Perhaps in the impression of many people, there is nothing delicious in Russia, the most famous can be called, it is estimated that only "potato roast beef", although Russians are not as particular about eating as Chinese, and the variety of food is relatively small, but their food culture conveys a kind of complex and simple truth.

To some extent, food is a reflection of national identity. The Russian nation is rough and bold, simple and honest, and its traditional diet is simple and rude. Earlier, Russians were not very demanding in terms of diet - large amounts, heavy oil, and hot food, and brown bread and cabbage soup met these three criteria. A strong man who does physical work eats two or three pounds of bread at a meal, and the hard, coarse bread can only be swallowed with a large amount of oily cabbage soup.

The pastime of the Russians is wine, and the people of this fighting nation do not drink without drinking, although it is also common in this kind of scene in China, but the Russians are still very simple in general, and will not be extravagant and wasteful in this regard.

But not being luxurious does not mean that it is not delicious, eating is the top priority of all people in heaven and earth, even if there are no exquisite ingredients and supernatural cooking methods, Russians have their own culinary essence, that is, using the simplest ingredients and the simplest way to make the most satisfying dishes.

The unique Russian dinner was a new experience for Sikong Yao, who not only tasted the beauty, but also listened to the story of Battisian's own cuisine.

There aren't many dishes that Battisian can cook, but he basically covers all aspects of Russian cuisine, including the "Five Leaders", the "Four King Kongs" and the "Three Musketeers".

The so-called "five leaders" choose the most important ones. There are bread, milk, potatoes, cheese and sausages, while the "Four King Kongs" are cabbage, shallots, carrots and beets, and finally the "Three Musketeers" made up of brown bread, vodka and caviar.

Having lived in Russia with her husband for a while, Batisian learned that sweet bread with diverse flavors and fancy shapes is used as a snack in Russia, and only slightly salty "borscht" is the "staple food" that is inseparable from the local meal.

Bread made from starved "hard wheat" and "strong wheat" is very chewy, and it does not fall off the residue when it is dry, and as for milk, it is the favorite of Russians, and the consumption of milk in Russia is close to 1 liter per capita per day, as early as the last century. Porridge made in plain water instead of milk is seen here as a sign of extreme poverty.

Khrushchev once reduced communism to "roast beef with potatoes". It can be seen that the Russians love potatoes. A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the Soviet era once quoted a saying: the shorter the speech, the better, and the longer the sausage, the better. It shows their deep affection for sausages. The Russian writer Krylov has a fable about a fox who lures a crow into opening its mouth and tricks it into taking cheese from its mouth. Thus. Russians use cheese as a synonym for cuisine.

Now in Canada. From French cauliflower to Chinese cuisine. You can buy everything from zucchini in Turkey to bell peppers in Spain, but the lowest prices and the best flavors are local cabbage, shallots, carrots and beets. Use these "Four King Kongs" with beef to make beetroot soup. The taste is mellow, the fresh fragrance is incomparable, and I drank the whole body Shutai.

Some people may think that Russian black bread has a coarse and hard skin, a sour and salty taste, and a color like sorghum noodles, and people who do not know the situation think that this is a crude food, and once regarded it as a strong evidence that the Soviet people "suffered twice and suffered twice".

However, brown bread is both filling and nutritious, and easy to digest, which is very beneficial to the stomach and intestines, especially suitable for meat dishes such as fish. This is because the fermented mother of brown bread contains a variety of vitamins and biological enzymes. Hundreds of years ago, the Russians learned this truth from experience. Alexander from the 13th century? Grand Duke Nevsky, until now, the main food of the Russian soldiers has always been black bread.

Brown bread with milk, no wonder it can raise Russia one by one to a high horse, and if anyone dares to slander black bread in front of them, it will definitely be beaten.

However, the best bread is still baked in some small villages with the method passed down by the ancestors, and the big column with a small basin is sent to the Russian-style oven with a uniform temperature to simmer and bake, and when it comes out of the oven, it knocks on the bottom of the bread, and the sound is the best quality. In the old days, in the Russian countryside, enough bread was made for a week at a time, because it was very laborious to make bread, and it took nearly two days to mix and ferment the dough alone.

And vodka is another portrayal of the Russian national character. The direct meaning of vodka is "lovely water", and Russians have a soft spot for it. Children and women are also counted, and the average daily consumption here is 100 grams. Vodka is generally 40 proof, and along with brandy and whisky, it is one of the world's top three spirits. However, compared to whiskey with ice cubes and soda before a meal, and brandy after a meal, Russians drink vodka much more aggressively, even if it is a large full glass. Vodka tastes better chilled and is served with salted herring or black caviar, but you don't need any appetizers for a glass of wine, and a glass of wine to smell the brown bread is enough.

When you think of caviar, many people immediately think of sushi in Japanese cuisine, but Europeans also regard caviar as a superior delicacy, and Russian products are the best of the best.

There are three types of caviar: mentai, salmon and sturgeon. The gray taste is heavy, the red is too fishy, and the black is the best. Even in the 50s, when the production of black caviar was 10 times higher than it is now, it was a rare treat for Russians to eat a slice of bread with smeared caviar and butter, and with a glass of vodka, they would have a good time all day.

Batisian also recalled that when he traveled in Russia, he found that the people in this country are very warm and practical, regardless of their family background and cooking skills, as the Russian proverb says, "What is in the stove, put it on the table".

The Russian hospitality is thoughtful, with a week in advance, regular customers come in to shake hands and hug, and change into comfortable felt slippers; Tablecloths must be laid on the dining table, napkins must be prepared, knives, forks, and porcelain plates must be wiped without any water stains. Russian intellectuals pay attention to "the master and the guest", whether to drink or not, what to drink, how much to drink, listen to the convenience, and never discourage alcohol; If you eat your favorite dishes, the owner will be happy.

Toasts were frequent during the banquet, because Russians did not say toasts without serving wine glasses. Don't forget to toast the hostess, the Russian gentlemen usually don't go to the kitchen, and the hostess may be busy for a day or two for a treat.

Russian cuisine was originally very simple, as the saying goes, cabbage soup, oatmeal, home cooking for Russians. However, the Russians are "as good as flow", whether it is Chinese dumplings, German sausages, English steaks, or tartar lamb toes, Ukrainian beetroot soup, car Olivier salad...... The foreign dishes that were constantly introduced eventually became Russian cuisine. Russian tableware used to be simple, with each person holding a large wooden spoon in his right hand and a large slice of bread in his left hand that doubled as a plate. The cups, plates, knives and forks that came from Western Europe only entered ordinary homes in the 19th century. In the early days of peasant dinners, the parents sat at one end of the long table, the housewife brought a large pot of cabbage soup and buttered oatmeal porridge in the middle, sat at the other end of the long table, and the elderly and their children sat on both sides of the long table. Each person scoops the soup and brings it to their mouths with bread. Only after the head of the family has scooped the soup can the rest of the family take turns to move their hands, and if a child is "offside" or scoops two spoonfuls of soup in a row, the father will knock on the door of his head with a wooden spoon to set an example.

In addition to bread, Russian pies accompany Russians throughout their lives, and pies have a non-negligible position in Russian cuisine. Although it is not common at the dinner table, pie is an important dish for important holidays, New Year's, baptisms, birthdays, name days, weddings and funerals.

Russian pies have a variety of meanings such as "sun", "great festival", "harvest", "children's health" and "happy marriage".

Russian pies belong to yeast fermented pies, and according to the different ingredients used, pies are divided into: yellow rice, buckwheat rice and flour pies. There are many shapes of Russian pies, in addition to the common round pies, there are triangles, squares, rectangles, pizza-style open fillings, semi-exposed fillings, closed shapes, and so on. The names of pies are also interesting, for example: "Gurievsky cakes" are named after people; Named after the use, there are "wedding pies"; There are also "cabbage pies", "jam pies", and "cheese cakes" named after the fillings...... Most pancakes are served with honey, strawberry jam, etc., and some pies are served with tomatoes and cucumbers.

Brown bread with vodka is certainly not the best choice, milk is its companion, but pie is the best and ideal accompaniment to vodka.

Although he didn't have time to make pies, Batisian relished: "My husband and I had a wedding in Russia, where most of his friends were, and when a couple was getting married, on the wedding day, in addition to making all kinds of delicacies for the guests, the man and woman had to make a traditional pie, which was made of pancakes and several kinds of fillings layered on top of each other. And the most special thing is the lid of this pie. When making pie lids, the patterns made by the husband and wife will be different: the pie pattern of the husband's family should be made into a small figure, which means what you Chinese call 'prosperity of the people', while the pattern of the wife's side should be dominated by flowers, symbolizing beauty and loyalty. ”

Looking at Battisian's intoxicated expression, Sikong Yao was also quite emotional, the simplicity of the culinary culture is the interpretation of Russian cuisine, which can convey happiness and pleasure without luxurious ingredients and amazing techniques. (To be continued......)