Traditional Belarusian fish dishes. National cuisine of Belarus. Features of eating meat

Good zen! When going to another country, we always get acquainted with its national dishes and drinks. This has already become our good tradition. And since I didn’t limit myself to getting to know the sights of the capital, in the article I will talk about national cuisine of Belarus, and what's worth trying.

The content of the article:

National cuisine Belarus combines many flavor notes from other countries. It contains accents of Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, Lithuanian, Latvian and even kosher Jewish cuisine. But despite this, it is unique and very diverse in its own way.

Surely, the first thing that comes to mind when mentioning the national cuisine of Belarus is potatoes, or rather bulba. And indeed, it is special among Belarusians, with a high starch content. Due to this, the potato pancakes we are familiar with turn out much tastier and juicier. Bulba is included in many dishes, which are complemented with various products and sauces. Frequent neighbors of the bulb are cracklings. They add richness and incredible taste to dishes. My mouth is already watering. How are you still holding on?

National dishes of Belarus

Draniki have been and remain the constant leader in the list of national dishes. This is an international dish present in the cuisines of many nations. But each has its own cooking characteristics, which changes the taste and impressions.

Draniki

Draniki is the most popular national dishBelarus.I am not a representative of Belarusian nationality, but they are familiar to me from childhood. My grandmother often prepared pancakes. I remember how long it took to rub them to feed the whole family. Fortunately, this process now takes much less time. The name draniki comes from the method of preparing potatoes. The classic potato pancakes included: torn potatoes, that is, grated on a fine grater, salt and lard for frying. Please note that flour, onions and eggs were not added initially. The starch contained in potatoes served as a binding ingredient. Draniki are served hot in pots or on a plate with sour cream or various sauces.

Sorcerers

Well, how can you be in Belarus and not try sorcerers with meat?! It took a little longer to hunt for them, but they are worth it. We were able to try sorcerers at the Vasilki restaurant. There are several of them in Minsk. The closest place was near Jacob Kolos Street, where we rented an apartment. In ancient times, sorcerers cooked from a dough based on flour, eggs, onion juice and salt. This counts classic recipe sorcerers. Nowadays, sorcerers often cook based on potato dough. Outwardly, they look a little like potato pancakes, only thicker due to the filling. It can be very different for sorcerers. We tried it with meat and mushrooms.

The list goes on

Potato babka

National Belarusian dish based on potatoes. The bulba is grated, fried lard (cracklings), meat and onions are added. Then salt, pepper, add sour cream for tenderness and put in the oven. Served potato babka hot with milk or sour cream.

Mochanka

Mochanka is a classic Belarusian dish. The name comes from the method of eating. Pancakes need to be dipped in sponge. It's hearty and tasty dish, which is a thick gravy with different types meat. The classic mochanka includes: pork ribs, homemade sausage, smoked meats (brisket) and lard. When they brought me this dish, I couldn’t understand how to eat it, but then I figured it out. It’s most convenient to dip.) This is how the sponge is prepared. Fry pork ribs in a frying pan vegetable oil. You need to pour it in a little, as the ribs and sausage will give up their juice. Add a little water and simmer for about 15 minutes. Drain the meat broth from the frying pan, and use it to prepare machanka, adding flour, fried onions, salt and herbs. The consistency of the sauce is very similar to the famous Bechamel. We put the meat into the finished machanka, and voila! The national dish of Belarus is ready! Mochanka is served with thin or thick pancakes. Real jam!

Vereshchak

Vereshchaka was prepared back in the time of the Principality of Lithuania. According to one version, the dish was named after the author of the recipe, a cook under the Polish King Augustus. But there is another version, more traditional, in my opinion. When Vereshchaka is preparing, she “squeals and squeals”, making loud (alluring) sounds, hence the name. The composition of heather resembles Mochanka. It includes pork ribs (fresh and smoked), pork sausage, porcini mushrooms, carrots, celery, and onions. The meat is stewed in a frying pan, salt, pepper, and juniper seeds are added. Vegetables are sautéed. A sauce is prepared based on meat broth, adding flour and herbs.Vereshchaka is served with potato pancakes or pancakes.

Drachena

Another ancient dish of Belarus. It reminded me of an omelette. But, like many Belarusian dishes, it is not without lard. Beat eggs, add flour, milk. Pour the resulting mixture into a frying pan with fried lard. After which the rural housewives put the dish in the oven for 15 minutes. When the drachena was “prepared” and fried, they took it out, cut it like a cake, and fed the family. Thanks to the cracklings, the porridge turned out to be nourishing and high-calorie. Two pieces were enough for one person to renew his strength and continue working. Drachena was served with milk.

Dumplings with souls

Dumplings with souls are another national dish of Belarus. Dumplings have long been on the menu of residents of the Vitebsk region, but over time they entered the menu of many housewives and cooks. The main ingredient, who would doubt it, is potatoes. The filling is placed in the middle, which is called the “soul”. As a rule, this is minced meat. Dumplings are served at the table, topped with frying (onions and lard) or with sour cream, various sauces, or poured with the broth in which the dumplings were cooked.

In addition to the main awesome dishes, the national cuisine of Belarus presents no less interesting first courses. I will share with you the most popular of them, and which ones are worth trying in Belarus.

Krupenya or Krupnik

Krepenya is a sauce that is prepared on meat broth with addition pearl barley. Hearty krupnik thick soup, which is based on pearl barley, rye or oatmeal. This is what concerns classic preparation. Now progressive Belarusian housewives add rice, buckwheat, barley, often mixing one with the other. In addition to cereals, the soup includes potatoes. It is seasoned with sour cream, yolk and baked in the oven. It turns out to be a very tasty hearty soup. Nowadays there are many options for preparing krunik. In meat or fish broth. It is either boiled or baked, as I wrote above.

Zhur

Another interesting dish Belarus. Soup based on oatmeal, which came from ancient times. Cereals pour water and leave for 2-3 days. Then it is crushed and filtered. Bring the zest to a boil, add lard and onions fried in a frying pan. Add some salt. Zhur is served with boiled potatoes. There are many variations of serving this soup with different ingredients.

Kholodnik or beetroot

Beetroot - cold soup(borscht), prepared with beetroot broth. Great dish in the hot season. Perfectly refreshing and no less healthy. Kholodnik is based on beets, as well as fresh cucumbers, boiled eggs and greens ( green onions, dill, beet tops). You can also add for satiety boiled potatoes. Beetroot soup can be prepared using beet broth or kvass with the addition of horseradish.Served cold with sour cream and egg.

Sour bread

Sourdough bread is a gastronomic favorite in Belarus. He is greatly appreciated by local Belarusians and missed by those who left the country. Since childhood, I have loved bread baked in the oven. We often helped my grandmother knead the adze in special barrels. I read how Belarusians made bread, the process is very similar to my grandmother’s. Only we, as a rule, used white flour, while they used dark flour. Bread in Belarus is delicious, as are dairy products, but sausages I didn't appreciate it.

I could talk for a long time about the national dishes of Belarus, but I don’t have the energy anymore. When I come home I’ll cook potato pancakes. And definitely with sour cream.

Well, let's move on to desserts. I don’t consider myself a sweet tooth, so I hope desserts will be easier.

Nalistniki

During our trip to Minsk for the weekend, we often went to eat at the Lido establishment. This is like our home cooking. You walk around with a tray and take what you like. By the way, the prices there are quite reasonable and the food is not bad. There you can try potato pancakes and treat yourself to nalistniki (pancakes) with a variety of fillings (sour cream, jam, honey, etc.). I already wrote above that pancakes are served with main courses, but besides this, in Belarus they are considered a dessert.

Kulaga

Traditional Belarusian dessert. Kulaga is based on a variety of berries (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, bird cherry, etc.). Boil wild berries over low heat until they are softened. Then add flour (with water) and sugar. Cook until the consistency of jelly. Kulaga is served with pancakes or white bread.

Various salads

In restaurants you often find salads with traditionalnames "Minsky", "Belarusian". But besides them, there is also a fur coat that is well known to us, which we adore. I wanted to try how they prepare it in Belarus. The presentation is very original and the taste is very delicate.

Traditional drinks of Belarus

In addition to dishes and desserts, I would like to tell you about the drinks of Belarusians. Popular in the country are kvass, compote, beer, various tinctures and balms based on spices and herbs, and traditional vodka.

Sbiten

Sbiten is a kind of Belarusian mulled wine. It can be a soft drink or an alcoholic drink. It contains: cloves, bay leaves, nutmeg, linden blossom, birch leaves. Ingredients may vary according to the chef's preferences. For degrees, I add alcohol or beer to it. Traditionally, sbiten should be drunk hot, but now it is also consumed as a soft drink.

Belarusian vodka or Garelka

Belarusian vodka can be classic and with various additives. These could be nuts, spices, herbs, birch buds, etc. The most popular in Belarus are:

• garelka on birch buds or berezovitsa
• bread garelka
• Garelka with pepper
• Garelka with honey
• cranberry garelka

​

In addition to vodka, balms and tinctures are very popular in Belarus. These are alcoholic drinks that contain various medicinal herbs, roots, spices, berries, tree buds, honey, etc. Among them:

• The famous Zubrovka, which contains bison grass collected in Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
• Tinctures Belovezhskaya and Belovezhskaya Pushcha
• Healing balms “Polesie”, “Sorcerer”, “Belorussky”
• Krambabula This is a tincture based on honey and various spices. Krambambula is prepared using vodka or alcohol with the addition of nutmeg, honey, cinnamon, cloves, red and black pepper. Drinks both cold and hot.

And finally,

Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan. Spread the potato dough in the form of small cakes. Fry pancakes on one side for about 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Then turn over to the other side and fry for another 1-2 minutes. Serve hot with sour cream.

You can also serve pancakes with soaked lingonberries, sour cream-apple or sour cream-onion sauce, machanka. Or cook pancakes in a pot - with meat, sausages, mushrooms. Bon appetit!

Where to eat national cuisine of Belarus in Minsk

We visited the Vasilki restaurant. The menu is varied and the food is delicious. And most importantly, there are dishes of national cuisine. This is a chain of restaurants. There are several of them in Minsk. Here are the addresses:

• st. Y. Kolasa, 37 MC "Iceberg"
• Independence Avenue, 89
• Independence Avenue, 16
• st. Bobruiskaya, 6 shopping center "Galileo" (4th floor)
• st. P. Glebki, 5 Shopping center "Skala"
• st. Nalibokskaya, 1 Shopping center "Caravan"
• Ave. Pobediteley, 9 shopping center "Galleria Minsk"
• st. P. Mstislavets 11 Shopping center "Dana Mall"

We ate at the Lido bistro restaurant several times. There you can try potato pancakes and pancakes, and, by the way, it’s not bad to eat. There are three such cafes in Minsk:

• on Kulman street, 5A
• on Nezavisimosti Ave., 49, room 1, building 51, room 2
• on Nemiga street, no. 5, room 47, 48, 59, 60

Thank you for reading our blog. See you soon on the pages of our

The national cuisine of Belarus has been formed over many centuries. Neighborhood with countries such as Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania has had a huge influence on the cuisine of this country. There is a stereotype that potatoes are the second bread in Belarus. Believe me, this is far from true. And although potatoes are widely used for cooking various dishes, the cuisine of Belarus is much more diverse. Having absorbed the best culinary traditions of the Slavs, Europeans, Jews, and Scandinavians, the local cuisine amazes with its unique flavor and originality.

But let’s not deviate from the already established opinion that potatoes are the No. 1 vegetable in the national cuisine of Belarus. Perhaps in no other country in the world will you find so many potato dishes. Belarusians have a very respectful attitude towards potatoes and were able to find the most worthy use for them. They do a lot of things from potatoes - they boil them, fry them, bake them, stew them, combine them with fish, meat and vegetables, add them to salads... You should definitely try: “ Belarusian potato pancakes«, « potato casserole ", "sorcerers", "watering", "hoof", "dumplings", "grandmother". It is impossible to list all potato dishes, but dishes made from this miracle vegetable have an excellent and unique taste.

The abundance of forests and the variety of animals that live there predetermined the widespread use of meat in national cuisine. In addition, Belarusians have always raised pigs, goats, cows, sheep, poultry. Therefore, the number of meat dishes is not inferior to potato dishes. The most common and popular are:

• “bigus” - stewed meat with cabbage;
• “sorcerers” - large dumplings;
• “Kishka” and “Kindyuk” are Belarusian sausages;
• "Vendlyanina" - smoked and dried meat;
• “Smazhnya” - meat pie;
• “pyachisty” - lean pork or lamb baked in large pieces.

Other meat delicacies are no less tasty - “machanka”, “saltison”, “zrazy”, “polendvitsa”, “shkvarki”.

As in many Slavic cuisines, the Belarusian menu always includes first courses. They come in cold and hot varieties. Among the cold ones, it is worth trying “khladnik” - a soup made from young beets, cucumbers, onions, eggs, with the addition of celery, dill, red pepper, coriander; “mushroom kvass” is a soup based on bread kvass with porcini mushrooms, onions, parsley, celery, pepper and coriander. For hot soups, try the specific “zhur” soup. It comes in lean, milk, and with yandlina. Other, no less tasty, soups: “grzhanka”, “garbuzok”, “volivka”, “krupenya”.

Belarusian rivers are rich in fish, so since ancient times fish have been boiled, fried, dried, salted, and dried here. In addition, the national cuisine of Belarus is rich in vegetable dishes. Belarusian housewives often use rutabaga, cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, cabbage, and carrots. Mushrooms are also at a premium. They are dried, salted, pickled, fried. All this abundance is complemented by wild berries: cranberries, lingonberries, blueberries, wild strawberries, blueberries, raspberries... Any European cuisine can envy such a variety.

Anyone who has once become acquainted with Belarusian cuisine usually becomes interested in how Belarusian cuisine was formed. National dishes and what characterizes modern Belarusian cuisine? Traditional cooking methods, variety potato dishes, the peculiarities of eating meat make it unique. What Belarusians cook from milk, mushrooms, berries and what drinks they prefer is not typical of any other culture.

The era in which original Belarusian national dishes appeared dates back to the 19th century. Before this, they were influenced by neighboring traditions. The population, belonging to different classes and religions, readily accepted these trends.

The climate played an important role, making it possible to grow delicious varieties potatoes. But it was hard in the spring, when only nettles, sorrel and simple supplies were available.

Among the poor, real bread was considered a luxury and was called a pie. It was customary to call potatoes the second bread, which was reflected in folk art.

Over time, the unique character of Belarusian cuisine emerged. This is what characterizes her today:

• Wide selection of potato dishes;
• Preference for pork over other types of meat;
• Adding mushrooms to the main dish;
• Many desserts and drinks made from berries;
• Consumption of cereals and vegetables;
• Serving dishes in ceramic dishes;
• Supplementing main dishes with pickles.

Let's talk more about these features and present some.

Processing methods

Typically, one or another processing method prevails in national cuisine. Recipes of Belarusian national cuisine Different methods are offered with equal frequency:

• Blanching;

• Extinguishing;
• Baking;
• Cooking.

If you have visited an authentic restaurant or seen it on websites, then you know that a shapeless and overcooked dish with a viscous consistency is considered cooked as it should be.

Potato dishes

Today includes 25 dishes with potatoes. It is rarely consumed in its whole form, most often in grated form, with or without juice.

Among the dishes borrowed from Russian cuisine, the most popular are potato pancakes, which are often decorated with. Other famous ones are drachens, sorcerers, and potato babka.

They also make potato pies. Not to be confused with potato pie: Potatoes are made into dough, not filling.

Features of eating meat

Dishes of Belarusian national cuisine of the 18th century and the earlier ones contained little meat. Lard, which has taken a strong place in modern kitchen, borrowed from the Ukrainians for many years and has long been salted together with the skin.

The fact that Belarusians had to make do with a small amount of meat for a long time led to the emergence of variety of dishes from grains, legumes, vegetables and berries. Therefore, it is interesting for vegetarians.

The favorite variety of Belarusians is pork, for example, dried with spices - polendvitsa.

Among the meat ones, the following are known:

• Bigos;
• Zeppelins;
• Zrazy;
• Knuckles;
• Vyandlina;
• Pyachysty.

After looking at the photo recipes of the national cuisine of Belarus, you will be convinced that the meat is baked in large pieces.

Main courses are served with sauces based on sour cream with the addition of cumin, coriander, bay leaf and dill. They are used in small proportions, so the dishes can hardly be called spicy.

National soups

Cold soups are a purely Belarusian specialty (with sorrel, beet kvass). Hot ones are also present, for example, broth with dumplings, mushroom soup, fish soup.

Milk rivers

For a long time, the absence of dairy products distinguished Belarusian cuisine from other Slavic ones. Milk in its pure form is consumed only in the form of vologi - many contain this element, designed to make the food less dry in the form of sauce or cream.

In addition to butter, Belarusians enjoy preparing other milk derivatives: sour cream, cottage cheese, cheeses, whey and grout.

Mushrooms and berries

Mushrooms are fried, salted, boiled and stewed. They are served in combination with eggs and as part of fried meat - stewed meat with vegetables.

They also use other forest gifts - berries. They are not mixed with each other. For example, raspberry blueberry pie is not an option.

What's for dessert?

Previously, the most common sweet dish was berry pie. Nowadays desserts of Belarusian national cuisine include pancakes, pancakes, and cookies. Belarusian pancakes are different from Russian ones. For example, nalisniki: they are not only fried, but also stewed.

Not only pies are made from berries. Recipes of national cuisine of Belarus offer various jelly, for example, kulagu - based on berries, honey and wheat flour.

Belarusians manage to use their main product, potatoes, in desserts. An example of both sweet and savory baked goods is potato pancakes with lingonberries.

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the options sweet pastries. But when you have little time to cook, you can think about quick cooking pancakes and similar dishes, which you can read about in this article.

Beverages

In the old days, drinking honey was made from ordinary bee honey. And only the nobility on whose territory the vineyards grew had access to wine.

The national alcoholic drink is krambambula based on vodka, honey, nutmeg and spices.

Beer and berry liqueurs have always been a special favorite. The latter are often prepared with the addition of herbs and spices. The oldest brewery in Belarus was founded in 1864. Now, in addition to production, there is a Beer Museum there.

Belarusians use their favorite berries not only for making desserts and liqueurs, but also for making a non-alcoholic drink - compote.

Other soft drink - Belarusian kvass, otherwise, soured birch sap.

Recently, the Grodno region began to hold a Kvass Festival, at which leading producers of the drink generously treat guests. The program of this event includes mini-performances, dances and even games related to kvass.

Belarusian cuisine is the case when, in search of culinary novelties for every day and on festive occasions, you discover interesting options not somewhere far away, but with our closest neighbors. And although you may not offer your home and guests exquisite ingredients, you will surprise them with the method of preparation and serving.

We can talk about the reasons and analyze them for a long time, but the conclusion will be the same - Belarusians have forgotten a lot in their culinary traditions, but these traditions are no less rich than German or French ones.

Most modern Belarusians will read the title and be surprised: “Where did the author find 10 Belarusian dishes that are worthy of being included in some kind of rating?”

So let's get started. When compiling the rating, various sources were carefully studied, which collected dishes of modern Belarusian cuisine and old Belarusian cuisine (let's call it that). Moreover, we studied both the diet of ordinary people and the “zamozhnaya” gentry.

1. Veraschaka

Photo source: oede.by

I am sure that everyone reading expected to see the ubiquitous “Draniki” in first place. Draniki are the most popular Belarusian dish, but in our opinion, “Verashchaka” is a worthy calling card of Belarus among meat dishes.

Recipe: There are several varieties of preparation of “Veraščaki”, we offer the most original one.

Ingredients: 0.5 kg. pork with ribs, 1-2 onions, 1 glass of bread kvass, salt, pepper, bay leaf.

Cooking process: Chop the pork, add salt and pepper, and fry on both sides. Fry finely chopped onion in the fat that is released. Place the meat and onions in a cast iron (saucepan), pour bread kvass and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Served with mashed potatoes or pancakes.

If you try to include “Verashchaka” in a certain classification series, then according to the method of consumption this dish is “machanka”. Among the dishes of Belarusian cuisine you can find at least a dozen different “machankas”. We can be proud of these specialties (signature dish).

2. Beetroot soup

Photo source:

But the second specialty that Belarusian cuisine can be proud of is, of course, cold soups made from beets, sorrel, and nettles. Cold soups are an exclusively Belarusian culinary tradition, and if a similar dish is found among our neighbors, then they borrowed it from us, and not we from them. And this is nice.

Recipe: In second place we placed “Beetroot soup”, prepared according to a traditional recipe. Although you can find many varieties of cold soups.

Ingredients: Beets with petioles and tops, cucumbers, green onions, dill, radishes, dill, eggs, vinegar, salt, sugar, sour cream.

Cooking process: Boil peeled, thoroughly washed, cut into strips or cubes young beets (along with finely chopped petioles) in a small amount of water and vinegar until tender. About 10 minutes before the end of cooking, add a little chopped young beet tops, salt, then cool. Fresh cucumbers wash, peel, cut into cubes. Sort the green onions, dill, and radishes, rinse, and cut individually. Finely chop the eggs. Pour kvass into the cooled beet broth, add salt, sugar, chopped cucumbers, radishes, green onions, dill, eggs. Serve sour cream separately.

3. Draniki

Photo source:

It’s hard to imagine a Belarusian without potato pancakes. And indeed, pancakes made from raw grated potatoes are a wonderful invention. It’s not for nothing that all neighboring peoples have similar dishes in their national traditions. Not long ago a festival of potato pancakes was held in Ukraine, and in Germany potato fritters they eat it with jam, not sour cream... These facts about analogues of our potato pancakes came to mind right away, but they are not the only ones.

Recipe: Traditionally, potato pancakes are understood as potato pancakes, and potato cakes with filling are usually called sorcerers. Although 150-200 years ago, sorcerers meant completely different dishes. In this ranking, the third place is occupied by classic Belarusian potato pancakes.

Ingredients: potatoes, flour, curdled milk or kefir, salt.

Cooking process: Raw potatoes grate on a fine grater, add flour, curdled milk (kefir), salt and mix. Fry in vegetable oil. Ready pancakes are served with chopped, fried onions and fried lard.

In modern Belarusian cuisine, potato pancakes are popular without flour and are served with sour cream. Also, potato pancakes are perfect as a side dish for Belarusian “machankas” along with flour pancakes.

Third place with potato pancakes may well be shared by another famous Belarusian dish - babka or “drachona bulbyanaya”.

4. Krambambula

Photo source:

What is national cuisine without a unique, local strong alcoholic drink. The Czechs are proud of their Becherovka, the Germans are proud of their schnapps, the British are proud of their whiskey, and the Russians are proud of their vodka. I could go on for a long time. We also have our own strong drink, which for the last ten years has been firmly associated with the musical project of Lyavon Volsky. Although to be fair, before this he was not associated with anything at all.

Recipe: This drink and its recipe are firmly forgotten by alcohol producers and restaurateurs. It could turn out to be an interesting brand for tourists.

Ingredients: 0.5 l. vodka or alcohol, a glass of water, a quarter of chopped nutmeg, 1-2 tbsp. spoons of honey, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 4 teaspoons of crushed cloves, red and black pepper.

Cooking process: Take vodka or alcohol, pour a glass and mix with the same amount of water. Add nutmeg, honey, cinnamon, crushed cloves, 4-5 grains of hot red pepper. Heat all this and boil for 10 minutes. Then carefully pour in the rest of the vodka and leave in a sealed container for 5 minutes, strain through 4 layers of gauze into a bottle, adding 2-3 black peppercorns first.

5. Belarusian sour black bread

Photo source:

When I come abroad, I am always surprised at how delicious the bread in Belarus is. Black sour bread has always been popular with us. Its “industrial” representative is the famous “Narochansky”. Such delicious bread, which also practically doesn’t go stale, you can’t try it abroad.

Recipe: Introducing traditional recipe preparing bread, according to which our grandmothers baked it in real ovens.

Ingredients: flour, water, salt.

Cooking process: The dough is kneaded in the evening and the bread is baked in the morning. Add water to the flour and knead. The dough should not be very thick. To ensure the dough sours and rises well, cover it with a lid and place it in a warm place overnight. The dough is fermented using the so-called “roshchyna”, which is usually a small piece of dough left over from previous baking.

In the morning, add flour and salt to the dough, knead the dough with your fists. To ensure that the dough comes off your hands well, they are periodically moistened with water. Place a piece of dough on a wooden shovel sprinkled with flour, smooth it with your hands and place it in a hot oven. A cross was always drawn on the dough in front of the stove. The bread is considered ready when the steam rises smoothly from it.

Czechs are proud of their mineral water"Mationi." This is their brand, in the promotion of which they invest a lot of effort and money. And these efforts are yielding serious results. Belarusian sour bread is not just our yet unpromoted brand, it is the pride of the Belarusian people.

6. Beer stew

Photo source:

The Czech Republic and Germany are considered beer countries. It is very unfortunate that Belarus did not join this duet. But beer traditions at one time in the Belarusian lands were very extensive. It’s worth reading Henryk Sienkiewicz - no matter what Mr. Zagloba’s feast is, there’s beer or honey or beer stew with cheese or sour cream. But time decreed otherwise and, unfortunately, beer in Belarus gave way to stronger and more harmful vodka.

Ingredients: 1 l. beer, sugar, 6 egg yolks, ginger, bread croutons.

Cooking process: Boil beer, add sugar to taste, whipped yolks, and you can add ginger. Serve soup with croutons.

7. Kulaga

Photo source:

National cuisine without its own dessert is incomplete. There are many interesting sweet dishes in the Belarusian culinary tradition, but we considered kulaga worthy of being included in the top ten.

Recipe: Kulaga is a wonderfully sweet dish made from fresh berries.

Ingredients: 400 g of berries (blueberries, lingonberries, rowan, viburnum or raspberry), 70 g of honey, 2-3 tbsp. spoons of wheat flour.

Cooking process: Fresh berries sort, rinse, put on fire. When the berries are boiled, add wheat flour diluted in a small amount of water, and also add honey or sugar. Stir and cook over low heat until the dish has the consistency of jelly. Kulaga is served with pancakes, white bread and milk.

8. Pyachysto

Photo source:

Sweets are good, but any cuisine is primarily distinguished by meat dishes. One of them is “Pyachysto”. This is a lamb dish. An attentive reader will ask: “What kind of lamb is there in Belarus, we’re not in the Caucasus mountains?” Yes, indeed, we do not have mountains, but before the start of the last war, sheep breeding on the territory of Belarus occupied a leading position in the balance of all livestock farming. After the devastating war, they decided not to restore this traditional industry for Belarusians. Gradually (and maybe quickly) lamb disappeared from the diet of Belarusians. But many recipes remain, and the most interesting of them is “Pyachysty”.

Recipe: There are many references to the mysterious “Pyachysto” in literature. But there is no exact recipe anywhere. Why is that? After all, so many researchers have dealt with culinary issues.

Ingredients: Mutton.

Cooking process: Lean lamb is baked in large pieces (usually the entire back part).

This is all that is known about this mysterious dish. But this small description paints a very appetizing picture.

9. Sbiten

Photo source:

The top ten cannot do without a soft drink. Sbiten is more than suitable for this role. It is healthy, it quenches thirst and it is certainly very tasty. It is worth noting that there are many recipes for sbitney. Today it is more associated with a soft drink (you can buy it cold in some stores), but classic sbiten was consumed very hot. Let's present a traditional recipe.

Recipe: Sbiten can be either alcoholic or non-alcoholic. In addition to spices, it is advisable to add herbs to sbiten.

Ingredients: water, honey, pepper, cloves, bay leaf, nutmeg.

Cooking process: Boil water with honey (you can add sugar or molasses), add pepper, cloves, bay leaf, grated nutmeg, and other seasonings to taste. Sometimes beer or alcohol is added to sbiten. Drink hot.

Sbiten was popular in Belarus in the 18th-19th centuries. IN folk medicine was used as an antiscorbutic agent.

10. Nalisniki

Photo source:

In our opinion, the bottom of the top ten should be a dish that can claim to be the national Belarusian fast food. There were a decent number of such dishes. But for potato pancakes the role of fast food is not enough, for Belarusian home-made sausages it is banal, but Polesie pancakes “Nalisniki” are excellent for this role.

Recipe: Nalisniki are traditional Polesie pancakes, the recipe for which was recorded during one of the ethnographic expeditions in the Rechitsa region. I am sure that this dish is familiar to many, but you will never try such pancakes in street stalls.

Ingredients: flour, milk, cottage cheese, cheese, butter.

Cooking process: Flour is mixed with fresh milk and mix until it forms a thin dough. On hot frying pan fry thin pancakes. Pancakes are filled with cottage cheese or cheese, wrapped in a tube or folded in four. The top of the pancake is spread with butter and fried in a frying pan. Fried pancakes are placed in a pot, butter or sour cream is added and simmered in the oven.

At least two dozen interesting Belarusian dishes did not fit into our rating. One thing is good: this is the first rating on our blog, but not the last.

The Belarusian cuisine that is well known to us has many similarities with the cuisines of other countries and nationalities inhabiting the north-east of Europe. The diet of Belarusians consists mainly of meat, vegetables typical for this region and a variety of dairy products.

The history of the Belarusian people is very rich in a variety of events. Political and cultural ties with Poles, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, Russians, Jews, and Tatars significantly influenced the development of Belarusian culinary traditions and shaped modern Belarusian cuisine. However, if by the beginning of the twentieth century Belarusian cuisine was indeed very original and outstanding, then during the Soviet era it was standardized and lost many old gastronomic traditions. Today's Belarusians eat mainly dishes introduced to them during the USSR. Another thing is that many dishes that have become popular throughout the Union have Belarusian roots.

If, until the twentieth century, the Belarusian elite ate all sorts of delicacies, mainly of Polish origin, then ordinary peasants, until the Second World War, ate very primitively: their diet consisted of soup and a main course. Belarusians worked in the fields from early morning until late evening, so they were used to having a hearty breakfast. The tradition is still relevant today - many Belarusians still have a very hearty breakfast.

Belarusian cuisine is characterized by the active use of grains - rye, wheat, barley, oats, buckwheat. Sour is still incredibly popular in Belarus. Rye bread, pancakes and pancakes are baked from wheat flour, porridge is cooked from buckwheat. Vegetables occupied and continue to occupy the most important place in the diet of Belarusians - if initially the most popular vegetables were cabbage and beets, today the flagship of all Belarusian cuisine is potatoes. They say that the Belarusian national cuisine includes several hundred potato dishes - and these are not only potato pancakes and potato pancakes. Indeed, Belarusians prepare a great many of their signature dishes from potatoes, and they serve them as a side dish for many meat dishes. However, it is wrong to identify Belarusian cuisine with potato dishes - in some neighboring nations this vegetable is no less popular (for example, in Lithuania), and not all signature dishes of national Belarusian cuisine are prepared from potatoes.

From time immemorial, Belarusians have eaten a lot of soups. The local soups were not much different from those eaten by Ukrainians, Poles and Russians - cabbage soup, borscht, sorrel soup, pickle. In the warm season, Belarusians prepare holodnik - a cold beet soup, which is also popular in Lithuania and Poland.

Belarusians have always loved meat, but poor Belarusian peasants could afford it, as a rule, only on Christian holidays. The most popular meat is pork. The most common typically Belarusian meat dishes are sausages (pork intestine, stuffed minced meat), kryvyanka (blood sausage), kindzyuk (pork stomach filled minced pork), machanka (meat dish, which has many varieties), zrazy. Today, a variety of cutlets, chops, meat stews and goulash, shish kebab. Belarusian interpretation of Russian dumplings and Italian ravioli are sorcerers.

Other features of Belarusian cuisine are the fairly active consumption of dairy products (the most popular are cottage cheese, sour cream, butter), the low popularity of fish (Belarusians have no access to the sea, and lake and River fish is not in great demand) and the regular use of side dishes (in times of famine, it was the side dish that made up the lion's share of the Belarusian peasant's dish, and the tradition has survived to this day - to any meat dish Belarusians always cook mashed potatoes, buckwheat porridge, rice, pasta or other favorite side dish).

The traditional Belarusian alcoholic drink is vodka, or more precisely, garelka. Once popular alcoholic drinks, made from honey and herbs (for example, zubrovka or krambambula), but today they are incomparable in popularity to vodka. The main local non-alcoholic drink is kvass; compote and mineral water are also popular.