Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church

A traditional dish in Russia, borsht

Recipes and Traditions

One of the most significant roles in the Russian Orthodox community is the connection between tradition and cuisine. Rather it is in celebration of an important holiday, feast day, fifty day fast or the typical family meal food is essential to tradition and to the gathering of friends and family throughout the community.

Deriving first and foremost from Russia, Russian Orthodox foods tend to be high in fats and carbohydrates. Since Russia is a northern country with long harsh winters, fats and carbohydrates are needed in order to survive. Potatoes, bread, eggs, butter, and meat are the five food staples that form Russia’s traditional cuisine. Other popular staples are: cabbage, milk, sour cream, curds, mushrooms, lard, cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, berries, honey, sugar, salt, garlic, onions.

Food is not just used as a means of nourishing the body but also the soul. Religious holidays, feast days, funerals, weddings, baptisms, and days of fast each have their own specialties. Christmas Eve is a time for family and friends to gather t and share a special meal. The main dish served on Christmas Eve is Kutya, which is a type of porridge. It is made of various grains that represent hope, honey for happiness, and poppy seed for peace.

The Christmas Eve feast does not officially begin until the first star appears in the night sky. The feast, known as the Holy Supper, is strictly Lenten but served in a very festive style. The pagach, which represents Christ the Bread of Life, is dipped in honey to symbolize the sweetness in life and then garlic to show life’s bitterness.  The "Holy Supper" is then eaten. Traditionally the Holy Supper has twelve assorted foods which represent the twelve apostles. The typically dishes served are:

1) Mushroom soup with zaprashka; this is often replaced with Sauerkraut soup
2) Lenten bread (pagach)
3) Grated garlic
4) Bowl of honey
5) Baked cod
6) Fresh Apricots, Oranges, Figs and Dates
7) Nuts
8) Kidney beans (slow cooked all day) seasoned with shredded potatoes, lots of garlic, salt and pepper to taste
9) Peas
10) Parsley Potatoes (boiled new potatoes with chopped parsley and margarine)
11) Bobal'ki (small biscuits combined with sauerkraut or poppy seed with honey)
12) Red Wine

The Easter feast is the most important feast in the Russian Orthodox Church. Prior to the Easter feast, is a fifty day fast known as the Great Lent. During the Great Lent one cannot eat meat, dairy, or engage in dances or similar forms of entertainment,

Traditional Easter foods are kulich and paskha. The kulich is baked in a tall and cylindrical pan and is decorated with white. Spelled out in candy fruit on the side are the Cyrillic letters XB for Christos voskres or Christ is risen. Due to the kulich being so time consuming it has to be started several days before it is served on Easter. It is made with candied fruit, almonds, and raisins. The paskha is molded into a triangular shape with XB inscribed on it as well. It contains  fruits, nuts, vanilla flavoring and sugar. The kulich and paskha are often brought to church and blessed by the priest. Another well known Easter tradition is the decorative Easter eggs, traditionally painted red, black, and yellow.

Russian Orthodox cuisine is more than just food; it is a mixture of one religions culture and tradition. Members of the Russian Orthodox community gather together over traditional specialties and unite over shared meals.

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