Russia is a country with a long history of interactions with many different groups. During the time of the Soviet Union, cuisine from each republic spread throughout the Soviet Union and remain part of the cuisines of the separate republics to this day. One of the cuisines that students tend to like every year is Georgian food. Matt Lombard talks a little bit about his first experience with Georgian food.
The Georgian food experience is one that is not available anywhere in America from my experience, and it really shows how different cultures can be just as good or better than my own. Upon entering the restaurant, it was obvious that the setting was rather expensive, and the table was set up in a very beautiful manner. We had a guide there to explain to us the difference between the dishes, and to inform us on some historical properties of the dishes. The best dish in my opinion was definitely one called shashlik. It was similar to barbecue, but as the guide explained to us, barbecue is cooked for a long period of time over a very low heat, whereas shashlik is cooked very quickly at high temperatures. The taste was very reminiscent of American steak, and I cannot express my love for steak. There was also a dish that was very relatable to an Italian calzone, but instead of sausage or pepperoni, it was filled with cheese and eggs. There was a type of bread that was cooked there that was simply magnificent, and it was some of the softest and sweetest I have ever tasted. There were many dishes that were very healthy for you as well, like a pickled plant that is said in Georgian culture to prolong one’s life. It didn’t taste like it would prolong my life, I can assure you, and it reminded me of the old days in America where people thought that smoking was good for your lungs. Who knows, it may hold some properties of good health, but it really didn’t taste like it.
The Georgian restaurant that we as a group dined at was another experience, as well. It was very similar to the southern family dining experience, where we all sat very close at a table and asked each other to pass the dishes around. It was very obvious that some students have never dined like this, as they would reach over others to grab what they wanted to try, instead of politely asking like what I would usually be accustomed to. Compared to my dining experience in Alabama, it was incredibly different, and the food was not only impressive, but decadent as well. I would recommend everyone to try Georgian cuisine at least once in their lifetime, and after that one try, I assure you there will be many more.
USA in Russia 2019 