopped), in meat mixtures, and as fillings for blini, doughs, dumplings, and other baked goods. Legumes are not widely used except in some regions and occasionally in soups. Except in the republics, especially Georgia, nuts are only used in baking or as an occasional confection.

    BREADS AND GRAINS

    Dark and heavy wholegrain rye breads, coarse firm wheat breads, and the ubiquitous casserole of kasha (usually buckwheat) are the most firmly entrenched Russian staples. But there are countless shapes and types of breads and rolls – kulitch, krendel, and bagel – to make even a diet solely of breads an interesting one.

    To this list of breads may be added the hearty list of large and small pancakes, kulebiaka, noodle dough and yeast dough dumplings that may be baked, boiled, or fried and filled with anything from chopped cabbage to meats, mushrooms, or fruits, and one can see the importance and variety of grains. Further, every kitchen and countless bakeries produce sweet cakes, tortes, rolls, pastries, and fruited yeast doughs (kulitch) that daily find a place on the Russian menu, if only as an accompaniment to tea.

    Bread and salt are the traditional symbols of welcome.

    FATS

    To a Russian, no dish ever contains quite enough butter. Butter is used during cooking, after cooking and more is added during eating. Sunflower oil or peanut oil are used for some dishes.

    SWEETS AND SNACKS

    Ice cream, available from street vendors or in ice cream parlors, is a frequent snack. Snacks of toasted sunflower, pumpkin and squash seeds as well as many candied fruits are munched frequently. Chocolates or candies are special occasion treats and not used as often as sweets in other forms. Rich baked desserts are enjoyed whenever possible and for any excuse (one never drinks without eating). But it is more common to sip one’s tea with a sugar cube held between the teeth for maximum sweetness or to enjoy a small saucer of sweet rich fruit preserves, a spoonful at a time, with hot tea.

    SEASONINGS

    The main seasonings include dill, onion, sour cream, sour crystals (citric or acetic acid crystals), the fermented juices from sauerkraut or pickles, sugar and salt, butter, parsley and many types of dried or fresh mushrooms. Foods are generally not highly seasoned; the predominant flavors are either buttery and creamy or a blend of sweet and sour. There is a frequent use of equal measures of both sugar and salt to heighten flavor.

    BEVERAGES

    Tea and vodka rank as the great Russian beverages. Tea is always served very weak. Kvass, a fermented drink made from black bread, sugar and yeast, is said to be the drink of the Russian peasants. Kumiss (or Koumiss) is an ancient Tatar drink said to have legendary nutritive and restorative powers. It is made from mare’s milk that has been fermented in wooden tubs or horse skins. It is drunk mainly in the Central Asian Kirghiz region. Other fermented beverages include pear and raspberry liqueurs, cider, beer, and Med (similar to mead). Soured or clabbered milk and whole milk are also enjoyed as beverages.

  • Russian Food and Culture

    ABOUT FOOD AND CULTURE IN RUSSIA

    Nobody can find more excuses for eating than the Russian. The generous, gregarious Slav spirit can make a party with only one herring and a bottle of homemade vodka. Even the grayest, most depressing day will be greeted by the Russian with a gathering of chairs to the table and comments like, “It’s a good day for eating.” And the visitor who protests the endless flow of food and the pressing of drinks is reminded that “God created everything in pairs,” a rough translation being, “How can you eat just one?”

    Religious feast days and fast days, saint’s days and name days are further excuses for the Russian creative ingenuity to produce a veritable flood of culinary delights for which it is said the Russian soul pines when away from home. So closely intertwined are food and happiness that it is even rumored that concert artists traveling abroad bring with them a special delegation whose sole task is to locate and provide black bread, borsch, vodka, and perhaps with luck even kasha.

    In 1875, John Murray commented in A Handbook from Travelers in Russia that “hospitality is still … one of the chief virtues of the Russian people.” One hundred years later, hospitality – whether it be the traditional welcome of bread and salt, a sumptuous dinner beginning with zakusky, or even the offering of a glass of tea with lemon and sugar cubes – still characterizes the generous sharing spirit of the Russian. Whatever is offered will be accompanied by excited talk, which will sometimes lapse into soulful songs and the melodic strumming of the balalaika, and the guest will be left with an aura of hearty warmth and conviviality.

    The passion with which Russians describe (often in beloved diminutives), cook, and serve food may have its roots in the many long periods of suffering endured over their almost 2,000-year history. The pleasures of guests were too infrequent pleasures for a people who were often isolated not only by miles and transportation difficulties but also by long, severe winters. And food itself could never be taken for granted by a people who still retain memories of the great famines of the 1100s and 1200s when straw and bark were soup ingredients and when more than one family survived only by resorting to cannibalism. Nor can the stinging memories of hundreds of years of oppressive rule by callous royalty (with few exceptions) more concerned with territorial acquisition and sumptuous banquets and extravaganzas than with the tortured, starving, and illiterate serfs be quickly erased. To have food and drink and to share these with family and friends – these simple pleasures have been elevated to artistry unequaled elsewhere, perhaps because the Russian’s passionate appreciation is not equaled elsewhere.

    Spilling over two continents with its more than 240 million people spread over fifteen republics, the Soviet Union was formed after the Russian Revolution of 1917. It embraced more than 170 ethnic groups speaking predominantly Russian but also almost 200 other languages and dialects. The largest group of these are the Slays making up Great Russia and Little Russia or Ukraine. Others include the Turko-Tatar, the Japhetic peoples of the Caucasus, the northern people mainly in the Baltic states of Finno-Ugric origin, as well as much smaller groups of Jews, Greeks, Bulgarians, Koreans, Chinese, and others.

    Entering the twenty-first century, the former Russian Empire up to 1917, and the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic from 1917 to 1991, is now Russia or the Russian Federation. As such it no longer encompasses the Baltic States, Ukraine, Belarus (or Belorussia or White Russia), Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, or Mongolia. Russia now embraces at least 60 ethnic groups, and over 80 percent of this population of more than 147 million, are Russians.

    What is perhaps most interesting is that despite a history of migrations, wars, and fluctuating borders, not only each of the republics, but frequently each of the ethnic groups, clung to individual food customs. Further, much of what we consider today as Russian cuisine can be traced to influences of the early Slavic paganism. The reverence for bread and water is an example. The Russian Orthodox Church’s proclamation of Wednesdays and Fridays as meatless days leads to the inclusion of more fish and imaginative flour-based dishes. The adoption of tea and noodles and dumplings from the Chinese, wine from the Greeks, pastas from the Italians, and sauerkraut and sausages from the Germans has greatly enriched the Russian cuisine.

    The basis of the Slav cuisine is grain. Rye bread and Kvass, a fermented slightly alcoholic beverage made from rye, are important in the north; wheat flour and wheat breads predominate in the south, while corn is the staple in the southwest. From the dawn of the Russian Empire under the rule of the Scandinavian chief Runk, breads and meats were the staple foods. They were plainly cooked and plainly eaten with dried or fresh fruits such as apples and pears forming desserts, and salted or seasonal vegetables adding some variety.

    From this period of Scandinavian influence comes the Russian zakusky, an array of assorted appetizer foods adapted from the Swedish smorgasbord and now an integral part of the evening meal. The conversion of Vladimir the Great (980-1015) to Greek Orthodox Christianity and its subsequent acceptance by the people through the slightly differing Russian Orthodox Church led to taboos regarding the eating of wild animals and the consumption of meats with blood. Further, the meatless fast days as well as Lent led to the increased used of fish, dairy products, and vegetable oils.

    But perhaps most influential of all was Peter the Great (1672-1725) who attempted to “Westernize” the semi-Oriental society of his country. He stimulated the organization of the military, increased industrialization, acquired territory and supremacy in the Baltic, and brought home from his travels chefs, artisans, officers, and boatbuilders. The latter introduced French soups and sauces, Italian pastas, pastries and ice cream, German sausages and sauerkraut. But it was the Russians themselves who added their own touches of mushrooms and sour cream, dill and brined vegetables and butter.

    With increased production, improved transportation, and exciting possible imports from neighboring republics, the Greater Russian diet could include exotic Caucasian and Central Asian fruits, Siberian canned gamed meats, a greater variety of vegetables from Ukraine, and cakes and sweets from the Baltics. Nonetheless, the “soul food” of Great Russia will always be cabbage, beets and borsch, black bread and kasha, and what is life without vodka to wash it down?

  • Food Glossary and Food Terms in Romania

    ROMANIAN GLOSSARY OF FOOD AND FOOD TERMS

    Balmos: boiled cheese balls.

    Bors or Borsh de Miel: sour soup (like Russian Borsch) with pieces of lamb.

    Branza de Burduf: cheese flavored with pine.

    Budinca: rich steamed puddings made with eggs, meat and/or vegetables, cut in squares to serve.

    Cartofi: potatoes.

    Cas: unsalted country cheese.

    Ciorba: soups that may be made with meat and/or vegetables or even just grains. Characteristic is the sour taste created with the addition of vinegar or the fermented juices of fruits, grains, sauerkraut, pickles or beer.

    Ciorba de Fasole: a soup of dried white beans thickened with an onion roux. Tartness comes from the addition of vinegar and sour cream.

    Ciorba Pescareasca: sour fish soup.

    Ciuperci: wild mushrooms.

    Clatite: thin dessert pancakes served with nuts and sugar or fruit.

    Coltzunash cu Smintina: cheese-filled, poached dumplings encased in noodle dough. They are served with sour cream and a sprinkle of sugar.

    Dulceata: selected whole or sliced fruit preserved in a very heavy syrup. Eaten in small spoonfuls with sips of ice water, followed by Turkish coffee.

    Ghiveciu: a mixture of vegetables and herbs browned first then slowly cooked or baked in one pot. Occasionally meat is a part of this dish. Top may be finished with grated cheese, or a custard of beaten eggs and yogurt. To the Romanians not only a culinary delight but a symbol of their own country: many diverse elements living in harmony and enhancing each other. The Romanian classic via the former Yugoslavia.

    Gustare: just “a taste,” the term used to refer to a small appetizer.

    Icre: well-seasoned carp roe mashed and blended with oil and served as an appetizer, usually with black olives. From the Greek Taramosalata.

    Lapte Batut: clabbered (fermented) milk served as a beverage.

    Mamaliga or Mamaliga de Aur: Romania’s “bread of gold,” her staple in good times and bad, regarded almost as a symbol of reverence and security. Mamaliga is simply cornmeal cooked in boiling salted water to a porridge. It is eaten hot or cold and in countless forms with endless combinations often making the entire meal, whether breakfast, with the addition of cream or milk, dinner with meat and gravy, or a light supper served with cottage cheese and sour cream.

    Masline Frecate: an appetizer paste made of black olives, sweet butter and seasoned with chives, parsley, fennel, and pepper.

    Meze or Mezelicuri: appetizers.

    Mititei: ground, seasoned meat shaped into fingers and grilled.

    Musaca: a casserole of potatoes layered with cubed pork or veal, topped with beaten eggs and cream and baked in the oven. Of Greek origin.

    Pastrama: any smoked meat: pork, lamb, mutton, even goose.


    Patricieni: similar to Mititei but even more spiced and covered with pork intestine.


    Praz cu Masline: a chilled appetizer of leeks, onions, and olives cooked in garlic and olive oil.

    Sarmales: ground meat and rice stuffed into cabbage sauerkraut, spinach, or grape leaves.

    Supa: soup other than Bors or Ciorba.

    Tocana: Hungarian stewed meat with onions and paprika.

    Tzuica or Tuica: clear distillate of plums taken straight and called Apa Chiora (cross-eyed water) by country people. For those who can take it, it is considered the national drink of Romania.

    Urda: cheese made from sheep’s milk.

    Varza: cabbage.

    Varza ala Cluj: layers of sauerkraut, meats and rice topped with sour cream.

    Vinete Tocate: an appetizer prepared from cooked mashed eggplant well seasoned with garlic and served with black bread.