Fans of football (aka soccer) are counting down the days to Thursday's start of the every-four-years World Cup, June 14–July 15. But for many fans of food and football, this year’s championship in Russia is unfamiliar territory.
Russian cuisine has long been thought of as boring, nearly tasteless fare. But while that may have been true in the days of Soviet supply shortages, a new generation of Russians in the World Cup’s 11 host cities may be stepping up their cuisine game.
In 2014, the Russian government banned the import of most foodstuffs from the European Union and the United States. That was in response to international sanctions against Russia over its seizure of Crimea from Ukraine.
The global ban has driven up prices for some ingredients, particularly fruit and dairy products. Sanctions also mean top-end restaurants, particularly in Moscow, have started reimagining obscure Russian dishes, working with meats like boar, venison, and even bear.
Russian food is big on winter ingredients—cabbage and root vegetables—and pies filled with beef, potato, or fish. The beetroot soup known as borscht is actually a traditionally Polish and Ukrainian dish, but World Cup attendees will find it all over Russia.
Russia’s traditionally gone easy on seasoning because of the high cost of spices in earlier eras, but that’s starting to change. World Cup fans may still see a menu that flags dishes as “spicy” if they contain so much as a little paprika, but restaurants are starting to experiment with more spice.
If fans are hungry for snacks, potato chips and beef jerky have gained popularity recently. But dried fish and seafood are still the hands-down hometown favorites.
Footballers looking for a sit-down meal shouldn't expect Russian restaurant staff to check in regularly during a meal: Russians prefer to eat and chat in peace. . . . and leave the yelling and chanting at the stadium.
(AP Photo: Businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, left, serves food to then-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, center, during dinner at Prigozhin’s restaurant outside Moscow, Russia.)
