Page 50 - Spring2008

MEDIEVAL RUS as the source of their daily bread, however.
The early Russian diet depended heavily The great reliance on grains resulted in
on grain products, and especially those that could creative ways of preparing each one, both to
be grown during its short, cool growing season. provide variation in the diet and to maximize
Medieval records vividly depict in a few words their nutritive value. Grain kissel, for instance,
the regular disasters and famine befalling both is a method of soaking, fermenting and cook-
men and livestock in frequently undependable ing grain (and also dried peas) that produces a
weather. These extracts describe a four-year span jelled liquid “concentrate” of the grain, and is
from The Chronicle of Novgorod, 1017-1471: usually eaten cool with sour cream or kvas. The
AD 1125...The same year there was a great procedure for oat kissel, for example, involves
storm with thunder and hail... it drowned droves drying whole oats carefully on the fl oor of a
of cattle in the Volkhov, and others they hardly warm brick oven, and then pounding the oats
saved alive. in a mortar to partially crush them. The oats are
AD 1127....And in the autumn the frost killed covered in hot water and left to sour in a warm
all the [grain] and the winter crop; and there was place for a day and a half. The soured oats are
famine throughout the winter… then pushed through a sieve and the thick oat
AD 1128...This year it was cruel; the “milk” that is extruded is slowly cooked until
people ate [linden] leaves, birch bark, pounded it thickens further like a jelly. It is then poured
wood pulp mixed with husks and straw; some into a wide plate and left to cool, becoming even
ate buttercups, moss, horse fl esh; and thus many more jelled. This oat “aspic,” served with sour
dropping down from hunger, their corpses were in cream or kvas, is considered especially good for
the streets, in the market place, and on the roads, children, the elderly and convalescents, as it is
and everywhere. . . fathers and mothers would put nutritious and very easy to digest. The soured oat
their children into boats in gift to [foreign] mer- remnants did not go to waste, but were stirred
chants [to be slaves], or else put them to death. into flour, left for 24 hours to sour further, and

When nature obliged, rye, spelt, millet, then baked into fl at breads called lepyoshki.
barley, oats and buckwheat were the primary grain Kasha, or porridge, ascended to the status
crops, and provided the foundation of the diet in of a mass ritual dish between the 10th and 14th
The great the form of bread, kasha, and grain product called centuries. To mark great undertakings, such as
the ground-breaking for a cathedral or fortress, a
kissel.
reliance The Russians likely learned the art of sour- wedding, baptism, and so on, kasha was prepared
on grains leavening bread from the Scythians—Central to feed a large crowd. The word “kasha” became
resulted in Asian nomads who ruled southern Russia for synonymous with “feast” and indeed there were
three centuries from about 300 AD. Sourdough many delicious ways to prepare it. The preferred
creative ways rye bread has been recorded as a staple in the diet grain for kasha was buckwheat, although barley,
of preparing since at least the 9th century. It has remained a spelt and green rye were also made into kashas.
each one, favorite and respected mainstay for centuries; The kasha was cooked in an oven in earthenware
revered even as the very essence of life. In the pots with a strong meat bouillon and any num-
both to typical peasant diet an adult would consume close ber of additions such as meat, mushrooms, and

provide to two pounds of this dense, sour bread per day. onions.
Wheat flour was introduced as a trade item

variation in during the 15th century, but was not suitable for SHCHI AND SOUPS
the diet growing in the northern European portion of Accompanying bread and grain was the
and to Russia. After Ivan IV (the Terrible) conquered other great mainstay of the traditional Russian

maximize Kazan and Astrakhan in the 16th century, Russia peasant diet—soup, and in particular shchi. Shchi
gained territory where wheat could be grown, is a soup made from green cabbage in the sum-
their and this was transported to the rest of the country. mer and soured cabbage or sorrell in the winter.
nutritive In this era, filled, leavened pies, such as pirogi, Depending upon the wealth of the household it

value. made from wheat flour were introduced into the could be very plain, made with just vegetables
cuisine. The peasants continued to rely upon rye and herbs, or quite rich, made with a strong meat
50 Wise Traditions SPRING 2008