Relishing diverse, multi-cultural street food in Moscow

If you are an adventurous foodie who believe in visiting different countries to relish street food, then you should consider visiting Moscow, the capital city of Russia. The street food here is renowned for being diverse and multi-cultural, and aptly reflects many regions in this vast country stretching from Europe to Asia. Many kinds of food can be found in Russia conforming to its harsh climate. There are some food that are simple in nature and are season-dependent, while some of the food can be preserved for a longer duration through smoking, freezing, pickling or salting.

Let us now visit Moscow, where you will discover a wide range of traditional street food. Whether you are visiting fine restaurants, mid-range eateries, cafes, kiosks within malls or food stands on the streets, you will find all kinds of food suiting to your taste buds. Salads and soups, which are mostly served as appetizers/starters, form an important part of any meal. This is followed by a main dish. Desserts are rarely served. The ingredients commonly used to prepare the dishes include grapes, yellow turnip, butter, sugar, honey, eggs, potatoes, zander, carp, pike, lamb, sour cream, olives, lemons, chicken, beef, beetroot, tomato, cucumber, onions, carrots, salmon, trout and cabbage. Snacks are a common feature in Moscow and you will find a wide variety of pastries being sold at various food stands and kiosks throughout the day. The pastries are often consumed as meals by the poor in Russia. Drinking is socially acceptable and is treated as part of Russian culture. Popular alcoholic drink Vodka is freely available and consumed just like water.

The most common street food sold on the streets of Moscow include Rassolnik, Pirozhki, Pilaf Rice, Pelmeni, Kvass, Khachapuri Imeruli, Russia Honey Cake, Herbed Rye Bread, Russia Goulash Beef, Coulibiac, Borscht, Blini, Alenka Chocolate, Beef Stroganov and Baked Eggplant. It will be worthwhile to know in detail about these street foods. Getting acquainted with these beforehand will be surely beneficial for you on your next visit to the city.
 
Rassolnik
Rassolnik is a form of traditional hot, thin body soup/broth. It usually consists of potatoes, onions, cabbage, carrots, pickled cucumbers, chicken/pork/beef, pearl barley and salt. It is also popularly called “Pickle Soup” because of its sour taste. The soup is quite light and is said to be good for pregnant ladies.
 
Pirozhki
Pirozhki is a term used for a variety of baked or fried stuffed buns commonly sold in Russia. It comes with a variety of fillings and varies in size and shape. Some of the common ingredients used for stuffing a Pirozhki include cheese, cabbage, eggs, mushrooms, potatoes, onions, trout, salmon, chicken, pork or beef. It is a great favorite with the local Russians and is a readily available street snack in Moscow. You will discover the baked or fried version of Pirozhki being sold in every street corner.
 
Pilaf Rice
Pilaf Rice is a common, simple dish available on the streets of Moscow and other cities of Russia. It is also known as Pilaf Rice Vegetable. It is prepared with long grain white rice, garlic, onions, cumin seeds, salt, bay leaves, cloves, raisins, and French beans/string beans. It usually has a fragrant aroma.

Beef Stroganov
Beef Stroganov is a classic dish in Russia. It is a sliced beef sautéed preparation in sour cream. Its popular variations include mushrooms or onions. This main dish is usually served along with bread or rice.

Pelmeni
Pelmeni is a Russian style dumpling commonly savored as an appetizer. Some of the people however treat it as a main dish. The dough of Pelmeni is prepared with flour and water. It is later on stuffed with various fillings such as turnips, cabbage, onions, mushrooms, trout, lamb, pork, beef or salmon. The Pelmeni dumplings however vary from those in other countries. Its dough is thin, with a higher amount of filling to dough ratio. It is quite delicious as well.
 
Khachapuri Imeruli
Khachapuri Imeruli is a type of bread filled with cheese. It is circular in shape. This national dish of Georgia is prepared with all purpose flour, full cream milk, cheese, baking soda, oil, salt and water.

Russia Goulash Beef
Russia Goulash Beef is a hearty stew/soup and is a great favorite with the local Russians. This dish has been adapted from the neighboring country Hungary. It is prepared with various ingredients such as paprika, pepper, vinegaqr, celery, tomatoes, onions, water, salt, potatoes, carrots and beef. Among other ingredients added in this dish include sour cream, cabbage, chili, parsnip, bay leaves or capsicum/bell peppers. It is either served as a one dish meal or a starter/appetizer.