Goodbye Fish & Chips - Hello Pickled Fish

So, how do you like your fish: fried, baked or, well, frozen?

Ice Aquarium in Japan

In Russia, they like their fish pickled, dried, cured or smoked. Pickled fish is enjoyed in many parts of the world and every nation prepares it a little differently. Pickled Herring (Селёдка or Сельдь) is the King of the "Stinky Fish" table. All parts of pickled herring, except the head, are edible: meat and female/male roe. The best time to buy the fish is in the winter as it accumulates fat and taste less salty. Eat it in a salad or as a main dish with boiled potatoes (do not add any salt to the water) and sliced onions. Just like with sushi, it's not a crime to use your hands to handle pieces of pickled herring; just make sure to wash your hands (and dishes) well with cold water and soap.

The lingering smell of pickled fish will likely to stay with you for a couple of days no matter what. It's a small price to pay, if you ask me, for a very tasty meal. The pickled herring dishes are always followed by a cup of tea. Here is a saying you likely to hear just before your Russian host pours a hot cup of tea for you: РЫБА ПОСУХУ НЕ ХОДИТ (rough translation: the fish doesn't walk on land).
English Version, anyone?

You can always find herring at your local Russian store (just be ready to clean and fillet the herring fish). And if you're lazy like me, save yourself some time by ordering from Amazon.

Let's talk food

We are all now part of the global market; that didn't make us closer but rather made our lives similar in many ways. We dress alike and watch the same movies and franchised TV shows. Even the supermarkets are more or less filled with the same food items. Imagine what a shock it was for an American to visit Europe just 100 years ago. Now, you are more shocked at all the similarities you notice when travelling.  But when I think of a Russian Supermarket, two items are noticeably missing: peanut butter and maple syrup. Surprisingly so, as Russian people love peanuts and enjoy pancakes and waffles. And what food item commonly sold in Russia you’re not likely to find in your local supermarket - caviar.

Are you a coffee or a tea person?

You would think that vodka is Russia’s favorite drink, but actually it is black tea. They drink it at breakfast, lunch and dinner. And if you ever travelling by train in Russia (do that and it will be a highlight of your trip), you guessed it right, you’d be served a cup of tea.

To enjoy a cup of traditional Russian tea, follow these steps:

• Place loose tea leaves in a medium-sized teapot (about one teaspoon per person).
  

  
  
• Fill the teapot to the brim with hot water and let it steep for about five minutes.  Do not discard the leaves. Congratulations, you just made something Russian people call ZAVARKA. There are two schools of thought when it comes to using ZAVARKA. Some say it becomes poisonous after ten minutes and some say it’s good for up to 24 hours. Two of my relatives got into a heated argument about the use of ZAVARKA and just stopped speaking to each other. I guess you will have to decide what tribe you want to be a part of.
  

  
  
• Drop a thin slice of lemon in your cup then add ZAVARKA and hot water to the tea cup. So, how do you know how much ZAVARKA you need to pour into your cup? It all depends on how strong you like your tea. Try not to get any tea leaves in your cup.
  

  
  
• Add a teaspoon or two of white sugar to the cup and enjoy your authentic Russian tea experience.  Have a piece of cake or BOOBLIC (Russian bagel) with your tea. 

Did you know that when people in Russia get sick with flu, they drink a lot of tea with raspberry preserve added to it?