Russian cuisine can be diverse and complex, with influences from all over the world – though most notably north and central Europe, central Asia and the middle east. Traditional Russian cuisine is by large very much the same or at least very much influenced by Soviet Cuisine and relies heavily on foods such as fish, pork, caviar and berries. Hot soups and stews such as borscht and Solyanka and very common as are cold soups like Botvinya and Tyurya.
Some standout dishes include Pelmeni dumplings, shashlik which is a form of shish kebab and most often made with slices of meat and onions, and smoked or salted herring served with creamy vegetables and pickles. Popular desserts include Vatrushka, which is a ring cake that’s filled with sweet tvorog in the middle and often garnished with berries or fruit, and Kissel which is made from sweetened berries and sometimes served along with quark and semolina.
