Russian Culture Monday: Russian Mushrooms

Monday July 13, 2009

Mushrooms, like Russian vodka, caviar, and blini, are an essential element to the Russian diet. Russian mushrooms have replaced meat during Lent, rescued populations from starvation during times of famine, and commanded high prices on the international market. Mushrooms feature as main or complementary ingredients in the dishes of Russian traditional food. Pickled, dried, or fresh, they are worked into delicious recipes like tempting mushroom strudel.

Mushrooms make their way to Russian tables by way of hard work and cooperative effort. Mushroom hunting often involves whole families (and maybe their guests, too), and most of the time it is a way to enjoy nature with loved ones - though the act of mushroom hunting is so ingrained in Russian culture that Russian mushroom hunters have even been known to risk their lives to gather the edible fungi! The knowledge might seem esoteric to non-Russians, but it is not uncommon for a Russian person to know how, when, and where to gather mushrooms, as well as what types of mushrooms are desirable (and, alternatively, which ones are poisonous). Russians have been perfecting the art of mushroom hunting for centuries, and members of the Russian diaspora have carried the tradition with to the States and other countries.