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Cossack cuisine is the traditionalcuisine of theCossack people of present-day Ukraine and Russia.[1] Having emerged in parallel with the settlement of Eastern Europeansteppes, Cossack food culture incorporated elements of various traditions, includingEuropean,Caucasian andCentral Asian cuisines.
ManyCossack hosts were named after rivers along which their members would settle (Dnieper,Amur,Volga,Don,Yenisey,Kuban,Terek,Ussuri, andYaik), and this connection has influenced the Cossack diet, which is dominated by an abundance offish dishes. InIvan Kotliarevsky'sEneidasturgeon,herring androach are mentioned among the fish consumed by the poem's heroes, who were inspired by Zaporozhian Cossacks. Ukrainian ethnographerMykola Markevych also mentioned dishes likeborshch with fish,loaches with horseradish, cutlets made ofpike orcrucian carp, which were popular among Ukrainian Cossacks.
Social elite of theHetmanate would also use imported fish such asDutch herring,eels,flounders,lampreys,salmon as well ascuttlefish. Some other local fish species popular during that time includedcarp,catfish,common bream,sander. Much of the fish consumed by Cossacks in Ukrainian lands was salted or dried. Fish trade between Ukraine and the Black Sea region during the Cossack era was controlled bychumaks, but much of the catch was done locally in rivers, such as theDnieper andDesna, or in ponds.[2]
AmongDon Cossacks baked carp orbream are still popular, and they prepare soups and stews with fish, such asukha andkulesh. The Don Cossacks' fish dishes include sturgeon,balyk,Don herring, scherba (ukha), and small fish fried with onions and eggs.[3]
Typical food consumed by Zaporozhian Cossacks consisted of milled grains and flour and included traditionalUkrainian dishes such askasha,kulish,teteria [uk] andsolomakha [uk]. During campaigns Cossacks would be supplied by thehetman administration with basic rations consisting of flour, breadcrumbs, groats and meat. InPereyaslavregiment during 1722-1723 a Cossack artillery serviceman would annually receive almost 200 kg ofrye, 50 kg ofwheat and 50 kg ofbuckwheat flour, 50 kg ofmillet, 15 kg ofsalo and 55 g of salt. Cossacks would also eat borshch, which was a universal food for all classes in Ukraine during that era.
The diet of the Hetmanate's Cossack elite was much more luxurious in comparison: campaigning in the Caucasus in 1726,Lubnycolonel Yakiv Markovych ordered his wife in Ukraine to send him foods such asolives,butter,ham, driedtongues,chicken andturkeys, as well asolive oil and variousappetizers.[4] During the Cossack erabeef andgame in Ukraine were consumed mostly by the upper classes; the most commonly eaten meat among the lower classes wasmutton.[5]
Don Cossacks traditionally eat porridges,noodles,bread andpies.[6] Stuffedcabbage rolls andaspic[7] are also common. A well-known Don dish is watermelon pickled in brine, which is often used as an appetizer for strongalcoholic drinks.[8]
Kuban Cossacks eatborscht,varenyky (dumplings stuffed of potatoes or berries), pancakes, andshish kebabs.Goulash is common in the cuisine of the Cossacks of Southern Russia. The most common soups areokroshka andshulum (a thick soup of broth, meat, and potatoes). Meat (usually pork and poultry) is usually baked in the oven. The round breadpalyanytsia is surrounded with honors.[9]
Dewberry, fried berries andhoney were mentioned as food by Zaporozhian Cossack colonel Yakiv Markovych in early 18th century.[10] A traditional Don Cossack dessert isnardek (watermelonhoney). It is usually eaten withbursak (bursachki). The influence of oriental cuisine is seen in the use ofraisins, which are added to porridge.[11]
Consumption of coffee was a traditional attribute of UkrainianCossack starshina.[12] Drinks such asjuice,tea andcoffee were mentioned by Zaporozhian Cossack officer Yakiv Markovych in early 18th century.[13] Common drinks among the Don Cossacks includeuzvar[8] (a sweet, nonalcoholic drink made withdried fruits) andkvass (a low-alcohol grain-based beverage). Kuban Cossacks drinkkissels, brews, and Iryan, a Cossack variant ofayran similar tosuzma.[14]
Among products ordered by Zaporozhian Cossack officer Yakiv Markovych from Ukraine during his service in the Caucasus were "wine and goodhorilkas", as well asprune brandy.[15] Historically, a traditional alcoholic beverage of the Don Cossacks waswine, and winemaking emerged on the Don with the appearance of the first Greek colonies, approximately in the sixth-century B.C.E. The ancient Greek historianStrabo wrote that during his travels, he visited the mouth of the Don, where the vines were covered with earth for the winter to protect them from snow and frost.[16] However, when thePolovtsians came to the Don region, followed by theTatar-Mongols, winemaking disappeared.Peter the Great had an opportunity to revive viticulture on the Don. In 1697, the tsar ordered theAzov governor, Prozorovsky, "to start vineyards". Soon, wine became the most popular drink of the Don again.[16]
Cossacks commonly use bowls and wooden spoons. Cossacks eat three times a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Before eating, they wash and wipe their hands. The eldest at the table usually signals the start of the meal. They often eat from a common bowl. Drinks are served in pitchers.[citation needed]
