What to Eat in Belarus
What should you eat in Belarus? What are the most typical and traditional Belarusian dishes? Here is the list of the Best Belarusian Food & Cuisine that you should try before you die. You cannot leave Belarus without eating these foods!
Best Top Foods You Must Try in Belarus
- Borscht / борщ
- The Borscht is a vegetable soup, which generally includes beet roots that give it that characteristic deep vermillion color. We have two variaties, the hot Borscht and the cold Borscht. In the region of Polesie, around the border between Belarus and Ukraine, the hot borsch, is offered in the ceremony of the "night of the ancestors" because according to a traditional belief, the soul of the deceased is carried to the sky by the steam that rises from bowls of hot borscht.
- Draniki / драники
- Draniki are small pancakes with grated potatoes stuffed or without it. They are considered one of the most reputed national dishes. This dish exists in numerous countries, but it's specially good in Bielorusia because its made of Floury Belarusian potatoes, which have great cooking qualities and are very tasty.
- Dressed Herring Salad / селедка под шубой
- The delicious Dressed Herring Salad (literally translating to “herring under a fur coat”) has become a traditional dish for the festive and New Year's table. The salad consists of small pieces of herring fillet laid out on a flat dish and successively covered with layers of grated boiled potatoes, carrots and beets. Herring is replaced by seaweed when you make a vegetarian version :D
- Shashlik / шашлык
- Shashlik is like our local version of barbecue. Originally a dish of finely sliced lamb , strung on a skewer and baked on charcoal in the grill. We love shashliks because they are a perfect way to gather the whole family or friends together in the nature.
- Syrniki / сырники
- Syrniki are fresh cheesecakes we eat for breakfast. Syrniki is the very dish with which you will remain full until lunch, made from a combination of fried cottage cheese, flour or semolina, and eggs. The peculiarity of the recipe is that cottage cheese should be carefully squeezed and rubbed, the better it is squeezed, the less flour is required to obtain the dough.
- Olivier Salad / салат оливье
- The Olivier Salad is a popular New Year's dish, but we can eat it all year long as a side dish to any meal. The name is supposed to come from its creator, chef Lucien Olivier, and has Russians origins (although no ones knows for sure). It is made of hazel grouse, chicken meat or sausages, potatoes, pickles , eggs, lettuce, olives, mayonnaise and soya-kabul.
- Pirozhki / пирожки
- Pirozhki or Piroshki are little buns filled with cabbage, meat, mushrooms or many other things. Simply delicious as snack or breakfast :P
- Pelmeni / пельмени
- Palmeni is bielarusian dish made of bread dough balls with meat filling. The word pelmeni comes from a region of Russia called Udmurtia and consists of two parts where the first means "ear" and the second is "bread", hence we have palmeni, which literally translates as "ear of bread". It is so typical that we eat it t least once a week.
- Vareniki / вареники
- It is a variety of Pelmenis but they are stuffed with something sweet - berries, requeson, or sometimes with cooked potatoes (pure) or potatoes with mushrooms. It is served with cream, butter or other sauce. Vareniki is a dessert / breakfast / lunch with which all Bielarussians grow. It's typical that the children get rid of the stuffing and stay alone with the dough or vice versa :D
- Machanka s Blinami / мачанка с блинами
- Machanka s Blinaminiki is a dish of traditional Belarusian cuisine. In itself, it is not festive, but we usually cook it only twice a year, for Easter and Christmas. And not because it is very difficult (just the opposite). Simply, it is incredibly tasty and one of its kind already creates a feeling of celebration. Machanka is made of meat stewed with broth and accompanied by draniki or pancakes.
- Kletski / клёцки
- Kletski are our favourite type of dumplings you can find in Belarus. They are mostly done with potato and meat and always leave a fulfilling feelingg that everyone loves.
- Cabbage soup / Shchi / щи
- Shchi is a soup with cabbage as the main ingredient. It is very popular in Belarusian Gastronomy. Shchi made with sauerkraut has an acid taste and for this reason it is called shchi acid. It is usually served with Smetana before being served.
- Kvass / квас
- Kvass is a fermented Belarusian drink, very healthy and nutritious. Nothing is better against thirst, we can assure you. For centuries the Kvass was the only alcoholic drink in all the celebrations (party, weddings, etc.), because they used to do it very strong and thick. This drink was so important that it even appeared in a Russian saying "The worst kvass is better than the best water".
- Mors / морс
- Mors is the traditional soft drink of belarusian cuisine non-carbonated, made of berry juice, diluted with water and sweetened. It cn be a healthy refreshment for summer or a warming drink during the winter when drinked hot.