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Articles by Russian Culinary Historians

The Evolution of Dinner in Russia

The great mystery of Russian cuisine is how people ate rich, multi-course dinners and still managed to stay slim.
5 Min read

A Soviet New Year's Fantasy on the Table and the Silver Screen

Every year home cooks watch an old Soviet film and then head to the kitchen to duplicate the tastes - real or imagined - of childhood.
6 Min read

How the Duck Stole Russian Christmas

Wild ducks in Russia flew south for the winter, but over time this bird found a place at Christmas.
6 Min read

Shulyum By Any Other Name is a Rich and Delicious Soup

The Mongolian Empire left its mark on the lands it conquered - especially in the kitchen.
6 Min read

Cook Cardoons for the Holidays! What's a Cardoon?

The relative of the artichoke was once grown in early American gardens and everywhere in Europe. Now it's found near the Mediterranean Sea.
6 Min read

The Best Pies are Pechersk Pies

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (monastery) made a fruit and cheese pastry that was a favorite in Kyiv for centuries.
4 Min read

How German Bakers Changed the Russian Bread Business

Russians have always baked good bread, but it took German competition to become good businessmen-bakers.
5 Min read

Russian Dumplings and the Time of Troubles

Before Siberians brought pelmeni west, Russians' ancestors made their own dumplings called kundyumy.
6 Min read

A Halloween Trick That Turned into a Pumpkin Treat

How bloggers' joke led to a national movement.
4 Min read

Horseradish: Good for the Table, Great for the Wallet

In Sunzdal, where horseradish was always a big business, you can get a jar of "throat stripper" at the market.
6 Min read

Before Soviet Kids Ate Snickers, They Ate Gulliver Chocolate Bars

Before the 1917 Revolution Russian factories produced a variety of chocolate covered candy bars.
5 Min read

How To Grow Watermelon in the Arctic Circle

Once you grow it, how can you keep it during the cold months? The answer may surprise you.
4 Min read

A Guide to Soviet Table Habits and a Recipe for Furry Fish

"Herring Under a Fur Coat" is a classic of Soviet cuisine.
6 Min read

When the State Dietician Became the Enemy of the Soviet People

Jewish food became an integral part of Soviet and Russian cuisine, especially its healthful branch.
5 Min read

A Savory Strudel From German Colonists on the Volga

German colonists combined their own recipe for a savory strudel with locally grown blue mustard seed oil.
6 Min read

How Chicken Kyiv Conquered the World

Roll up your sleeves and learn how to make this classic, elegant dish from Ukraine.
5 Min read

An Apple for the Tsar

As autumn brings its harvest of apples, our food specialists share a surprising recipe that blends savory, sour and sweet.
5 Min read

A Solution to the Eternal Question: What Can I Do With All This Zucchini?

All around the world home cooks are up to their ears in zucchini. Here's a solution from the dacha.
5 Min read

A One-Pan Meal of Sturgeon at the Dacha

The dacha holds a special place in Russian culture, especially the country kitchen and long evenings around the table.
6 Min read

Dangerous Mushrooms and the Power of Vodka

For centuries there was no distinction made between morels and false morels in Russia.
5 Min read

Kissel and the Ancient Art of Pudding

How a kind of pudding saved a city from invaders, almost choked a man, and made Leo Tolstoy happy.
6 Min read

Feeding Olympic Athletes the Soviet Way

As Paris sets Olympic tables, our Russian culinary historians recall how the Moscow 1980 Olympic chefs fared.
6 Min read

Before the Bagel There Were Baranki and Apple Jelly

The history of a satisfying crunchy bread roll and a topping that is sweet and easy to make.
5 Min read

In Ancient Rus the Fig was King

"Wine berries," aka figs, have been a beloved fruit for centuries in Russia. Great fig-topped custard pie recipe at the end.
5 Min read