soup
Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but may be cool or cold), that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling soli ...
Volga
The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catch ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
.
The classic soup is a mix of mostly raw vegetables (like
cucumbers
Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.spring onions), boiled potatoes, eggs, cooked meat such as beef, veal, sausages or ham and
kvass
Kvass is a fermented cereal-based low alcoholic beverage with a slightly cloudy appearance, light-brown colour and sweet-sour taste. It may be flavoured with berries, fruits, herbs or honey.
Kvass stems from the northeastern part of Europe, ...
, which is a low-alcoholic (1.5% or less) beverage made from fermented black or
rye bread
Rye bread is a type of bread made with various proportions of flour from rye grain. It can be light or dark in color, depending on the type of flour used and the addition of coloring agents, and is typically denser than bread made from wheat ...
. Okroshka is usually garnished with
sour cream
Sour cream (in North American English, Australian English and New Zealand English) or soured cream (British English) is a dairy product obtained by fermenting regular cream with certain kinds of lactic acid bacteria. The bacterial cultu ...
( smetana). Later versions that first appeared in Soviet times use light or diluted
kefir
Kefir ( ; also spelled as kephir or kefier; ; ; ) is a fermented milk drink similar to a thin yogurt or ayran that is made from kefir grains, a specific type of mesophilic symbiotic culture. The drink originated in the North Caucasus, in p ...
,
whey
Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a byproduct of the manufacturing of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is a byproduct resulting from the manufacture of rennet types of har ...
, ayran, or mineral water instead of kvass.
The ingredients are diced and then mixed with kvass just before eating; the ratio of chopped food to kvass is similar to that of cereal to milk. This allows the vegetables to retain their texture. For that same reason, even though the ingredients are similar to those in a
Russian salad
Olivier salad ( rus, link=no, салат Оливье, salat Olivye) is a traditional salad dish in Russian cuisine, which is also popular in other post-Soviet countries and around the world. In different modern recipes, it is usually made with d ...
, the taste of okroshka is quite different from that of the salad.
Okroshka is mostly served in summer because the soup combines the refreshing taste of kvass and the lightness of a salad. Salt and sugar can be added according to taste. In the recipes with mineral water, there is one more addition to the ingredients of okroshka: freshly squeezed lemon juice; this is to replace the flavor in the absence of kvass.
Okroshka is always served cold. Sometimes ice cubes are added to served portions to keep the soup cold in hot weather.
Gallery
Image:Kefir-okroshka.jpg, Okroshka made with
kefir
Kefir ( ; also spelled as kephir or kefier; ; ; ) is a fermented milk drink similar to a thin yogurt or ayran that is made from kefir grains, a specific type of mesophilic symbiotic culture. The drink originated in the North Caucasus, in p ...
File:Окрошка1.JPG, Classic okroshka with beef. Nearby are plates of smetana, a special dressing (made from pounding yolks, Russian mustard, horse radish, green onion, and salt), and a cup of
kvass
Kvass is a fermented cereal-based low alcoholic beverage with a slightly cloudy appearance, light-brown colour and sweet-sour taste. It may be flavoured with berries, fruits, herbs or honey.
Kvass stems from the northeastern part of Europe, ...
File:Окрошка2.JPG, Okroshka with the dressing added
File:Окрошка3.jpg, Kvass is added to the mixture
File:Окрошка4.jpg, The soup is mixed and smetana is added
File:Окрошка5.jpg, The mixed soup with ice
See also
*
List of Russian dishes
This is a list of notable dishes found in Russian cuisine. Russian cuisine is a collection of the different cooking traditions of the Russian Empire. The cuisine is diverse, with Northeast European/Baltic, Caucasian, Central Asian, Siberian, Eas ...
*
List of soups
This is a list of notable soups. Soups have been made since Ancient history, ancient times.
Some soups are served with large chunks of meat or vegetables left in the liquid, while others are served as a broth. A broth is a flavored liquid usua ...
*
List of cold soups
This is a list of notable cold soups. Soups have been made since ancient times. In warm climates, or in summer, many cultures make traditional cold soups. These soups tend to be lighter than winter soups and typically contain less fat and meat pe ...
References
Further reading
* Solley, P. (2004). ''An Exaltation of Soups: The Soul-Satisfying Story of Soup, as Told in More Than 100 Recipes''. New York: Three Rivers Press. .
* Mobile Reference (ed.) (2007). ''Travel Saint Petersburg, Russia: City Guide, Phrasebook, and Maps''. Boston: Sound Tells, LLC. .
Russia Beyond the Headlines
''Russia Beyond'' (formerly ''Russia Beyond The Headlines'') is a Russian multilingual project operated by TV-Novosti (formerly Russia Today), founded by the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
History
''Russia Beyond The Headlines'' was la ...