The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Belarusian Foods. If you manage to be in an Belarusian restaurant or you are visiting Belarus, I recommend the following:
1. Karavai
It is a symbol of hospitality and respect for those for whom the bread is baked. The bread has a rich and very mild taste, which is achieved by adding a large number of eggs and milk. Another characteristic of Karavai is its unique appearance. After all, the tradition of giving a Karavai to a newly married couple is still strong in Belarus. If you were given a Karavai, you should break off a piece, dip it in salt and taste it.
2. Zhurek
Typical of Poland and Belarus, zhurek is a soup made from oatmeal and black bread. Cooks place the oat and bread mixture in a warm place for three days and then filter it before mixing it with meat, vegetables and garlic. The soup is then simmered.
3. Borscht
Belarusian borscht has ingredients such as meat, potatoes, cabbage, carrots and onions. Belarusian borscht is not as fatty and spicy as the Ukrainian version and has more vegetables than the Polish version. Belarusian restaurants often serve borscht with sour cream and black bread. Many Belarusian restaurants also serve a cold borscht in the summer months with pre-cooked beets, eggs, fresh vegetables and cucumbers.
4. Sashni
Belarusian cuisine is full of potatoes, vegetables, meat and dairy products. Sashni melt in your mouth and fried potato cutlets stuffed with cottage cheese. It’s a delicious appetiser that will make your mouth water.
5. Nalistniki
Nalistniki are very popular pancakes in Belarus, made from unleavened, egg-like liquid batter. Nalistniki are much thinner than ordinary pancakes and are used more to accompany the filling than to form the flavour. For example with sweet jam, savoury mushrooms, berries from the garden, homemade cottage cheese with sultanas – these are just some of the options for toppings.
6. Tsibriki
Tsibriki is a popular snack that pairs well with beer. Made with potatoes, stuffed with cheese and pan-fried, tsibriki is an excellent road food option for a trip around the sights of Belarus.
7. Babka
Depending on the cooking method, babka is another favourite choice for breakfast or a hearty family dinner. Morning “babka” calls for potato dough consisting of grated potatoes, meat, salt and onion. All the ingredients should be mixed well, poured into a greased pan and baked for 40-60 minutes. For dinner, instead of baking, this variation of the dish is fried on the cooker over low heat. Serve alone or with sour cream on the side.
8. Draniki
Draniki (potato pancakes) is the most typical and popular dish in Belarusian cuisine. The main ingredients of Draniki are grated potatoes and onions, although some recipes also include meat, bacon, mushrooms and cheese. They are usually served with sour cream. You can find draniki in most Belarusian restaurants, as well as in many fast food outlets.
9. Galushki
They are considered one of the most popular dishes. They are pieces of dough cooked in water, milk or broth. Galushki are usually made from flour, sometimes mixed with semolina, potatoes, tvorog (cottage cheese), grated apples. These dumplings are very simple and their recipes are not distinguished by great variety. However, there are regional variations in the ingredients.
10. Kletski
Another famous Belarusian dish is kletski, boiled flour dumplings stuffed with meat. This dish is similar to Polish pierogi and Russian pelmeni, but kletski is larger and crescent-shaped. Kletski can be eaten on its own with grilled onions and sour cream, or it can be added to soup – a truly delicious dish!
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional European Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.