A great reason you should travel to Russia on your next vacation is the food. The top five Russian meals consist of simple, homegrown foods that are very tasty! Potatoes, bread, butter, meat, and eggs are basics in the making of many Russian meals. Since the climate is so cold, fresh vegetables are hard to find except for cool weather vegetables such as cabbage and onions.

If you are fortunate you might even get to sample some of Russia's top food, its world renowned caviar while you are there. A wonderful appetizer made with Salmon caviar, sour cream, and crepes. The sour cream and caviar is put onto the crepe then it'srolled up and then thinly sliced.

Borsch is one of the top five foods in Russia, and may be the most popular. Beet soup is a delicious Russian soup consisting of meat and beets. It will usually also contain potatoes, carrots, cabbage, onions, and peppers and is mainly served with sour cream. Borsch also has liberal amounts of butter in it which make it a hearty, flavorful meal. The bitterly cold weather in Russia makes soup a welcome dish after a long work day.

If invited to someone's home for supper and Shashlik is on the menu, be sure to take them up on their hospitality. Shashlik are chunks of marinated meat roasted on a skewer over an open flame. Inviting friends for Shashlik is the Russian version of a barbecue and is meant to be enjoyed by friends.

Another top Russian food is Pirozhki. These are little buns or pies made of yeast dough which are filled with delicious fillings made of fish, meats, vegetables, rice, and eggs. The Pirozhki are then baked or pan fried and are very tasty. Some of the fillings used for the little pies include boiled eggs combined with sauteed fish and onions. Instead of fish some people like their Pirozhki to be filled with a combination of chopped meat combined with eggs and onions. fried cabbage and rice with dill and boiled eggs are also fillings for the Pirozhki. Other cold weather vegetables like potatoes are combined with onion and dill to make Pirozhki fillings. An additional combination for the fillings is mushrooms sauteed with carrots and onions. Freshly made Pirozhki's put the crowning touch on a meal of steaming hot Borsch or cold Okroshka soup.

Visiting Russia is not full without eating the famous Kvass, which is a mildly alcoholic beverage made from rye. The rye gives the beverage its rich, dark color. A mixture of flour, water and malt is mixed into a dough that is fermented. It is then mixed with water, sugar, yeast and other flavors before brewing. Ginger, mint, berry and fruit juices may also be added to the Kvass mixture. The the amount of alcohol in Kvass is low and even children are permitted to drink it. Kvass is also an ingredient in many Russian foods such as Okroshka soup.

You may discover that you have a different view of the top five Russian foods when you visit this culture rich land. Russian food is hearty and simple like the Russian people who will extend an invitation to their humble homes for a night of beverage and Shashlik. The Russian people and the food will stand out as the best things that you experience when you travel to Russia.