A hearty soup made with pearl barley, potatoes, root vegetables and salted cucumbers, usually cooked in a meat broth. The cucumber brine gives it the characteristic tangy flavor associated with this family of Russian soups. ¹⁾

A thick, strongly flavored soup combining several kinds of meat or fish with pickles, onions, tomatoes and olives. It became especially popular in the Soviet-era culinary tradition and remains one of the city's recognizable comfort foods. ²⁾

A clear fish soup inspired by the enormous freshwater resources of Lake Ladoga and the surrounding waterways. Pike, perch, pike-perch and other local fish can be used, with the broth kept relatively simple so that the fish remains the focus. ³⁾

Fried korюшка (European smelt) is one of the foods most strongly associated with Saint Petersburg. During the spring smelt season, the city fills with its distinctive aroma, and the small fish are commonly fried whole until crisp. ⁴⁾

Another classic way of serving the seasonal fish is to fry it and accompany it with plenty of onions. The combination is simple, inexpensive and deeply connected with Petersburg's springtime food culture. ⁵⁾

Salted or marinated Baltic and freshwater fish can be served cold with onions, herbs and rye bread. Such preserved fish reflects both Russian traditions and the maritime food culture of the Gulf of Finland. ⁶⁾

Small open pastries made from rye dough and filled with potato, millet, rice or other simple fillings. They reflect the close historical culinary relationship between the Petersburg area and neighboring Karelia and Finnish-speaking regions. ⁷⁾

Small fried cakes made from tvorog, eggs and flour, usually served with sour cream, jam or berries. They belong to everyday Russian cooking but became a familiar part of urban Soviet-era breakfast and café culture. ⁸⁾

Grated potatoes are mixed with onion and fried until crisp. They can be served with sour cream or mushrooms and demonstrate how inexpensive ingredients could be turned into satisfying urban comfort food. ⁹⁾

Pearl barley is slowly cooked until tender and often enriched with butter, mushrooms, vegetables or meat. Although humble, barley was an important grain in northern Russia and became a staple of institutional, military and household cooking. ¹⁰⁾

Fish from the lakes and rivers of the north is baked inside a rye or wheat pastry, sometimes with onions and potatoes. The dish belongs to the wider Baltic-Finnic culinary sphere surrounding Saint Petersburg. ¹¹⁾

Small baked or fried pastries filled with cabbage, meat, fish, mushrooms, potatoes or sweet fruit. They became particularly suited to city life because they could be eaten quickly and carried easily. ¹²⁾

A northern interpretation of shchi made with cabbage, potatoes, carrots and meat or mushrooms. Sauerkraut versions were especially valuable because fermentation allowed vegetables to be preserved throughout the long winter. ¹³⁾

Tart northern cranberries are cooked and thickened into a smooth, ruby-red dessert. The berries grow well in the wetlands and forests around the region, making them a natural ingredient in traditional northern sweets and drinks. ¹⁴⁾

Spiced gingerbread made with flour, honey or sugar and aromatic spices. Urban bakeries produced many varieties, from simple everyday biscuits to decorated versions intended as gifts or festive treats. ¹⁵⁾