Having formed over the centuries, the cuisine of Belarus has undergone the influence of the gastronomic traditions of Russia, Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine.
National cuisine of Belarus
The number 1 vegetable in Belarus is potato: on its basis, “sorcerers”, “draniki”, “grandma”, potato casserole are prepared. In addition, potatoes are boiled, fried, stewed, baked, combined with meat, vegetables and fish. As for other vegetables in the form of cabbage, carrots, legumes, pumpkin and gourd, they often act as filling for pies or the main ingredients for salads. And they are simply baked, seasoned with various spices.
Pickles in the form of sauerkraut, pickled apples, pickled carrots and pickled cucumbers are widespread in Belarus. The Belarusian menu is not deprived of first courses: cold ones, for example, are represented by “mushroom kvass” (the basis of the soup is bread kvass, greens and porcini mushrooms), and hot ones - “zhur” soup (it is prepared lean, dairy or with vandlin).
Popular dishes of Belarusian cuisine:
- "Garbuzok" (pumpkin soup);
- Bigus (a stew with cabbage);
- “Machanka” (a dish containing meat with bones and sausage fried in meat sauce);
- "Polandvitsa" (a dish made from smoked pork or beef tenderloin - it is served to the table after rubbing it with pepper, allspice and garlic);
- “Buttered” (game or poultry baked with a lot of fat).
Where to try Belarusian cuisine?
Restaurants with a national flavor offer their visitors to enjoy both folk and gourmet cuisine, which were served in the residences to Belarusian tycoons. It is better to get acquainted with real folk cuisine at one of the farmsteads - their hostesses will treat you with sorcerers, potato pancakes and other Belarusian dishes.
In Minsk, you should look into the Kamyanitsa restaurant - it pleases visitors with exclusively Belarusian dishes, however, they are not easy to recognize because of the delicious imagination of the local chef.
Cooking courses in Belarus
In Minsk, in the "Veselaya Khata" estate, those who wish are invited to attend culinary master classes of Belarusian cuisine (they will be greeted with bread and salt and a glass of moonshine). And the dinner that follows the master class and joint work (the participants will be taught how to cook classic and potato pancakes with fish, mushroom watering, gingerbread, sbiten and krambambula) will be accompanied by a theoretical excursion about the life of Belarusians and their culinary preferences.
A visit to Belarus is recommended to coincide with the Cheese Festival (June, near Minsk), the Cherry Festival (July, Glubokoe in the Vitebsk region), the International Culinary Festival “Motalskiya Prymaki” (August, the agro-town Motol in the Ivanovo district of the Brest region), the Kvass Festival (September, Lida in the Grodno region), the Bulba-fest potato festival (September, the Silichi ski center in the Minsk region).
