What in Russia was grown in the garden before potatoes April 6th, 2018
Indeed, everyone is used to a certain gardener's set: potatoes, tomatoes, strawberries, onions, peppers and all kinds of greens.
However, almost everything that grows in the beds of a modern Russian gardener has nothing to do with traditional Russian gardening.
Potatoes? Back in the middle of the 19th century, only 1.5% of the country's agricultural land was occupied by it. Particularly orthodox peasants even believed that the potato is the body of an evil underground inhabitant, whose head and limbs are invisible to the Orthodox.
Tomatoes? They appeared in Europe on beds and tables only towards the end of the 19th century. Carrot? Yes, it was actively eaten in Russia, but not at all the Dutch bright orange variety that is common now. We are restoring historical justice and talking about what should grow in a proper Russian garden.
Turnip
Undoubtedly number one. The most important Russian (and not only Russian - he played the same role of "second bread" before the appearance of potatoes, for example, in Central Asia) vegetable, experienced gardeners managed to harvest two crops during the summer. In early spring, white turnips were sown - more early, but not so well stored and not so sweet. Having removed it in the middle of summer, they sowed the already more familiar yellow turnip, which kept in the ground until frost. It is perfectly stored in the cellar until Christmas.
onion
Onions, our ancestors grew many varieties - at first green onion and leeks, then onions, shallots and batun. All these varieties are known now, but the cube onion is forgotten. Bred by Rostov gardeners from ordinary onion, it is devoid of pungency and can be used like an ordinary vegetable.
Swede
A hybrid of turnip and cabbage. It is similar in taste to the first, but much more nutritious and unpretentious than turnips, therefore it was especially actively grown in the northern and northwestern regions of the Russian Empire. Parsley root, parsnips, beets, radishes and radishes were grown no less actively in Russian gardens (all this is still there, but they forget about rutabaga) - root crops are well stored, and this is extremely important in long and cold winters.
gray cabbage
Cabbage, familiar to us, was grown only by wealthy peasants - after all, it occupied much more space in the beds than leafy or gray cabbage, which grew with a continuous leaf cover. Not as sweet and juicy as cabbage, this whole cabbage was used to make crumble. For him, the cabbage was finely chopped, laid with coarse salt in barrels, the bottom of which was sprinkled with rye flour. All winter, cabbage soup, called kholopsky, was cooked from kroshev.
Primrose
The young greens of these flowers with a philosophical and automobile name were grown for salads, stuffing for botvinia, turi and other summer dishes with greens.
Rhubarb
It is unpretentious, undemanding, it literally grows like a weed - but from its stems they prepared wonderful kissels and fruit drinks, jams and fillings for sweet pies. Look carefully - perhaps among the burdocks and dandelions in your dacha, rhubarb also grows.
Hemp
The main oilseed crop in central Russia, now banned due to overseas unnatural consumption. Hemp oil was seasoned with porridge and kissels, fried on it, they ate greens or just fresh rye bread with it.
leafy mustard
Spicy greens, reminiscent of the taste of mustard and horseradish at the same time. Mustard leaf was added to okroshka and botvinia and ate like that, with other greens. known to us grain mustard appeared in Russia only at the end of the 18th century, when German mustard cuttings were grafted into wild mustard. The Germans, in fact, did just that.
Salsify
He is an oatmeal. However, it has nothing to do with oats - it is a relative of ordinary garden asters. Long white, with a slight fishy flavor, the roots of the plant were collected by the peasants in the fall, boiled, stewed and fried, like other numerous root crops.
There was also amaranth. By the way, now you can buy flour. Useful. And of course horseradish and radish.
"Foremother of bread" is called her among the people. They say that an ancient cook once cooked porridge and inadvertently poured more cereals than expected. The mistake turned into a bug. People, having properly scolded the negligent cook, nevertheless tried the new dish, and, apparently, they liked it. Over time, cakes began to be baked from flour. So, according to a folk saying, bread was born from porridge. By the way, modern science does not deny this assumption.
In Russia, porridge from time immemorial has occupied an important place in the nutrition of the people, being one of the main dishes of both poor and rich people. Hence the Russian proverb: "Kasha is our mother."
The finds of archaeologists testify that this dish was known to our ancestors more than a thousand years ago - this is exactly the age of the porridge found in a pot under a layer of ash during excavations of the ancient city of Lyubech in Ukraine.
They cooked porridge "on the abyss of frets", on weekdays and holidays.
By the way, porridge in Ancient Russia they called not only cereal dishes, but in general everything that was cooked from crushed products. So, in ancient sources, bread porridges made from crackers are mentioned, as well as a wide variety of fish porridges: herring, whitefish, salmon, salmon, sterlet, sturgeon, beluga, porridge with headiness. Apparently, the fish was finely chopped and, possibly, mixed with boiled cereals. In the XVIII-XIX centuries, cereals were boiled together with potatoes. seasoned with onions and vegetable oil, this dish was called kulesh. They also prepared pea, juice (on hemp oil), carrot, turnip and many other vegetable cereals.
Porridge, as the most common dish, was used as a ritual meal. For example, it was boiled at weddings and fed to the young. So, according to the description of wedding ceremonies of the second half of the 17th century, porridge was brought into the room of the newlyweds, which they “scoop and toss for themselves”. Porridge in this case was a symbol of sowing and fertility.
According to earlier sources (XVI century), after the wedding, Prince Vasily Ivanovich and his wife went to the soap bar, and there the newlyweds ate porridge. Often porridge was the only food for the young at the wedding feast. The wedding feast in Ancient Russia was called “porridge”.
The Novgorod chronicle of 1239, reporting on the marriage of Alexander Nevsky, says that the prince "married in the Trinity, that (there - V.K., N.M.) repaired the mess, and another in Novgorod."
But what a story came out with Dmitry Donskoy's "porridge". Having decided to marry the daughter of the Nizhny Novgorod prince, he, according to the custom that existed at that time, had to go "for porridge" to the father of his bride. However, the prince of Moscow considered it below his dignity to celebrate the wedding on the land of the future father-in-law and invited the latter to come to Moscow. But the Nizhny Novgorod prince would have fallen in his own eyes and in the eyes of his neighbors, had he agreed to such an “insulting” proposal. And then they chose the golden mean. The porridge was cooked not in Moscow and not in Novgorod, but in Kolomna, which lies almost in the middle of the road between two glorious cities.
In general, the organization of a wedding feast, and in those days, apparently, was a rather troublesome business, because it gave rise to the saying "brew porridge."
Porridge was also cooked at the conclusion of a peace treaty between the warring parties. As a sign of alliance and friendship, former opponents sat at the same table and ate this porridge. If the parties failed to reach an agreement on peace, they said: "You can't cook porridge with him." This expression has survived to our time, however, its meaning has changed somewhat. Today, we more often address this phrase to an inept person, and not to an enemy.
Christmas holidays, homelands, christenings, funerals and many other events in the life of the people could not do without porridge in Russia.
On Vasily's Day, before the New Year, in many Russian provinces they prepared porridge in accordance with a certain ritual. It happened like this. Cooked porridge "until light". Groats from the barn at night were brought by the eldest woman in the house, and water from the river or well was brought by the eldest of the men. And water and cereals were put on the table, and God forbid anyone
touch them until the furnace is heated.
But now the stove is heated, the whole family sits down at the table, and the older woman begins to stir the cereal, saying: “We sowed, grew buckwheat all summer; our buckwheat was born and large and blush; called-called buckwheat to Tsargrad with princes, with boyars, with honest oats, golden barley; they waited for buckwheat, they waited at the stone gates; princes and boyars met buckwheat, planted buckwheat at an oak table to feast; buckwheat came to visit us. Probably, if porridge was cooked from other cereals, she was also praised. But buckwheat has always enjoyed special respect among the Russian people. It is no coincidence that she was called the "princess".
After this lamentation, everyone rises from the table, and the hostess, with bows, puts the pot of porridge in the oven. Then the family sits down at the table again and waits for the porridge to cook.
Finally, she is ready, and here comes the crucial moment. With the words “We ask you to come to our yard with your good,” the woman takes the porridge out of the oven and first of all examines the pot in which it was cooked. There is no greater misfortune for a family than if the porridge comes out of the pot or, even worse, the pot ends up with a crack. Then open the gates for future troubles. But that's not all. If the porridge turned out to be red, well boiled - to be a happy family in the new year, with a good harvest. The pale color of porridge is a harbinger of misfortune for the family.
By the way, there were a great many ways of divination on porridge. Most often, the object of divination was the future harvest. For example, in Galician Russia on the eve of Christmas, when they eat kutya, such unusual way harvest predictions. The owner of the house, having scooped up a full spoonful of this porridge, threw it under the ceiling: the more grains stick to the ceiling, the richer the harvest.
Kutya was prepared from wheat, rice, barley and other cereals with raisins, honey, poppy seeds, etc. As a rule, everywhere it had a ritual funeral significance, but in Russia it was also cooked for Christmas.
Here is what M. G. Rabinovich writes about Kutya in the book “Essays on the Material Culture of a Russian Feudal City”: “Kutya was mentioned for the first time at the beginning of the 12th century. (in the chronicle source "The Tale of Bygone Years." - V.K., N.M.). Initially, it was prepared from wheat grains with honey, and in the 16th century - with poppy seeds. In the 19th century for kutya they already took rice and raisins, as they do at the present time. If the ancient kutya, apparently, is of rural origin, then the later one (completely from imported products) is of urban origin. The charter of the meals of the Tikhvin Monastery distinguishes between kutya and “kolivo, that is, wheat is boiled with honey and raisins”. Apparently, at the end of the XVI century. they just started adding raisins to kutya and for distinction they used the name kolivo, which meant the same as kutya.
The so-called "votive" porridge was eaten on the day of Agrafena Kupalnitsa (June 23) but returning from the bath or after bathing. This porridge was prepared according to a special ceremony. Girls from different houses gathered to crush the cereal for her, while each brought her own cereal. They also cooked "worldly porridge" on this day, which was fed to the poor.
Porridge occupied a place of honor on the table and at the festivities on the occasion of the end of the harvest, especially if hired workers were involved in the work. When taking a job during the hardship, the worker is often important condition pronounce obligatory porridge for his lunch. Especially insisted on this, for example, the Karelians, who considered millet porridge a great delicacy.
Any collective work: whether it was harvesting or building a house, could not do without artel porridge. Sometimes the artel itself was called "porridge". They said: "We are from the same porridge."
Few other cuisines can offer as many varieties of cereals as Russian. They differ primarily in the types of cereals. The most common cereals for cereals in Russia have always been millet, barley, oats, buckwheat, rice.
Each cereal, depending on the type of processing, was divided into types. So, they made a core from buckwheat and did it, pearl barley (large grains), Dutch (smaller grains) and barley (very small grains) from barley. Incidentally, it is believed that barley porridge was a favorite dish of Peter I.
Millet porridge was cooked from millet, from solid wheat groats- semolina, from whole crushed oats - oatmeal. Green porridge was widely distributed in some provinces; it was cooked from young, unripe, half-filled rye.
Since childhood, we all know Pushkin's fairy tale, in which the priest fed his worker Balda with boiled spelled. What is it? Spelled in Russia was called a spike plant, a cross between wheat and barley. Porridge was also cooked from spelled cereals. It was considered crude, but nutritious, therefore it was intended mainly for the poorest segments of the population.
Porridge, as a rule, was cooked from raw grains, crushed and finely ground cereals.
Of the finely ground cereals, oatmeal was widespread everywhere. They prepared it like this: the oats were washed, boiled for a short time, then dried in an oven and pounded in a mortar until the grain turned into small cereals, which were sifted through a sieve.
Buckwheat was considered the most revered among the cereals. No wonder Russia was recognized as the world's first buckwheat power. And indeed, once (unfortunately, this cannot be said today) buckwheat could be seen everywhere. She always rescued the Russians in difficult times, the benefit of growing on "skinny" land that does not require deep plowing.
Buckwheat porridge is very useful, since 100 g of buckwheat (unnucleus) contains 12.6 g of protein (the protein that cereals are rich in is well absorbed by the body), 68 g of carbohydrates, calcium, magnesium, iron, a lot of potassium and phosphorus, vitamins B |, Br, RR. In addition, buckwheat goes well with other products: meat, milk, vegetables, mushrooms, etc.
In terms of nutritional value, buckwheat is not inferior to millet, oatmeal, oat groats. Significantly less minerals and protein in rice.
Great and the energy value cereals: it is 330 - 350 kilocalories per 100 g of product. And if we consider that any porridge involves, in addition to the cereal itself, all kinds of additives (milk, butter, meat, lard, fish, mushrooms, vegetables, fruits, etc.), then we can say quite responsibly - few other dishes can be compared with porridge.
Porridge is also good because it can satisfy anyone, even the most refined tastes. You just need to cook it, like any other dish, with imagination.
Porridge "downy"
2 cups buckwheat, 2 eggs, 4 cups milk, 30-40 g butter, 2 cups cream, 3 tablespoons sugar. 5 raw egg yolks.
Grind buckwheat with 2 raw eggs, spread out on a baking sheet and dry in the oven. Boil with milk crumbly porridge, add oil and, when it cools down, rub it through a sieve onto a dish.
Prepare the dressing: Boil the cream with sugar. Beat the yolks, stir them with the cooled cream, put on fire and heat, stirring, until thickened.
Divide the porridge among bowls and drizzle with dressing before serving.
Pumpkin porridge with rice
800 g peeled pumpkin, 4.5 cups milk, 1 cup
rice, 100 g butter.
Cut the pumpkin into slices, pour 1.5 cups of milk, boil over low heat, cool and rub through a sieve. Rinse rice, pour milk (3 cups) and cook crumbly porridge. When it is cooked, mix it with pumpkin, put butter and put in the oven so that the porridge is browned.
Pour the finished porridge with whipped sweet cream.
Porridge with onions and lard
4 cups of crumbly porridge (buckwheat, millet, wheat, rice), 2 onions, 150 g of bacon.
Finely chop the onion and fry with the bacon cut into small cubes.
Mix hot crumbly porridge with sautéed onions and lard greaves.
Millet porridge with cottage cheese
1 glass of millet, 1 glass of cottage cheese, 50 g butter, sugar.
Pour the sorted and washed millet into boiling salted water (2.5 cups) and cook until half cooked. Add butter, sugar, cottage cheese, mix everything and cook until millet is ready.
It is good to serve milk, yogurt, kefir with porridge.
Millet porridge with prunes
1 cup cereals (millet), 1/2 cup prunes, 50 g butter, sugar, salt to taste.
Sort prunes, rinse, pour hot water and cook. Drain the broth, add to it right amount water, salt, sugar,
add cereal and cook a viscous porridge.
Arrange the porridge on plates, add prunes and butter to each of them.
Millet loaf
4 cups steep millet porridge, 3 eggs, 50 g butter, 1/2 cup crushed crackers.
Boil steep millet porridge in milk, cool it.
Separate egg yolks from whites. Mix yolks with chilled porridge; beat the whites well and also mix with porridge. The mass should be homogeneous, without lumps.
Grease a round shape or a frying pan with oil, sprinkle with crushed breadcrumbs, put porridge in it in an even layer and put in a well-heated oven. After 15-20 minutes, the loaf is ready.
Serve with sour cream, jam.
Loaf can also be baked from other types of cereals with all kinds of fillers (mushrooms, potatoes, fish, etc.).
Krupenik
4 cups crumbly millet (or buckwheat) porridge, 2 cups grated cottage cheese, 2 eggs, 50 g butter, 1/2 cup sour cream, ground crackers, salt, sugar to taste.
In a large bowl, mix crumbly porridge, grated cottage cheese, eggs, butter, salt, sugar. Put the mass in an even thick layer in a shallow baking sheet (or in a frying pan), greased with oil and sprinkled with breadcrumbs. Top the krupenik with sour cream.
Bake in the oven until golden brown.
Semolina porridge with cranberry juice
1 cup semolina, 400 g cranberries, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup cream.
Rinse the cranberries, crush and squeeze the juice. Pour the pomace with water, boil, strain the broth, add sugar and boil.
Dilute semolina with cranberry juice, pour into boiling syrup and cook thick porridge.
Pour hot porridge into molds and let cool. Serve with cream.
Many specialists involved in the study of life in Old Russia, its features and culinary specialties, speak out negatively against the forcible introduction into Russian national cuisine custom of tea drinking, instead of hearty and tasty food. Because it is unlikely that a simple tea party can replace a hearty lunch. Because the Russian people, by virtue of their customs, the Orthodox faith, constantly have to fast. And regular "tea drinking" is unlikely to bring special benefit body.
In addition, there is an opinion that in order for food to bring as much benefit to the body as possible, a person needs to eat what grows in the climatic zone of his residence. It would also not be superfluous to add how the reforms of Peter the Great influenced the original Russian cuisine. Because Russian cuisine not so much gained after that as lost after many borrowings from Western European cuisine.
But, of course, this issue is controversial, so here we can cite the stories of some well-known experts in the field of Russian culture. After a digression into history, many readers will remain unconvinced, but on the whole they will be enriched with data on the lost values of our people, especially in the field of nutrition, especially since culinary science is dwindling.
For example, the writer Chivilikhin writes in his notes that in ancient times the Vyatichi, Drevlyans, Radimichi, Northerners and other Proto-Russian peoples ate almost the same food as we do now - meat, poultry and fish, vegetables, fruits and berries, eggs , cottage cheese and porridge. Then oil was added to this food, seasoned with anise, dill, vinegar. Bread was consumed in the form of carpets, rolls, loaves, pies. They didn’t know tea and vodka then, but they brewed intoxicated honey, beer and kvass.
Of course, the writer Chivilikhin is right about something. They drank honey, and it flowed down their mustaches. But at the same time, we should not forget that in our country the Christian Orthodox Church calls to keep, if not strict, then semi-strict fast almost all year round. And not all products from the above list could be eaten.
If we talk about the original Russian cuisine, then its first mention dates back to the 11th century. Later records can be found in various chronicles, lives. And it is here that a complete picture of what was included in the daily diet of a simple Russian peasant is given. And since the 15th century, we can already talk about Russian cuisine, with established traditions and original dishes.
Let us recall such well-known sayings as: "Eat half full, but drink half drunk - you will live a full century" or "Shti and porridge - our food ...".
That is, even church dogmas did not in the least harm either the conscience or the Russian stomach. Therefore, it must be said that since ancient times, Russia has been grain, fish, mushroom, berry ...
From generation to generation, our people ate porridge, grain dishes. “Porridge is our mother, and rye bread is our father!” Grain formed the basis of Russian cuisine. In each family, they put in large quantities rye, unleavened and sour dough. From it they prepared carols, juicy, kneaded noodles, bread. And when wheat flour appeared in the 10th century, there was already just expanse - kalachi, pancakes, pies, loaves, pancakes ...
In addition, various rye, oat and wheat kissels were cooked from grain crops. Who today can boast of knowing the recipe for oatmeal jelly?
A good help to the table were various vegetables from the garden, for example, turnips. It was eaten in any form - even raw, even steamed, even baked. The same can be said about peas. Carrots were not grown then, but radish, especially black radish, was widely used. Cabbage was used as fresh, and in sauerkraut.
Initially, the brew or bread was always fish. It was later that dishes such as mash, talkers, cabbage soup, borscht and botvini appeared. And in the 19th century, such a thing as soup already appeared. But even without this, there was something to choose from food at the table. In general, in Russia they valued a good eater, because as a person eats, such is he at work.
To roughly imagine what we are talking about, we read Domostroy: “... at home and flour and all kinds of pies, and all kinds of pancakes, and sotsni, and pipes, and all sorts of cereals and pea noodles, and squash peas, and zobonets, and kundumtsy, and boiled and juice food: pies with pancakes and mushrooms, and with saffron milk mushrooms, and with mushrooms, and with poppy seeds, and with porridge, and with turnips, and with cabbage, and with what God sent; or nuts in juice, and Korowai people…”. In addition, lingonberry water and cherries in molasses, raspberry juice and other sweets were always on the table. Apples, pears, boiled kvass and molasses, prepared marshmallows and levoshniks. We would like to take a look at such a meal, at least once to try!
The main secret of our cuisine was the Russian oven. It was in it that all cooked dishes acquired a unique taste and aroma. This was also facilitated by cast-iron pots with thick walls. After all, what is cooking in a Russian oven? This is not boiling or frying, but the gradual languishing of a brew or bread. When there is a uniform heating of the dishes from all sides. And this primarily contributed to the preservation of all taste, nutritional and aromatic properties.
Yes, and the bread in the Russian oven was distinguished by a crispy crust and uniform baking, a good rise in the dough. Is it possible to compare bread baked in a Russian oven with what we find on the shelves of our stores? After all, this can hardly be called Bread!
In general, the Russian stove was a kind of symbol of our country. On it, children were conceived, and gave birth, and slept, and were also treated. They ate on the stove and died on it. The whole life of a Russian person, the whole meaning revolved around the Russian stove.
Well, in the end, let's face the truth: a simple person did not eat chic in Russia, they never ate their fill in the village. But this is not because the traditional Russian cuisine was poor, but because it was hard for a peasant to live in Russia. Big family, many mouths - how to feed everyone? Therefore, not out of greed, they ate poorly, but because of poverty. The farmer had nothing, he saved on everything, saving an extra penny.
However, all the same, we can safely say that there is nothing better than real Russian food - simple, but satisfying, tasty and nutritious.
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What do you have for lunch today? Vegetable salad, borscht, soup, potatoes, chicken? These dishes and products have become so familiar to us that we already consider some of them to be primordially Russian. I agree, several hundred years have passed, and they have firmly entered our diet. And I can’t even believe that once people did without the usual potatoes, tomatoes, sunflower oil not to mention cheese or pasta.
Food security has always been the most important issue in people's lives. Based on climatic conditions and natural resources, each nation developed hunting, cattle breeding and crop production to a greater or lesser extent.
Kievan Rus as a state was formed in the 9th century AD. By that time, the diet of the Slavs was flour products, cereals, dairy products, meat and fish.
Barley, oats, wheat and buckwheat were grown from cereals, and rye appeared a little later. Of course, the staple food was bread. In the southern regions it was baked from wheat flour, in the northern rye is more common. In addition to bread, they also baked pancakes, pancakes, cakes, and on holidays - pies (often made from pea flour). Pies could be various fillings: meat, fish, mushrooms and berries.
Pies were prepared either from unleavened dough, such as is now used for dumplings and dumplings, or from sour dough. It was called so because it was really sour (fermented) in a large special vessel - sourdough. The first time the dough was kneaded from flour and well or river water and put in a warm place. After a few days, the dough began to bubble - it was "working" wild yeast which are always in the air. Now it was possible to bake from it. When preparing bread or pies, they left a little dough in the kneader, which was called sourdough, and the next time they only added the right amount of flour and water to the sourdough. In every family, leaven lived for many years, and the bride, if she went to live in her own house, received a dowry with leaven.
Kissel has long been considered one of the most common sweet dishes in Russia.In ancient Russia, kissels were prepared on the basis of rye, oatmeal and wheat broths, sour in taste and grayish-brown in color, which was reminiscent of the color of the coastal loam of Russian rivers. Kissels turned out elastic, reminiscent of jelly, jelly. Since there was no sugar in those days, honey, jam or berry syrups were added to taste.
In ancient Russia, porridges were very popular. Mostly it was wheat or oatmeal, from whole grains, which were steamed for a long time in the oven so that they were soft. A great delicacy was rice (Sorochinsky millet) and buckwheat, which appeared in Russia along with the Greek monks. Porridges were seasoned with butter, linseed or hemp oil.
An interesting situation in Russia was with vegetable products. What we use now - was not in sight. The most common vegetable was the radish. It was somewhat different from the modern one and was many times larger. Turnip was also massively distributed. These root crops were stewed, fried and used to make filling for pies. Peas have also been known since ancient times in Russia. It was not only boiled, but also made flour from which pancakes and pies were baked. In the 11th century, tables began to appear onion, cabbage, a few later - carrots. Cucumbers will appear only in the 15th century. And the solanaceous ones familiar to us: potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants came to us only at the beginning of the 18th century.
In addition, in Russia, wild sorrel and quinoa were used from plant foods. Numerous wild berries and mushrooms supplemented the vegetable diet.
From meat food were known to us beef, pork, chickens, geese and ducks. They ate little horse meat, mostly the military during campaigns. Often on the tables there was meat of wild animals: venison, wild boar and even bear meat. Partridges, hazel grouse and other game were also eaten. Even the Christian Church, which spread its influence, considered it unacceptable to eat wild animals, could not eradicate this tradition. The meat was fried on coals, on a spit (stewed), or, like most dishes, stewed large pieces in the oven.
Quite often in Russia they ate fish. Mostly it was River fish: sturgeon, sterlet, bream, pike perch, ruff, perch. It was boiled, baked, dried and salted.
There were no soups in Russia. The famous Russian fish soup, borscht and hodgepodge appeared only in the 15th-17th centuries. There was "tyurya" - the predecessor of modern okroshka, kvass with chopped onions and seasoned with bread.
In those days, as in ours, Russian people did not avoid drinking. According to The Tale of Bygone Years, the main reason for Vladimir's rejection of Islam was the sobriety prescribed by that religion. " drinking", -
he said, " this is the joy of the Russians. We can't live without this pleasure". Russian booze for the modern reader is invariably associated with vodka, but in the era of Kievan Rus they did not drive alcohol. Three types of drinks were consumed. Kvass, a non-alcoholic or slightly intoxicated drink, was made from rye bread. It was something like beer. He was probably traditional drink Slavs, as it is mentioned in the records of the journey of the Byzantine envoy to the leader of the Huns Attila at the beginning of the fifth century, along with honey. Honey was extremely popular in Kievan Rus. It was brewed and drunk by both laymen and monks. According to the chronicle, Prince Vladimir the Red Sun ordered three hundred cauldrons of honey on the occasion of the opening of the church in Vasilevo. In 1146, Prince Izyaslav II discovered five hundred barrels of honey and eighty barrels of wine in the cellars of his rival Svyatoslav. Several varieties of honey were known: sweet, dry, with pepper, and so on. They also drank wine: wines were imported from Greece, and, in addition to the princes, churches and monasteries regularly imported wine for the celebration of the liturgy.
Such was Old Slavonic cuisine. What is Russian cuisine and what is its connection with Old Slavonic? For several centuries, life, customs have changed, trade relations have expanded, the market has been filled with new products. Russian cuisine absorbed a large number of national dishes various peoples. Something has been forgotten or superseded by other products. However, the main trends of Old Slavonic cuisine in one form or another have survived to this day. This is the dominant position of bread on our table, a wide range of pastries, cereals, cold snacks. Therefore, in my opinion, Russian cuisine is not something isolated, but a logical continuation of Old Slavonic cuisine, despite the fact that it has undergone significant changes over the centuries.
What is your opinion?
Today, potatoes are almost the main basis of the Russian table. But not so long ago, just some 300 years ago, they did not eat it in Russia. How did the Slavs live without potatoes?
Potatoes appeared in Russian cuisine only at the beginning of the 18th century thanks to Peter the Great. But potatoes began to spread among all segments of the population only in the reign of Catherine. And now it’s hard to imagine what our ancestors ate, if not fried potatoes or puree. How could they even live without this root crop?
Lenten table
One of the main features of Russian cuisine is the division into lean and modest. About 200 days a year in the Russian Orthodox calendar fall on Lenten days. This means: no meat, no milk and no eggs. Only vegetable food and on some days - fish. Seems sparse and bad? Not at all. Lenten table was distinguished by richness and abundance, a huge variety of dishes. Lenten tables peasants and rather wealthy people in those days did not differ much: the same cabbage soup, cereals, vegetables, mushrooms. The only difference was that it was difficult for residents who did not live near the reservoir to get fresh fish for the table. So that fish table he rarely visited the villages, but those who had money could call him.
The main products of Russian cuisine
Approximately such an assortment was available in the villages, but it must be borne in mind that meat was eaten extremely rarely, usually this happened in the fall or in the winter meat-eater, before Maslenitsa.
Vegetables: turnips, cabbage, cucumbers, radishes, beets, carrots, rutabagas, pumpkins,
Kashi: oatmeal, buckwheat, pearl barley, wheat, millet, wheat, barley.
Bread: mostly rye, but there was also wheat, more expensive and rare.
Mushrooms
Dairy: raw milk, sour cream, curdled milk, cottage cheese
Baking: pies, pies, kulebyaks, sikas, bagels, sweet pastries.
Fish, game, livestock meat.
Seasonings: onion, garlic, horseradish, dill, parsley, cloves, Bay leaf, black pepper.
Fruits: apples, pears, plums
Berries: cherry, lingonberry, viburnum, cranberry, cloudberry, stone fruit, blackthorn
Nuts and seeds
Festive table
The boyar table, and the table of wealthy townspeople, was distinguished by rare abundance. In the 17th century, the number of dishes increased, the tables, both lean and fast, became more and more diverse. Any big meal already included more than 5-6 meals:
Hot (soup, stew, soup);
cold (okroshka, botvinya, jelly, jellied fish, corned beef);
roast (meat, poultry);
body (boiled or fried hot fish);
savory pies,
kulebyaka; porridge (sometimes it was served with cabbage soup);
cake (sweet pies, pies);
snacks (sweets for tea, candied fruit, etc.).
Alexander Nechvolodov in his book “Tales of the Russian Land” describes the boyar feast and admires its richness: “After vodka, they started snacks, of which there were a great many; in fast days served sauerkraut, all kinds of mushroom and all kinds of fish, ranging from caviar and salmon to steam sterlet, whitefish and various fried fish. With a snack, borsch botvinya was also supposed to be served.
Then they moved on to the hot ear, which was served the same way. varied cooking- red and black, pike, sturgeon, crucian carp, national team, with saffron and so on. Other dishes prepared from salmon with lemon, white salmon with plums, sterlet with cucumbers, and so on were served right there.
Then they were served to each ear, with seasoning, often baked in the form of various kinds of animals, also pies cooked in nut or hemp oil with all kinds of fillings.
After the fish soup followed: “salted” or “salted”, any fresh fish, which came from various parts of the state, and always under the "zvar" (sauce), with horseradish, garlic and mustard.
The dinner ended with the serving of "bread": various kinds of cookies, donuts, pies with cinnamon, poppy seeds, raisins, etc.
All alone
The first thing that rushed to foreign guests if they got to a Russian feast: an abundance of dishes, no matter if it was a fast day or a fast one. The fact is that all vegetables, and indeed all products, were served separately. Fish could be baked, fried or boiled, but there was only one kind of fish on one dish. Mushrooms were salted separately, milk mushrooms, white mushrooms, butter mushrooms were served separately ... Salads were one (!) Vegetable, and not at all a mixture of vegetables. Any vegetable could be served fried or boiled.
Hot dishes are also prepared according to the same principle: birds are baked separately, individual pieces of meat are stewed.
The old Russian cuisine did not know what finely chopped and mixed salads were, as well as various finely chopped roasts and meat azu. There were also no cutlets, sausages and sausages. Everything finely chopped, chopped into minced meat appeared much later.
Stews and soups
In the 17th century, the culinary direction that is responsible for soups and other liquid dishes finally took shape. Pickles, hodgepodges, hangovers appeared. They were added to the friendly family of soups that stood on Russian tables: stew, cabbage soup, fish soup (usually from one kind of fish, so the principle of “everything separately” was respected).
What else appeared in the 17th century
In general, this century is the time of new products and interesting products in Russian cuisine. Tea is imported to Russia. In the second half of the 17th century, sugar appeared and the assortment of sweet dishes expanded: candied fruits, jams, sweets, candies. Finally, lemons appear, which are beginning to be added to tea, as well as to rich soups with a hangover.
Finally, during these years there was a very strong influence Tatar cuisine. Therefore, dishes made from unleavened dough have become very popular: noodles, dumplings, dumplings.
When did the potato appear
Everyone knows that potatoes appeared in Russia in the 18th century thanks to Peter the Great, who brought seed potatoes from Holland. But the overseas curiosity was available only to rich people and for a long time potatoes remained a delicacy for the aristocracy.
The widespread use of potatoes began in 1765, when, after the decree of Catherine II, batches of seed potatoes were brought to Russia. It was distributed almost by force: the peasant population did not accept the new culture, because they considered it poisonous (a wave of poisoning with poisonous potatoes swept across Russia, since at first the peasants did not understand that it was necessary to eat root crops and ate tops). The potato took root for a long time and was difficult, even in the 19th century it was called the "devil's apple" and refused to be planted. As a result, a wave of “potato riots” swept through Russia, and in the middle of the 19th century, Nicholas I was still able to massively introduce potatoes into peasant gardens. And by the beginning of the 20th century, it was already considered a second bread.
