Tasty Russian DESSERTS and not only !
it's already many years now that i live in Russia. i would never stop being surprised by the quantity and quality of russian food.
Of course today i will talk about my favorites meals and they will be sweet.
Russia is a big country, with frontiers with many countries so for these reasons, there are many influences, on the food among it.
Food is the best way to discover a country.
To make a short list, it was difficult. But i decide to write here, the ones i can’t live without or the simple must try. At least to begin.
For the sugar lovers, this is a post for you.
Let’s discover them together and why, for me, they are especially yummy :
Syrniki. They are slightly sweet, cheesy Russian pancakes made from farmer's cheese : tvorog. It’s similar to ricotta cheese, but a little dryer and more crumbly. You add flour, sugar, and eggs to it. It’s simple but a real art, depending on how much fat you choose for the cheese and the proportions, they can completely change tastes and textures. It’s incredible for breakfast; it's light, though fulfilling. You eat them with jam, cream or often condensed milk.
Oladi. It’s Russian buttermilk pancakes made with kefir. Compared to blinis (or crêpes), they are thick and fluffy. Another incredible breakfast. Kefir is also super dietetic and healthy. I love Oladi made from apples too, it’s similar to sweet Swiss rösti and so perfect for autumn vibes.
Zapekanka. Basically, we could call it a cottage cheesecake, it’s an oven-baked dish made from Tvorog that you can find everywhere in Russia, from the school canteen to the dining table at home. You can make it with everything, but the sweet breakfast variant remains the most common one.
Chocolate-glazed syrok. I call it the most criminal afternoon snack, probably because it is not healthy but incredibly tasty. You can find it everywhere in the Russian supermarkets in every variety imaginable : glazed and unglazed, filled with raisins, layered with strawberry jam, or varenaya sgushenka (dulce de leche). It’s made with tvorog too, but syrok has added butter, sugar, a sweet filling like jam or caramel, and is glazed with chocolate.
Crisp and crunchy golden waffle-like pastries called Trubochki filled with varenaya sgushenka (dulce de leche) or buttery and flaky cream horns. The firsts are my favorites; they are damn good. The second are the favorites of my man. Trubochki is a russian love story. They are a popular Russian dessert often served at weddings, holidays and other special occasions, though I love them with my coffee.
Napoleon cake. Composed of many layers of puff pastry with a whipped pastry cream filling and encrusted with more pastry crumbs, it is considered to be the Russian version of Mille-feuille. This is not at all the case, even if the idea of it is the same : “a thousand layers”. As a French lady, I was, of course, amused and curious by this dessert. I love this dessert to the point of trying to explore all the Napoleons in town, which is an endless quest. There are so many ways to prepare it to satisfy everyone’s tastes. After assembling, the cake is chilled overnight to allow the pastry layers to soften and absorb some of the cream, similar to the classic American icebox cake. The cake was crafted to honor the 100th anniversary of the country's victory over Napoleon and his troops in 1912.
Medovik, from мёд-honey is a layered honey cake consisting of honey-infused, almost biscuit-like sponges that are coated with thin layers of one part whipping cream and one part sour cream mixed with sugar and vanilla. Sometimes a filling made with butter and sweetened condensed milk is used. Although there are numerous variations of the cake, the custard is usually prepared with whipped cream or various combinations of condensed milk and butter. It’s a perfect cake to pair with a hot cup of tea. For me, it’s the typical winter or holiday cake.
Kyiv Tort is a Ukrainian sponge cake with layers of crunchy walnut meringue and a rich cream. It appeared in 1956 at the Karl Marx factory. You can find this cake everywhere in Russia, since Ukraine has always been a brotherhood nation and part of the Soviet Union. No matter what we make you believe. It’s one of my favorite cakes in Konditerskaya Sever-Metropol in Saint Petersburg, which is one of the oldest pastry shops in town.
Zefir are naturally gluten-free, airy, and light pillows of fruit flavoured meringue marshmallows. It’s traditionally made by whipping berry or fruit purée with sugar and egg whites. The form typically resembles traditional meringue; however, it is never crispy; on the contrary, it melts in the mouth.
Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. How could I not talk about this dessert, being a ballet dancer myself? This is not a Russian dessert, although I consider it wouldn’t exist without the Russian ballerina and being made in her honor, you can find it everywhere now in Russia. She is a jewel in Russian ballet history.
*Sweetened condensed milk in Russian (Варёная сгущёнка) is also known as dulce de Leche. It has a rich caramel flavor and color, is thick and creamy, and is made by cooking sweetened condensed milk. Russians put it everywhere in sweet preparation, but it’s so tasty that you could eat it directly with spoons from the can.
I hope you enjoyed this short trip into the world of Russian pasties and that maybe one day you will have the chance to try them all and will remember me and smile !
I am always happy to share something special with you about my life in Saint Petersburg and in Russia.
Food is a big part of a culture and its traditions.
