Small dumplings filled with minced meat, traditionally using pork, beef or game. In the Urals, pelmeni were often made in large batches and frozen outdoors, turning the winter cold into a natural freezer. ¹⁾

A substantial dish of boiled meat served with broad pieces of handmade dough and onions cooked in broth. Horse meat, lamb or beef may be used, reflecting the strong pastoral traditions of the southern Urals. ²⁾

Triangular baked pastries filled with meat, potatoes and onions. The filling cooks slowly inside the dough, while the characteristic opening at the top can be used to add broth during cooking. ³⁾

Thin flatbreads folded around a filling, traditionally mashed potatoes or millet porridge. Their simple construction made them convenient food for journeys, fieldwork and everyday meals. ⁴⁾

Small pieces of yeast dough fried until golden and traditionally served with honey, jam or other accompaniments. They are particularly associated with festive tables and hospitality. ⁵⁾

Round fried pastries containing minced meat, traditionally lamb or beef. Their open or partially open centers allow the filling to cook directly in the hot oil while remaining juicy. ⁶⁾

A clear soup prepared from freshwater fish such as pike, perch or pike-perch. The numerous lakes of the southern Urals have made freshwater fish an important component of local cooking. ⁷⁾

A large closed pie filled with fish, onions and herbs, sometimes combined with buckwheat or rice. The pastry keeps the filling moist and provides an edible container suitable for transporting food. ⁸⁾

Forest mushrooms are cooked with potatoes, onions and sometimes barley or sour cream. Gathering mushrooms remains closely associated with the seasonal food traditions of the forested parts of the oblast. ⁹⁾

Game meat such as venison or elk is roasted or slowly stewed and accompanied by tart lingonberries. The berries provide a sharp counterpoint to the rich meat and are a classic combination of northern forest ingredients. ¹⁰⁾

Open-faced round pastries topped with mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, sour cream or other fillings. Although associated with the wider Ural region, shangi are an excellent example of the area's rustic baking traditions. ¹¹⁾

Millet is slowly cooked with pumpkin and milk until soft and creamy. Both ingredients were valuable staples because they could be stored through the long Ural winter. ¹²⁾

Forest milk mushrooms are layered with salt and spices and allowed to ferment before being stored. They could later be served with onions and vegetable oil as a winter appetizer. ¹³⁾

Cranberries, lingonberries, bilberries or other forest berries are cooked and thickened with starch. The resulting sweet-and-sour dessert is a simple way of preserving the taste of the short Ural summer. ¹⁴⁾

A Tatar sweet made from small pieces of fried dough bound together with honey syrup. It is particularly associated with celebrations and demonstrates the strong Tatar culinary influence in the southern Urals. ¹⁵⁾