Shchi

For a thousand years shchi has been the basic liquid hot dish served in Russia, popular with the entire population. Not the same shchi was eaten by everyone; sometimes it was called ‘rich shchi’, or ‘empty shchi’ when made from cabbage and onions alone. But in spite of the variations, taste and aroma remain characteristic. It was prepared and then allowed to simmer slowly inside the Russian oven, and an ever-present smell of shchi prevailed in every Russian peasant hut.

In its most complete form shchi contains six ingredients: cabbage, meat (or in rare instances fish or dried or salted mushrooms), root vegetables (carrots, parsnips), spicy seasoning (onion, celery, garlic, dill, pepper, bay leaf) and tart or sour flavouring (sour cream, apples, sauerkraut brine). The first and last are the indispensable ingredients.