The cuisine of a country develops under the influence of many factors - the location of the state, climatic conditions, and even relations with other countries. It is constantly changing, without losing its features and traditions. And Russia is no exception in this regard, so the nutrition of the Russian people two centuries ago, although it was different from the modern, but at the same time it contained familiar products and dishes.
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Traditional dishes of Russian cuisine of the XIX century
At the beginning of the XIX century, the nutrition of ordinary Russian people and aristocrats was very different. French cuisine became fashionable, and having a cook from this country was considered a sign of luxury and good taste. That is why on the table of the nobility at that time there were a lot of dishes borrowed from Europe - pastes, cutlets, salads, sandwiches, oysters, gourmet cakes, all kinds of sauces unusual for Russian cuisine and much more. Moreover, an ordinary lunch, as a rule, consisted of 6-7 different dishes.
The table of merchants, although plentiful, was not as sophisticated as that of noble people. Representatives of this class preferred hearty Russian dishes: pies with various fillings, cabbage soup, fish soups, poultry and meat. Often on their table was sterlet or sturgeon caviar and all kinds of pickles. From dairy products, mainly butter or sour cream was consumed.
The peasants' table was even simpler. The products on it depended on the wealth of the family and crafts, traditional in the region of their residence. Since potatoes appeared much later, ordinary people ate baked or steamed turnips, bread, all kinds of cereals, mushrooms. If there was a river nearby, there were often fish and dishes from it on the peasant table. The peasants ate meat and poultry quite rarely, usually on major holidays, as well as pancakes with pies. Of the first courses, stews of vegetables, legumes or pickles were common.
Pickles, by the way, were also often present on the Russian table of the 19th century. For the winter, mushrooms, apples, cabbage and, of course, fish were salted and fermented. Thanks to them and bread, Russian peasants could survive long and harsh winters.
A little later, the border between the kitchen of aristocrats and ordinary people began to blur. The French frog legs did not take root on a noble Russian table, so the fashion for a simple and satisfying aspic of fish returned again, and the peasants began to diversify their menu with popular potatoes and fish salads.
The so-called tavern kitchen appeared, which was characterized by a combination of traditional Russian and some overseas dishes. In taverns where both nobles and ordinary people stayed, one could eat eggs, and porridge, and roast in a pot, and dairy products, and fish dishes with pies.