THE MOST TASTY RUSSIAN LANGUAGE LEARNING MATERIALS!

How to serve Russian dumplings and cook raspberry buns?

Welcome to Enjoy Russian language school blog! One of the categories here is devoted to learning materials for you to simplify your Russian language exciting journey. But today’s post is a bit special. It’s not only about Russian grammar and the way Russians live. It’s about diverse and unique Russian cuisine. Some say it’s a mix of different cultures’ cooking traditions – Eastern European, Caucasian, Central Asian, Siberian, and East Asia. So grab a snack not to get hungry and make your recipe  book ready to Russian Cyrillic alphabet! Let’s go!

How to cook and serve Russian food?

What do Russians miss when they live abroad? The whole variety of products! ? Listen to the most tasty Russian podcast to find out!
1:58 – Bliny – what to serve with?
3:45 – Cottage cheese: rich in calcium
4:40 – Pelmeni or Russian dumplings – the origin
6:50 – Vareniki – sweet or salted?
8:00 – Pirog – big layered Russian pie
8:45 – Russian soups – borsch and okroshka
12:10 – Vinegret
13:20 – Meet jelly
14:00 – Russian traditional drinks

https://soundcloud.com/enjoyrussianschool/what-flavor-does-russia-have-russian-cuisine

Russian raspberry buns recipe

For those who wants not only learn something about Russian food but also to put knowledge into practice we suggest baking delicious and easy-to-cook Russian raspberry buns

• Put 1/4 cup of warm milk in a small bowl. Add 1 teaspoon flour and 1,5 teaspoon sugar and stir to dissolve. Let it stand about 5 minutes.
• Mix 1 cup of flour and 1/4 cup warm milk in a bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix it. Cover the bowl with a towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place (for about two hours)
• Mix butter, 1 egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of sugar about 3 minutes. Add it to the dough; add in 1 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Preheat oven to 175 degrees C
• Cut the dough into 8 pieces and make 8 balls.
• Press down the center of each bun and fill the hollows with raspberry jam.
• Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
• Enjoy!

Follow our news and see you soon in Russia! Choose a course here

GREAT LENT BEGAN in russia! WHAT SHOULD WE EAT NOW?

The brightest, funniest and most entertaining of Russians holidays Maslenitsa has just finished. Yesterday a 49-day Great Lent began.

Great Lent, or the Great Fast in Russia

ВЕЛИКИЙ ПОСТ (Great Lent in Russian) is the most important fasting season in the church year in Russia, which prepares Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, ПАСХА (Easter).

In many ways Great Lent is similar to Lent in Western Christianity. There are some differences in the timing of Lent (besides calculating the date of Easter) and how it is practiced, both liturgically in the public worship of the church and individually. Observance of Great Lent is characterized by fasting and abstinence from certain foods, intensified private and public prayer, self-examination, confession, personal improvement, etc. In this post we will tell you what Russians eat during the Great Fast.

During the lent only lenten fare is permitted by the Russian Orthodox Church. At this time old Russian proverb “ЩИ ДА КАША – ПИЩА НАША” (shchi da kasha – pischa nasha) (cabbage soup to porridge – that’s our food) makes much sense. Of course, not all Russian people fast – only deeply religious ones. But during the Great Fast many restaurants serve lenten food.

Among prohibited products there are meat, milk, eggs. Fish is allowed on special days. There are food calendars that inform about which food is allowed to eat on which day.

The most popular Russian lenten dishes

During the Great Fast people usually eat potatoes, noodles, bread, different porridges, fruits, and vegetables. There are some traditional Russian dishes that are very popular during the lent.

Vinegret

It’s a Russian traditional vegetarian salad, made of beets, potatoes, sauerkraut, peas, pickles… Ingredients might slightly vary per household and restaurant.

Vareniki

It’s Russian and Ukrainian classic pierogi, loaded with cheesy potatoes and an easy melt in your mouth homemade dough! There lots of types of vareniki: with potatoes, with potatoes and mushrooms, with cherry, with cabbage… If you make the dough without eggs, vareniki will be a perfect lenten dish!

Pickled vegetables

It’s not easy to find really good fresh vegetables in this time of the year in Russia, so pickled ones are the best substitution

Do you want to try traditional lenten food? Come to Petrozavodsk, experience Russian culture, and learn the language at our Russian courses. Enroll here

БЛИНЫ И ПОЦЕЛУИ СЧЕТА НЕ ЛЮБЯТ! ONE SHOULD NOT COUNT KISSES AND PANCAKES!

Russian spring holidays. Maslenitsa

To many students who come to learn Russian language in Petrozavodsk becoming a part of main Russian holidays seems to be the most exciting opportunity.  Russian New Year and Russian Old New year (to be discussed later), Orthodox Christmas and Victory day are well-known in comparison to some other Russian holidays like Maslenitsa (Масленица). The spring holiday is devoted to bidding farewell to winter and welcoming spring. And to solve out this uneasy double task people in Russia need the whole week. Pancake week (also known as Butter week)! It is one of the most colorful, bright and tasty Russian holidays which has its origins in Russian pre-Chrisitian times.

How do Russian people celebrate Maslenitsa?

The holiday is celebrated during the last week before Great Lent. For the whole Maslenitsa week all dairy products are permitted and because of that it’s also known as “cheese-fare week”. What is more, Russian people can not imagine living these 7 days without pancakes. Traditionally it was a symbol of sun and warmth and even in modern days people bake a lot of pancakes  especially from Thursday to Sunday. The last day is devoted to asking for each other forgiveness and is called “Forgiveness Sunday”. That last day is the time when the full-scale celebration starts: with sledding and ice-skating, snowball competitions and sleigh rides, outdoor competitions and performances. The key element here is burning Maslenitsa Lady (made of straw and fabric) on a bonfire. Ashes might be thrown in the snow to fertilize the soil.

Maslenitsa was praised in songs and masterpieces of many Russian artists and poets. Alexander Pushkin, Michail Lermontov, Pyotr Vyazemsky were describing the holiday as one of the most favorite, exciting and desirable for Slavic people.

Russian proverbs about Maslenitsa and  Pancake week

• Масленица семь дней гуляет (Maslenitsa is being celebrated for 7 days)
• И самый хладнокровный человек любит горячие блины (Even the most dispassionate person loves pancakes)
• Не житье, а Масленица! (life is Maslenitsa/ life is a bed of roses)
• На горах покататься, в блинах поваляться  (To go downhill sledding, to have a roll on the pancakes)
  
  To celebrate Maslenitsa in Russia In 2018 choose  group or individual course and come to Petrozavodsk in spring!

Karelia is so beautiful in autumn ! Come and see! 

Participate in the Program of full Russian  immersion with EnjoyRussian language School: 
- Get a professional Russian language course 
- Enjoy friendly atmosphere and individual approach 
- Make lots of new friends among Russian volunteers  

- Admire splendid nature of the north-west Russian 
- Catch the last days of summer – “бaбье лето” 
- Find your second home in your Russian host family 
- Practice Russian in the streets, cafes, shops – everywhere!  

- Feel real progress in the Russian language 
- Get unforgettable experience of living in Russia! 
- Bring home self-made souvenirs, warm memories and cool pictures! 

Starting date: September,04
Group levels: beginner, elementary, basic
Duration: 2-12 weeks
Cost: from 470 euro (2-week course + Russian homestay with breakfast)

APPLY: http://enjoyrussian.com/apply-standart/
Ask a question: info@enjoyrussian.com

#enjoyrussian #bestrussiancourse #learnrussianfast #russianinrussia #languageschool#karelia #petrozavodsk #studyrussian #summerrussiancourse #russianforbeginners 

WHAT IS SHASLIKI, HOT POTATO AND PIONEER BALL?

How to become a true Russian and learn language?  For sure, you need to taste shaslili, swim in the second biggest lake in Europe, play hot potato and pioneer ball!  On Tuesday, Enjoy Russian Language School decided going to sand beach of Petrovodsk for shasliki party. The weather was cool! +25 C.

Volunteers of Russian Language School Mane, Lilit, Ivan, Kristina, Diana and Vika helped students to order dishes and drinks in the cafe called “Fairytale” (Сказка). In this cafe, guests celebrated wedding day of new couple and shouted “ГОРЬКО! ГОРЬКО!”.  Our students asked what does it mean. Volunteers answered that it can be translated as “Bitter! Bitter! By shouting “ГОРЬКО!” the guests are saying that the alcohol is bitter, and the couple needs to start kissing to sweeten the drinks.

Our students, teachers and volunteers tasted shasliki. Shashlik or shashlyk is a dish of skewered and grilled cubes of meat popular in Iran, Eastern and Central Europe.  Shashlik (meaning skewered meat) was originally made of lamb. Nowadays it is also made of pork or beef depending on local preferences and religious observances. The skewers are either threaded with meat only, or with alternating pieces of meat, fat, and vegetables, such as bell pepper, onion, mushroom and tomato.

After that, our students from the Maldives, Ecuador, Belgium, Great Britain, Finland and volunteer from Russia decided to swim in Onego lake, second biggest lake in Europe!

During the evening, our students and volunteers also played pioneer ball and hot potato.  Who are pioneers? Read more here. These ball games were very common among schoolchildren, and the game of “potato” was a favorite, while “pioneer ball” was the official game. For both games you need at least 5-6 players and a volley ball. Read the rules of TOP popular USSA games here:  hot potato and pioneer ball.

http://enjoyrussian.com/shasliki-hot-potato-pioneer-ball/

Russians have their own ideas about what to eat and how to do it. We like homemade food and almost every Russian woman can cook very well. Though some young girls don't know how to cook before getting married, after that, they learn very fast. 

But it doesn't mean that Russian men don't cook. Many of them enjoy cooking. We have a saying that МЯСО НЕ ТЕРПИТ ЖЕНСКИХ РУК (Meat doesn't like women's hands) that's why when people go on a picnic, ШАШЛЫК is usually prepared by men

Russian people are very hospitable and ХЛЕБОСОЛЬНЫЕ . It means that if you are a guest in a Russian home, the hosts, especially babushkas, will do everything to let you eat and drink as much as possible One of our students wrote in his essay: "...striking to the typical Westerner is the Russian ability to transform a living room into a place with a table overloaded and decorated with tasty food within no time. No paid catering service, but homemade food and a special talent help Russians to make an impromptu dinner with style and taste" 

Have you tried Russian homemade food? What was it? Did you like it?

Top 10 Must Try Dishes in Russia!  Have you already tried any of it? 

1. Холодец / Holodec (Jelly with meet and vegetables). 
2. Окрошка / Okroshka (Cold soup: meet/fish, vegetables, kefir/kvass ) 
3. Винегрет / Vinegret (Vegetable salad: carrot, potato, red beet, onion, canned peas, salad oil) 
4. Щи / Sci (Sauerkraut soup) 
5. Селедка под шубой / Seledka pod shuboi 
6. Пироги с капустой / Pies with cabbage filling 
7. Греча с грибами / Buckwheat with mushrooms 
8. Курник / Kurnik (Chicken pie) 
9. Драники / Draniki (Potato flapjack) 
10. Квашеная капуста / Sauerkraut 

Learn Russian and try all of them http://enjoyrussian.com/3686_programs/3689_autumn_russian_courses/

Our new student from warm Spain Lydia is walking around the city and thinking of something tasty (Karelian bakery)

Join us http://enjoyrussian.com/3686_programs/3689_autumn_russian_courses/   

#learnrussianfast #russianinrussia #bestrussiancourse #languagecourse

“It’s really fantastic to have the opportunity to stay with a Russian family while studying” – Rebecca (UK)

http://enjoyrussian.com/Russian_Homestay/