Each country has its own culture, traditions and, of course, cuisine. Many dishes have long become international and are included in the traditional menu of various countries. Nevertheless, some peculiarities and traits are always preserved by which you can recognize the food of certain countries. It is especially interesting to compare the cuisine of Russia and Georgia, which evolved under the influence of different ways.
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Traditional products and dishes of Russian and Georgian cuisine
In Russian cuisine, various cereals have always been used as food. This is due to the fact that the country has long successfully cultivated such crops. Hence the bread obligatory for the Russian table and a variety of cereals, which were traditional food in peasant families. In Georgia, cereals are not so common, and wheat and corn flour cakes are usually served as bread.
From time immemorial, various pickles were put on the table in Russia - pickled apples, plums and cabbage, pickled mushrooms, pickled garlic and onions. A little later, cucumbers and tomatoes began to be salted. Rarely did a meal do without them. This is due not only to the custom of fasting, but also to the fact that poor people always stocked vegetables and fruits for the winter in order to survive in the cold season.
Meanwhile, sauces were practically not used in traditional Russian cuisine - all of them were borrowed from European and the same Georgian cuisine. Whereas in Georgia, no meal is unthinkable without this, and cooking the sauce is considered a real art. For sauces in this country, tomatoes, garlic, many different aromatic herbs and spices are necessarily used. The result is a mild, but very spicy and thick dressing.
Meat dishes are common in both Russian and Georgian cuisine. True, in Russia meat has long been cooked most often in large whole pieces, and piglets and poultry were completely baked in the oven entirely. In Georgia, it was often cut into pieces, fried over a fire or languished in a pan with vegetables and spices. At the same time, the bird could be found much more often on the Russian table, and lamb - in Georgian.
Fish is also of great importance in Russian cuisine - it has long been used in boiled, smoked, salted and baked form. This is again due to the post and to the greater availability of this product for the average person. But in Georgia, fish dishes are much less common.
As for vegetables and fruits, they are quite common in both cuisines. Although before fresh they were much more consumed in Georgia, and in Russia they were salted, steamed and stewed. Well, greens are still more common in Georgia, especially various aromatic herbs, such as regan or cilantro. Without them, no table is conceivable.
Both in Russia and Georgia, first courses are common. Only in Russian cuisine are they more liquid and not as spicy as in Georgian. In addition, in Russia they cooked a lot with the addition of salted and pickled products - from here cabbage soup, pickle and botvini.
And in Russia, pies with meat, fish and mushroom fillings, fruits and berries, as well as pancakes, have long been widespread. While in Georgia they baked more tortillas with cheese filling, the famous khachapuri went from here. You can often find sweets made of nuts or puff pastry on a Georgian table.
Dairy products are also popular in both countries. However, milk, sour cream and cottage cheese were used more in Russia, and cheese and sour-milk drinks in Georgia.