Much can be said about the Russian traditional cuisine. Some of its meals are widely known, like borsch, schi, pirogi, pelemeni, others are relatively obscure for the foreign traveller. Like any other large world cuisine the Russian cuisine is very various. It was said that when Ivan the Terrible treated his guests with more than 500 various meals that where not repeated. About the same time only 50 - 60 meals were dished up for European monarchson average.

Cereals where extremely popular in the traditional Russian cuisine. Kashas (porridges), zapekankas and krupeniks all made of various cereals formed the healthy staple of an average Russian peasant together with lots of vegetables. Pickles were added to make the food more savoury, such as gherkins and cucumbers, sauerkraut and other pickled vegetables. Soups like borsch (beetroot soup) and schi (cabbage soup) where also the must on the table.

Of course the tables of nobles and the royal court where laid in a completely different fashion, the various kinds of meat, fish and poultry taking chief spots. The abundance of game meat and freshwater fish led to huge variety of meals. The main piece of cutlery was a spoon. Fork was introduced much later from Europe.

Variety of the native drinks was also available. Kvas (refreshing non alcoholic drink made of fermented bread) has been hugely popular to quell the thirst long before the Coke arrived and still very much loved by the Russians. Mead and sbiten (honey wine) where prime alcoholic drink during festivals long before the Russians developed taste for vodka.

In the more recent time of the Russian Empire and Soviet Union the Russian cuisine was enormously enriched by the cuisines of various peoples of Caucasus, Middle Asia Eastern Europe and Siberia joining the Russians in the common country building. All this places the Russian art of cooking among the great world cuisines.