A rich, intensely flavored soup combining meat, pickled cucumbers, onions, olives and a pleasantly sour broth. Moscow versions became especially popular in restaurants and taverns, where several kinds of meat could be combined in one pot. 1)
The classic Russian cabbage soup appears in countless regional forms, but Moscow cooking developed particularly elaborate versions. Fresh or fermented cabbage can be combined with beef, root vegetables and sometimes smoked meat to create a deep, hearty broth. 2)
A thick soup distinguished by the use of salted cucumbers and their brine. Pearl barley and beef or poultry are traditional companions, while the cucumber brine gives the soup its characteristic sharp, refreshing acidity. 3)
A famous ring-shaped white bread associated with Moscow's historic bakeries. Its unusual form made it easy to carry, while the crisp crust and soft, airy interior made the kalach a prized bakery product. 4)
A substantial enclosed pie traditionally filled with combinations of fish, cabbage, mushrooms, buckwheat, eggs or meat. Elaborate kulebyaki could contain several fillings arranged in separate layers, making them both a meal and a centerpiece. 5)
Buckwheat groats are cooked until tender and enriched with butter, mushrooms, onions or meat. In old Moscow households, kasha could appear on both everyday and ceremonial tables, demonstrating how a humble grain could become surprisingly elaborate. 6)
Thin blini served with butter, sour cream and fish roe became one of the best-known dishes associated with wealthy Russian festive dining. The combination also reflects Moscow's historic role as a city where products from distant parts of the empire arrived in abundance. 7)
Small baked or fried pastries filled with cabbage, mushrooms, meat, fish, eggs or potatoes. They were convenient street and tavern food and could range from inexpensive everyday snacks to more refined versions served at receptions. 8)
Tender minced-meat cutlets prepared with a mixture of meat, bread and seasonings and fried until golden. Moscow restaurants helped popularize numerous variations of the Russian cutlet tradition, including versions based on poultry and game. 9)
Tender veal is cooked with forest mushrooms and a rich sauce, sometimes finished with sour cream. The dish combines the more sophisticated restaurant traditions of Moscow with ingredients traditionally gathered in the surrounding forests. 10)
Forest mushrooms are preserved through salting or marinating and later served as a cold appetizer. In traditional Moscow cuisine, an assortment of preserved mushrooms could accompany vodka, rye bread, onions and other zakuski. 11)
One of the world's most famous Russian salads originated in nineteenth-century Moscow. Created by chef Lucien Olivier at the Hermitage restaurant, the original version was considerably more luxurious than the familiar modern salad and used ingredients such as game, crayfish and other delicacies. 12)
A luxurious semolina dessert made with milk, cream and sweet toppings such as nuts and dried fruit. Its preparation could involve repeatedly collecting the browned milk skins formed during heating and layering them with the porridge. 13)
Fruit purée, especially from apples or tart forest berries, is dried into a light confection. Such preserved fruit sweets were valuable in a city where seasonal produce needed to be transformed into products that could last through winter. 14)
Spiced honey or sugar gingerbread representing the city's long tradition of confectionery. Pryaniki could be decorated, stamped with patterns or filled with fruit preserves, making them popular both as gifts and festive sweets. 15)