With a Slavic soul

The secret of Russian cuisine is in the Slavic soul. During Soviet times, it was not easy to understand for foreign guests how their hosts managed to get hold of all the delicacies on the table, when store shelves were empty. In many restaurants, a lunch beak was held between 14,00-15,00 PM. It was usually a matter of luck, or of being liked by the waiter to have a nice meal or a terrible one. The restaurant business has changed drastically since those times. Foreign chefs are employed by many restaurants and some restaurants have gained international recognition. Restaurants are expensive, but cheaper cafes also exist which even ordinary people can afford. It is still not easy to get a table at the weekends. The number of good bars and pubs is also growing, where shrimps are still offered at an affordable price. Russians enjoy eating and old recipe books are in use again. The influence of Ukrainian, Polish and Mongol cuisine is detectable, as well as that of French chefs once employed by the Tsars. Of course , this is no surprise in the age of global cuisine. However, you miss a lot if you fail to taste traditional Russian dishes. Regarding salads, Russian gastronomy has at least as much to offer as the French and the Italians. Russian zakuski variants are no less creative than hors d’oeurve varié or antipasto. Only the drink is different.