By KMorris117
To be quite honest, Russian food is not the most exciting in the world. There’s not a whole lot of spices or diversity in flavors. It’s very meat-and-starch centric, and there are not as many fruits and vegetables. It makes sense-Russia cannot grow such things in the winter, and their current foreign relations have left them with many sanctions and bans on food imports from other countries. Still, I am eating very well. A perk of living with a host family is the meals they provide. It not only saves me money, but it furthers the immersion experience. I am eating what a Russian would normally eat every day, and I think it is providing me a unique perspective on the current economic situation here! And that being said-my host mom spoils me. She buys lots of fruits and vegetables and gives me a full salad every night with dinner. I think I’m eating better here than I do at school!
But of course, I am eating out a bit too. Like any major city, St. Petersburg has a plethora of every type of restaurant you could want. I’ve had some killer meals, and my new favorite cuisine is Georgian. Which is good, since I just booked a short trip there at the beginning of April.
So what is Georgian food? Imagine the best cheese bread you’ve ever had in your life. And now imagine adding egg, spinach, meat, tons of spices, or just more cheese. That is Georgian Khachapuri (I suggest googling it right now). It is basically a dish of bread with cheese and whatever else you want in the middle. The traditional one is served with egg, which you then mix in with the cheese to get gooey Georgian goodness. Also ProTip: It pairs remarkably with Georgian wine. Just saying.
Other Georgian dishes include Khinkali, which is basically a dumpling. The fillings vary, but are normally a mixture of meat, vegetables, and spices. They are larger versions of Pelmeni, a Russian dish that I have grown to love. Another Georgian dish similar to this is Chebureki, which is often the same type of filling but in a fried turnover. Other Georgian foods, such as Shashlik or shish kebabs, have a lot of Middle-Eastern influence. Because of its location, Georgian cuisine has influences from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Basically what this means to me is a lot more flavor than traditional Russian food, and I am so excited to go to Georgia to eat more food and see everything else the beautiful country has to offer!