Russian Eating Traditions

EATING TRADITIONS VERSUS MENTALITY

Have you ever heard of the linguistic relativity hypothesis? The very theory, stated by a famous linguist Benjamin Whorf, claims that culture, through language, affects the way in which we think. Let us draw a parallel with this conception and make a similar assumption: culture, through eating traditions, influences, or at least well describes, our "national character".

Here is an example to support this idea. If we look closely at Belorussia, the Ukraine, and Russia we will see that these three countries not only have the same Slavic origin, share common values and speak the languages that are closely related but also share the same eating traditions. Moreover, the kitchen of each of the three peoples has lots of similarities, borrowings, or adoptions.

Byelorussian, Ukrainian and Russian cuisines are genuinely unique and distinctive. Recently, with the penetration of Western ideas and ideals to Eastern Europe and elsewhere, the boundaries between the West and the East are getting vague. Eastern Europe is becoming more westernized in all the senses. What remains invariable is its national customary kitchen and eating traditions.

Even with the rise of fast food stations coming mainly from the USA and international food restaurants in Eastern Europe, Byelorussian, Ukrainians and Russians are not in a hurry to change their eating preferences and habits.

All the three state-members of the former USSR enjoy many-century history with clearly shaped traditions. One of the distinctive features of the three people has always been hospitality. And when they think of hospitality they imply first and foremost a delicious and hearty meal. The saturation of the menu grows pro rata with the extent of your connection to that person who you are receiving for dinner or a feast. Therefore, the amount of food served and the time spent for its preparation is thus a semiotic sign that reflects how well you know this particular person and how intimate your relationship with him, or her, is.

In other words Byelorussians, Ukrainians, and Russians are veritable gourmets, especially men. The saying "A finger-licking good dinner is the shortest way to a man's heart" describes what East European men are looking for in their wives the best.

To conclude, Russian women, russian-speaking women are not only beautiful and intelligent. They are good house-keepers, loving wives, caring mothers and also good cooks! Cooking is part and parcel of a family life in Belarus, Russia and the Ukraine. And is there anything more appetizing than home-made food that is cooked not in haste and anyhow but to the utmost of one's endeavor? It seems to be a good alternative to fast food, doesn't it?!

• russian cuisine
• russian peculiarities
• urkainian cuisine