Page 53 - Spring2008

of the coming spring, increasing sunshine and THE RUSSIAN OVEN

hoped-for fertility, the week-long holiday is Perhaps one of the most profound influences on Russian traditional
one of a merry-making and carnival mood, with cuisine is the Russian oven (russkaya pechka) around which all family life
sleigh rides, dancing, and the eating of great centered in rural Russia. Of colossal size and weighing a ton or two, the
quantities of blini drenched in butter and sour Russian oven was made of clay, stone or brick. The multi-purpose oven
cream—two favorite foods that would be banned was built with an ingenious internal channel system that directed hot smoke
during the upcoming seven-week fast. Blini are through a series of chambers before it exited the hut (izba). A fi re was built
themselves an ancient leavened pancake—thicker in the main chamber, and controlled via several fl ue dampers. The structure

than crèpes, but not as thick as American break- burned fuel very efficiently, and a single firing was enough in all but the
fast pancakes. They were originally made of coldest weather to prepare the oven both for cooking all meals and heating

buckwheat flour and round in shape to remind the izba for the entire day. When the fi re had died down, and the oven was
one of the sun. very hot, the coals and ashes would be swept out or pushed to the side and
In rural Russia the long fast period also food could then be cooked or baked. The hottest temperatures were used
served to ensure that livestock would not be eaten to bake bread, and as the oven slowly cooled other foods would be placed
but survive to fatten and inside to “stew.” Nooks and
reproduce in the spring. shelves built on the sides of
When the fast was bro- the oven were perfect spots
ken with the great feast for souring foods at a steady
of Easter, celebrants of warm temperature. The tops
every ilk presented a of the ovens were fl at and
holiday table as lavish as provided a cozy spot for
families could afford. the old folks (and cats) to
Several ritual sleep.
foods are always re- The oven had no burn-
quired for the Easter ers, so all food was cooked
table. Boiled eggs, usu- inside the oven by the ex-
ally decorated simply, perienced housewife. Most
are symbols of the fertil- food was cooked in earth-
ity of spring and are pre- enware containers that had
sented in great quantity. The traditional Russian oven rounded sides to maximize
Kulich, a very rich yeasted heat exposure. A long-han-
cake made with wheat flour, butter, eggs, and dled tool with a U-shaped end served to move the jars in and out of the

milk is only prepared for Easter. Its traditional oven. Other oven utensils were bread peels and wooden paddles for turn-
accompaniment is paskha, a sweet cheese dish ing grain that was dried on the oven fl oor. Long, slow cooking in radiant
made from tvorog, sour cream, egg yolks, ground heat characterizes most of early Russian dishes, such as kasha and even
almonds, vanilla and sugar, shaped in a truncated soup, which was “stewed” more than boiled. Meat stews, interestingly,
pyramidal mold. A 19th century Easter table of a were not typical Russian fare as the traditional method of preparing meat
prosperous country family might look like this: was baking it on trays in large pieces, or even, if possible, cooking the
whole animal. Chopped meat dishes, pâtés, ground meat and pureéd soups
Paskha, Kulich, Babas, Mazurkas, Tortes were introduced to Russian cuisine from western, mostly French, sources.
Decorated eggs Western-style stoves—enclosed metal ranges with burners that could de-
Butter sculpted in the shape of a lamb liver high heat—were introduced toward the middle of the 19th century
Boar’s head, Baked ham in Russia, mostly for city dwellers and the provincial gentry, although the
Stuffed turkey, Cold roast hare Russian oven was preferred for most traditional cooking and processing
Roast veal, Wood grouse of raw ingredients.
Cold roast antelope or venison,
Roast elk, Roast marinated beef ENDURING TRADITIONS

Stuffed suckling pig The most novel refinements in Russian cuisine introduced in the 17th
Bread, horseradish, mustard, vinegar, olive oil through the 19th centuries came largely from the west, and particularly from
Various vodkas and wines France. The influence turned out to be a mutual one, producing a grand

SPRING 2008 Wise Traditions 53