What, Where, When to Eat: A Gastronomic Guide to Russian Cities

Every city has something unique – museums, monuments, buildings. And food too! In Paris – croissants, in Naples – pizza, in Marseille – bouillabaisse. Almost every city has a dish that has become (or wants to become) its gastronomic brand. We found 10 famous dishes from Russian regions.

Echpochmak in Kazan

You can't just visit Tatarstan and not try echpochmak. Songs are written about it, poems are composed, and monuments are erected in its honor (no joke). This triangular pastry with a hole in the middle has become famous throughout the country and is directly associated with Kazan. Inside, it has a filling of meat and potatoes. You might ask: “Kupibilet, how did potatoes, which were only brought to Russia in the 18th century, end up inside a traditional Tatar treat?” And we will answer: of course, originally there were no potatoes in it. There was spelt, millet, rice. But when potatoes appeared, they took root so quickly that today it's impossible without them. We talked about what else to try in Kazan here.

Where to try echpochmak in Kazan: bakery and confectionery «Chak-Chak & Echpochmak», «Tyubetey» chain, «Tugan Avylym» amusement park, «Dom Chaya» cafe.

Pyshki in St. Petersburg

Some might say that the true St. Petersburg specialty is smelt. And they would be right! But the problem is that smelt has a season, while pyshki can be eaten all year round. They are made from yeast dough and then quickly fried in a large amount of oil. The name itself did not come from the word «pyshny» (fluffy), as it might seem. But from the verb «pykhat» (to puff), meaning «to scald with heat». In the classic version, pyshki have a hole in the center and a generous layer of powdered sugar on top. Leave all glazes and sprinkles for donuts. And by no means confuse one with the other! You might as well contemptuously call a «paradnaya» (grand entrance) in St. Petersburg a «podyezd» (common entrance), for goodness sake.

Where to try pyshki in St. Petersburg: Pyshechnaya on Bolshaya Konyushennaya, Pyshechnaya on Sadovaya, «Pyshechka» by Ginza Project.

Pyan-se in Vladivostok

In the beginning was the word, and that word was «wangmandu». That is, «royal dumpling». From it came pyeonsu, which later transformed into the famous Far Eastern pyanse. This is a large steamed pastry with a filling of meat, cabbage, onions, and spices. If you managed to get inexpensive tickets Moscow – Vladivostok, then as proper tourists, you are obliged to try pyan-se as street food. Be prepared for a specific aroma!

Where to try pyanse in Vladivostok: everywhere you find a kiosk with this legendary fast food.

Kalitki in Petrozavodsk

Whoever rushes to Karelia will try kalitki. No, this culinary symbol of the region has nothing to do with fences. It's all about an old money bag called «kalita», which kalitki resemble. This is another type of pastry on our list, only kalitki, unlike pies, are open, meaning the filling (or nalivka, namazka, pripyok) is visible from above. The dough for them is made from rye flour, and traditionally, barley or pearl barley groats are placed inside. However, kalitki with mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, berries, and fish are popular now.  

Where to try kalitki in Petrozavodsk: «Karelskaya Gornitsa» restaurant, «Kalitochnaya» cafe, «Leto» cafe in «Ruskeala» mountain park.

Pryaniki in Tula

People don't go to Tula with their own samovar, but in Tula, they definitely eat pryaniki. Classic ones in the shape of a slab, with jam or condensed milk filling. The pryanik has long become the calling card of this Russian region. They hold a festival in its honor, opened a museum, and erected a monument. In short, there's always something to try and see in Tula. Actually, the Tula pryanik doesn't need advertising, you just need to buy it and eat it!

Where to buy pryaniki in Tula: factory stores, «Pryanik Museum», «Tea Drinking Museum».

Pastila in Kolomna

Pastila in Kolomna has a serious competitor – kalachi. They are convenient to grab and eat on the go, holding them by a special bread handle. But pastila is a whole ceremony. Pour tea from a teapot, cut neat pieces of pastila, arrange them on saucers – what a beautiful sight! You involuntarily feel like a 19th-century merchant who, after a long journey, had a proper dinner and is now pleased to have tea. In Kolomna, the taste of the original pastila, produced here since the 17th century, has been restored. And the best news is that this delicate apple delicacy can be taken with you to treat friends and colleagues.

Where to try pastila in Kolomna: «Kolomenskaya Pastila» Museum, Museum Factory of Pastila.

Buuzy in Ulan-Ude

Also known as «pozy», relatives of Chinese steamed buns baozi. They are rightfully considered a national Buryat dish and are invariably on the list of what to try in Ulan-Ude. The tradition of wrapping meat in dough exists among almost every people. And it is almost always accompanied by a beautiful legend or belief. For example, it is believed that there should be exactly 33 pleats on buuzy, like the folds on a lama's robe. And the shape is explained by the architecture of a yurt: the opening in its roof is also needed for air circulation. The filling for buuzy consists of minced meat (lamb, pork, beef) and onions.

Where to try buuzy in Ulan-Ude: «Shenehenskie Buuzy» cafe, «Buuza Room», on the territory of the datsan in Verkhnyaya Berezovka.

Pelbeny in Kemerovo

To go to Kemerovo means to get acquainted with taiga cuisine. Traditional dishes of the peoples of Russia in this part of the country include stroganina from nelma, «tut-pash» soup, and Shor dumplings made from rye flour called «pelben». The latter are molded from rye flour, and chopped horse meat, beef, or venison is used for the filling. But the main difference from the well-known dumplings is that pine nuts are always added to the meat filling in pelbeny. And they are even boiled in milk!

Where to try pelbeny in Kemerovo: «Tazgol» ecomuseum on the territory of the «Gornaya Shoriya» national park.

Perepechi in Izhevsk

This pastry became famous throughout the country thanks to Eurovision. In 2012, Russia was represented at the music contest by the «Buranovskiye Babushki». They also told about the hit of Udmurt cuisine – open vatrushkas or tartlets with meat, egg, mushroom, or vegetable filling. Before baking, it is poured with an egg or a mixture of egg and milk. Where the name came from is not exactly known. There is a version that it's all about the baking method – «pered pechkoy» (in front of the oven).

Where to try perepechi in Izhevsk: «Perepechkin» street food cafe, «Tyr Korka» restaurant, The Taste restaurant.

Posikunchiki in Perm

Flying to Perm? Great, here you can also try national dishes of Russia. In particular, small meat pies called posikunchiki. Their shape is more reminiscent of vareniki. And let scientists argue whether posikunchiki existed several centuries ago or only appeared in the 90s of the last century. They don't become any less delicious because of it! They should be eaten by dipping them in a sauce made of mustard, vinegar, and salt.

Where to try posikunchiki in Perm: «Permskie Posikunchiki» cafe-pie shop, «Permskaya Kukhnya» cafe-museum, «Stroganovskaya Votchina» restaurant.

It's up to you to decide what exactly you want to try in the cities of Russia!