In ancient Rus' they called porridge to finish a sentence. Russian porridge

Porridges were cooked from hulled whole and crushed grains of rye, wheat, barley, oats, millet (millet. In Rus', until the 18th century, they cultivated an ancient type of wheat - spelt, using it for cooking porridges.

Chronicles testify to the use of four grains in ancient Rus': wheat, barley, millet and rye. The first three date back to the Paleolithic era. Of course, they were also used to prepare porridges - the simplest cereal dishes
. Thus, Theodosius of Pechersk wrote: “Yes, having boiled the wheat and mixed it with honey, presented it to the Brethren at the Meal.” And the Byzantine writer and politician pseudo-Mauritius (VI century) reported that millet was once the main food of the ancient Slavs.

In the table of rich people already in the 16th century. Rice began to appear - Saracen millet. In addition to this name, it is found in sources of the 16th - 17th centuries. The word "Brynets" ("smoking under the brynets with saffron", "hearth pies with brynets and with pine needles" - "serve books on the table all year round." The word "Brynets" from the Persian "byurinj occurs." Obviously, there was two names for rice depending on where it comes from.

For cooking porridges, they used not only cereals from whole and crushed cereals, but also flour from them. Hydrothermal treatment (according to modern terminology) of oats was also used for a very long time. Oatmeal was made from it, dishes from which are considered the most ancient Slavic dishes. To obtain oatmeal, oats were steamed, dried and crushed. After such processing, the content of soluble, easily digestible substances in the cereal increases and it can be eaten without additional heat treatment, diluted with water or milk. Oatmeal contains more sugar than oatmeal, it has a sweetish taste and is used to prepare sweet dishes (oatmeal with berries.

Green cereals were made from unripe grains. Green porridge was prepared during periods of famine, when supplies in the house were running out, and vegetables and rye were not yet ripe. Unripe rye grains were dried, ground and porridge was cooked from the resulting flour. Of course, green porridge appeared in peasant life due to a shortage of food, but, obviously, it was loved for its delicate and unique taste, and then became part of the arsenal of professional culinary dishes. Already in. lvvgiin writes that such porridge was served with melted cow butter, and includes it in the list of ordinary Russian dishes. Cooked green porridge and in rich houses, even in the 19th century.

Cereals were used to prepare porridges, soups, fillings for pies and pies, sausages with porridge, loaves, pancakes and others culinary products(croups, casseroles. Along with cereals, porridges from legumes were prepared (in whole form and from pea flour. There was no clear distinction between cereals and flour: porridges were cooked from both cereals and cereal flour.

Buckwheat appeared in Russia much earlier than in other countries, and porridges made from it surprised foreigners who visited our country.

This passage requires clarification. Indeed, the Russians did not know mung beans (golden beans, sheep peas), so popular in the East. As for the lentils, there was a clear mistake. The fact is that lentils were widely used in Rus' back in the XIII - XIV centuries. It was widely used by the monks of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra (Theodosius of Pechersk), but Macarius’ companions obviously knew fine-grained lentils, and our plate-shaped (coarse-grained) lentils were probably unfamiliar to them.

Eastern guests, of course, knew well “Tsargrad Horns” - beans with sweet juicy fruits. In Rus' they were known and called simply “Rozhki”, but they were an exquisite delicacy. Therefore, the attention of the guests was attracted by the so-called “Russian Beans” with large black (purple) and white fruits. Subsequently, in Russia they were pushed aside by beans, dishes from which taste similar to dishes made from ancient beans, so they quickly entered our everyday life.

What are the benefits of porridge for the body?

Bags and bruises under the eyes, unhealthy complexion, extra pounds, dull hair, rashes on the face, constant fatigue and drowsiness... these symptoms mean that our body is filled with various unnecessary substances. Traditional medicine discovered a way to solve the problem in ancient times. Regular cereals will help us get rid of toxic substances.

Cereals are initially fiber, with a high content of various organic substances necessary for the human body for normal life. Pesticides, heavy metals and other substances bad for our body attract organic substances. Therefore, porridge is especially useful for those who work for a long time harmful conditions, elderly people, and are also indispensable in the diet of expectant mothers.

To one degree or another, any type of cereal is beneficial to the body. Except rare medical contraindications. Each type of cereal affects our body differently. The effect of one or another porridge on our body depends on the composition of the acids contained in the porridge. As well as their ability to bind and remove harmful substances.

The benefits of buckwheat porridge cannot be overestimated. Buckwheat improves digestion well because it contains pectins. It is very beneficial for the pancreas and liver, as it contains a lot of iron. Buckwheat porridge is quickly digestible and contains a low amount of calories, making it ideal for dinner. It is best not to cook buckwheat, but to steam it. To do this, pour boiling water over the cereal, wrap it and put it in a warm place. With this cooking method, the porridge will be crumbly and will provide greater benefits of buckwheat in cleansing the body of heavy metals.

The most useful type of rice is considered to be brown, wild, long Central Asian rice. People whose work involves the risk of lead or arsenic poisoning are especially recommended to eat rice porridge. By the way, rice diet very effective for weight loss. Before cooking rice, you should thoroughly rinse the grains under running water, as water rinses the starch and speeds up the cooking process.

Oatmeal is the absolute champion in health benefits. female body is. It reduces the risk of cancer, helps the gastrointestinal tract, and prevents the occurrence of stomach ulcers and gastritis. Oatmeal contains vegetable proteins and fats that are healthy. It contains: magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, sodium, phosphorus, zinc, vitamins B1, B2, E, PP. This wealth of nutrients increases the body's defenses and helps overcome depression. Oatmeal helps strengthen bones and maintain normal blood pressure, which is especially important for older people. This porridge is recommended if you are prone to dermatitis; this porridge has a very beneficial effect on the condition of the skin.

Millet porridge gives the body additional strength and energy. It contains elements that can strengthen tissue. For example, copper, which gives tissues additional elasticity, silicon, which helps the formation of bones and teeth. For a healthy complexion and normal blood circulation, millet supplies the body with iron. It also contains fluorine, which is responsible for dental health, magnesium, necessary for workaholics, and manganese, which promotes normal metabolism.

Semolina porridge contains the least amount of vitamins. It is recommended for people with sick intestines or stomachs, since it is digested quite easily due to the lack of fiber in it. Semolina itself is prepared from peeled wheat grains. The shell contains most of the vitamins, so semolina is not very rich in them. But the remaining vitamins are perfectly preserved after cooking, since they do not have time to be destroyed due to rapid cooking.

Pearl barley porridge has almost twice the phosphorus content of other cereals. Phosphorus helps increase the speed and power of muscle contractions, so it is extremely necessary for athletes and people engaged in physical labor. Therefore, when visiting a fitness club, be sure to include it in your diet. Barley porridge is necessary for normal brain function and balanced metabolism. It takes a long time to prepare pearl barley porridge, up to an hour and a half. Attention! Only if you soak it for 2-3 hours, the cooking time can be reduced somewhat. Barley should be eaten immediately after cooking, because after cooling it becomes hard and tasteless.

An excellent solution for cleansing the body of toxic fluoride and chlorine compounds is corn porridge. This porridge contains vitamins A, B, E, PP, silicon and iron. Corn porridge is also a low-allergenic food product. It is recommended for intestinal and cardiovascular diseases. Corn porridge helps get rid of organic mercury, which is present in the substance with which the grain is processed.

There are no strict restrictions for cereal-based diets. Any porridge goes well with mushrooms, nuts, sauerkraut, olives, eggplants. Goes great with soft and sheep cheese, feta cheese, and milk. Products such as dried apricots, raisins, dried fruits, apples, honey perfectly complement any porridge. As you can see, the benefits of porridge for the body are obvious. Therefore, you should not refuse them just because you are on a diet, or you don’t like their taste, or eating porridge has become unfashionable.

Blush in Ancient Egypt was made from ocher, a mineral consisting of iron oxide hydrate mixed with clay. The mineral was accessible and literally lying under our feet. Ocher was used as a dye for fabrics, cosmetics, and insect repellent. To receive the product desired consistency, fats and wax were added to the crushed ocher. Simple bright spots on the apples of the cheeks made Egyptian women look fresh and hid their age.

From Egypt, the fashion for rosy cheeks moved to Greece. Ancient Greek women made do with affordable natural cosmetics. Here the blush was obtained using the paederia plant and seaweed. In Ancient Rome, they also began to brown, although here makeup was condemned by society.

In the daily diet of the Russian people, since ancient times, an honorable and important place has been occupied by various cereals. They, in fact, were the main and main dish on the table; not a single holiday or feast could be done without them; they ate them, pouring them with milk or honey, adding vegetable and cow butter, fat, kvass, fried onions and other ingredients. One of the most popular porridges in Rus' was buckwheat porridge, which in the 17th century was rightfully considered the national dish of the Russian people, although it appeared in the vastness of our Motherland not so long ago. Brought to us from distant Asia, this culture quickly fell in love with our people, who even called it “mother”. And this love is not surprising and quite understandable, because buckwheat was inexpensive, was grown everywhere, buckwheat porridge is wonderful in taste and nutritional quality After eating a bowl of this porridge for breakfast, you can feel full for a very long time. People considered buckwheat not only a tasty food, but also very beneficial for health; they consumed it when they lost strength and even when they had symptoms of a cold.

History of the origin of buckwheat

Many will find it surprising that buckwheat, from which such an ordinary and traditional side dish for the Russian people as buckwheat porridge is cooked, initially did not grow on the territory of Rus' and was brought there from Byzantium.

Some researchers claim that buckwheat as a grain crop appeared about 4,000 thousand years ago in the Himalayas (where dishes made from it are still called “black porridge”), other historians believe that this type grain crop appeared in Altai (it was there that archaeologists discovered fossilized remains of buckwheat grains in burial places and at sites of ancient tribes), from there it spread throughout Siberia and the Urals. In those days it grew as a wild herbaceous plant with small white inflorescences. People tried its seeds, which looked like small pyramids, and realized that they were edible; they began to make flour from them to make flatbreads, and also to cook tasty and nutritious buckwheat porridge from them. Neighboring countries unanimously borrowed this useful crop and began to grow and eat it everywhere, as, for example, did the Bulgarian peoples who lived on the Volga, who later passed the baton to the Slavic tribes. There are also theories about Ancient Greece as the birthplace of buckwheat.

How a foreigner became a native

According to various historians, buckwheat began to be grown in Rus' around the 7th century; it received its name during the times of Kievan Rus, when Greek monks from local monasteries were mainly involved in its cultivation. The Slavs really liked the rich and tasty porridge cooked from buckwheat grains, which was previously called buckwheat, buckwheat, Greek wheat, buckwheat, and also “Tatarka” after the name of the type of Tatar buckwheat with greenish inflorescences. On this occasion, there is an old legend about the royal daughter Krupenichka, who was captured by the Tatars and forced to marry the khan. The children born to them were so small and fractional that over time they turned into small dark grains. A wanderer passing by took them with her to her native Russian lands and planted them there, and so, according to legend, buckwheat began to grow in Holy Rus'.

Buckwheat came to Europeans much later, in the Middle Ages, at a time when there were wars with the Arabs, who were called Saracens. Hence French name buckwheat is a Saracen grain, which, by the way, did not gain much popularity there either in those days or today.

As history shows, buckwheat of Himalayan origin turned out to be a rather capricious and finicky grain crop, very troublesome to cultivate, which, however, did not stop persistent Russian farmers who achieved good buckwheat harvests on fertile and fertile Russian lands.

How buckwheat porridge was cooked in Rus'

The greatest expert on Russian cooking, historian William Pokhlebkin, in his writings, said that when preparing crumbly buckwheat porridge, the Slavs used yadritsa - cereal made from whole buckwheat grains; for sweet and semi-sweet porridge they took Smolensk groats (crushed, peeled kernels). In order to prepare viscous buckwheat porridge, popularly called porridge-smear, they used the so-called prodel, crushed grains of large and small sizes. The porridge was prepared in water, milk, with the addition of additional ingredients (mushrooms, vegetables, meat, poultry, fried onions And boiled eggs), served as a main meal or side dish for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is almost impossible to spoil buckwheat porridge; in order for it to turn out tasty and healthy, you must follow some rules when preparing buckwheat porridge:

1. The proportion of buckwheat to liquid is 1:2;
2. The lid of the pan must be tightly closed during cooking;
3. After boiling, simmer the porridge over low heat and let it brew;
4. To fully cooked do not stir the porridge and do not open the lid.

Buckwheat porridge was prepared and simmered in a Russian oven in a clay pot, served with butter or milk both on holidays and in everyday life, and by the 17th century it had become a national dish of the Russian people, which we still prepare and respect, like our distant ones. ancestors.

This is how people speak affectionately about buckwheat in Rus'. Indeed, buckwheat is an indispensable product in the diet of every Russian. We cannot imagine our table without aromatic and tasty buckwheat porridge. In addition, it is convenient to use on the farm: buckwheat is stored much better and longer than other cereals.

Buckwheat is highly valued by nutritionists: low calorie content and the rich composition makes it a wonderful dish healthy eating. And pediatricians recommend starting complementary feeding for infants with buckwheat porridge, because it is very filling and nutritious. In general, buckwheat porridge is useful for children, adults, and the elderly!

We have long considered buckwheat “ours”, although its real homeland is Northern India. This crop was cultivated there 5 thousand years ago and was called “black rice.” Buckwheat came to Europe thanks to Turkish and Arab traders. And the Byzantine Greeks brought it to Rus', which is why our ancestors called the cereal “buckwheat.”

Let's take a closer look at the unique composition of this product!

So, buckwheat contains:

Dietary fiber, which stimulates intestinal motility, “cleanses” the body of toxins, removes “bad cholesterol”, has a beneficial effect on the state of normal microflora and is a preventive agent for colon cancer;

B vitamins (including folic and nicotinic acids), as well as vitamin E, carotenoids (provitamins A) and phospholipids, which are responsible for the growth and proper development of the body, support normal metabolism, help preserve beauty and youth (by the way, Buckwheat is superior to other cereals in terms of the content of these biologically active compounds);

Rutin (from the group of vitamins P), which strengthens blood vessels, thins thick blood, promotes the absorption of vitamin C, calcium, iron, has a beneficial effect on thyroid gland and immunity;

Inositol is a vitamin-like substance that helps normalize blood glucose levels and reduces the risk of diabetes;

Iron, magnesium, calcium, fluorine, zinc, manganese, copper, chromium, sulfur, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and other elements that ensure the full synthesis and functioning of all hormonal and enzyme systems of the body;

Organic acids (maleic, citric, oxalic), which promote good digestion and energy production in cells;

Proteins, more precisely a set of amino acids, which is considered unique in its digestibility by the human body (amino acids such as lysine and methionine are especially important, ensuring the normal functioning of the liver and nervous system, and the amino acid tryptophan is involved in the construction of new cells and prevents the development of cancer of the gastrointestinal tract) ;

Complex carbohydrates, which have low glycemic index and therefore are absorbed by the body for a long time (thanks to this, after eating buckwheat a person feels full for several hours);

The calorie content of buckwheat is just over 300 kilocalories per 100 grams of product. And the ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates is almost ideal to ensure complete nutrition: proteins – 12.6 g (~50 kcal); fats – 3.3 g (~30 kcal); carbohydrates – 57.1 g (~228 kcal).

Buckwheat porridge is useful to include in the diet for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, as well as diabetes, hemorrhoids, anemia (anemia) and cardiovascular diseases.

Since buckwheat has antitoxic properties, it is useful for people working in hazardous industries or living in unfavorable environmental conditions.

Buckwheat porridge is an ideal product for overweight people and those who are watching their weight. Fasting days on buckwheat are well tolerated and quite effective.

Before cooking, buckwheat can be fried, then it will become much more aromatic. To preserve more nutrients, you can pour boiling water over the cereal in the evening and let it brew overnight. In the morning, don’t cook it, but simply eat it with yogurt or dried fruit. To diversify your diet, buckwheat can be consumed with mushrooms, vegetables, liver, different varieties meat, cheese.

And finally, another wonderful quality that indirectly affects our health: buckwheat is an excellent honey plant. The flowers of this plant secrete a lot of nectar, which then produces honey of a beautiful red-brown color with a spicy aroma and a characteristic pleasant taste. Buckwheat honey is unique in that it contains much more proteins and minerals than in light varieties. It is recommended for anemia, hypertension, chronic gastritis, hypovitaminosis, decreased immunity, as well as for restoring strength after serious illnesses and injuries.

Let buckwheat porridge be the most desired dish on your family table!

Bon appetit and be healthy!
Tatyana Arkadyevna Selezneva, nutritionist

What did they drink from in Rus'? “Distant relatives” of modern wine glasses and glasses... what did they drink from in Rus'?

“Distant relatives” of modern wine glasses and glasses... what did they drink from in Rus'?

Drinks have always been of considerable importance in the history of the Russian people. As reported in chronicle sources, many worldly affairs in Rus' certainly began with an honest feast. Our ancestors knew huge amount various drinks, egg and honey, which they brought from their Aryan homeland. Throughout history, Rus' has developed a whole drinking culture.
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Bratina is a drinking vessel, usually metal, in the form of a pot. In ancient Rus', they were used mainly as health bowls, from which they drank honey, beer and kvass at community feasts. Besides the fact that the brothers were necessary accessory banquet table, they could also be used as funeral cups. It is possible that the origin of the word “brother” itself dates back to those times when blood relatives and brothers came together for a ceremonial feast. Bratina is the most important attribute that characterizes a Russian person.
Endova

The endova was a round deep bowl for serving drinks to the festive table. In the upper part of the valley, a hole was made with an inserted groove - a spout, which was called a “stigma”. Some valleys had a short handle with which a vessel with a drink could be held.
The valleys were of various sizes, from large enough to accommodate a bucket to very small ones.
Buckets

Ladles are wooden, boat-shaped, metal vessels in which drinks were served on the table. From small ladles they drank like from a cup, from larger ones they poured the intoxicating drink into other vessels using scoops. It is known that ladles were hollowed out from a whole piece of wood, its root or burl. In this case, they used an ax first, and only then a chisel and a knife. There were also birch bark ladles in Rus', which were sewn from birch bast. Metal ladles were made from copper, iron, tin and silver.
Skobkari
Skobkari are boat-shaped, round or oval, large vessels with two handles in which all sorts of drinks were displayed on the festive table. The scraper ladle was usually made of wood: birch, alder, aspen, linden or maple. The very name of this vessel (“skobkar” or “kopkar”) comes from the material or the method of its processing (kop-dig, dug, dug out)
Bowls and glasses

These are wooden, clay, and less often metal utensils that were used for both drinking and eating. Wooden bowls were a hemispherical vessel with straight edges, on a small tray, always without a lid. The bowl was indispensable in ancient rites, especially in rites associated with the birth of a child, weddings or funeral farewells. At the end festive lunch It was customary to drink the cup to the bottom for the health of the owner and mistress: those who did not do this could be considered an enemy.

With the arrival of the Spaniards in America and the beginning of the Inquisition, the clergy declared amaranth a “devil’s potion.” The Spaniards nicknamed amaranth "the devil's plant." The Spaniards disliked the “mystical Aztec grain” for its direct “involvement” in bloody rituals - after all, amaranth was a ritual crop. And the Catholic Church fully supported the Spanish conquistadors “in the fight” against amaranth.

Fighting the pagans, the Spanish conquistadors literally burned out the amaranth crops (the Aztecs called amaranth “huatli”). The seeds of this plant were destroyed. If the Aztecs secretly cultivated amaranth, they were brutally executed “for disobedience.” As a result of such a “struggle,” amaranth, unfortunately, was almost completely eradicated from Central America. For several centuries, amaranth was a plant banned on pain of death in Europe.

European civilization, considering itself more intellectually highly developed, trampled and oppressed the unfamiliar and alien culture of the Native Americans. But even fear of the colonialists could not force the ancient Indian tribes to refuse to grow amaranth. The tribes that inhabited mountainous, inaccessible villages were especially successful in this. Only thanks to these brave tribes, amaranth was preserved.

This “devotion” to amaranth was explained not only by traditional shamanic rituals in which this plant was actively used. The fact is that the Aztecs baked bread from amaranth. For them, after corn, this plant was the basis of their plant-based diet. Knowing about the nutritional and medicinal properties of amaranth, they rightfully placed amaranth above any other edible herbs and roots.

The corn (maize) bread was not particularly tasty. Although they satisfied human hunger, they caused stomach pain and intestinal inflammation. By adding amaranth bread to the dough, peasants effectively solved the above problem. Therefore, it is clear that Mexico, the countries of South and Central America, and the United States cultivated and actively grew amaranth over vast areas.

Today, thanks to the efforts of the United Nations Food Commission and, in particular, the American scientist David Lenman, amaranth has been recognized as a twenty-first century crop for its amazing healing and nutritional properties. David Lenman believes that with the help of amaranth it will be possible in the future to solve the global food problem.

Already in the middle of the 9th century, that black, rye, spongy and fragrant bread with sourdough appeared, without which the Russian menu is generally unthinkable.
Following him, other types of national bread and flour products were created: dezhni, loaves, sochni, pancakes, pies, pancakes, bagels, saiki, crumpets. The last three categories are almost a century later, after the advent of wheat flour


The commitment to kvass and sour was reflected in the creation of kvass itself, the range of which reached two to three dozen types, very different from each other in taste, as well as in the invention of the original Russian jelly of oatmeal, rye, wheat, which appeared almost 900 years earlier than modern berry-starch jelly.
At the very beginning of the Old Russian period, all the main drinks, in addition to kvass, took shape: all kinds of digestions (sbitni), which were a combination of decoctions of various forest herbs with honey and spices, as well as honeys and honeys, that is natural honey, fermented with berry juice or simply diluted with juices and water to various consistencies.
Although the porridges were unleavened according to the principles of their production, they were sometimes acidified with sour milk. They were also distinguished by their diversity, subdivided by type of grain (spelt, rye, oats, barley, buckwheat, millet, wheat), by type of grain crushing or rolling (for example, barley produced three cereals: barley, hollandaise, barley; buckwheat four: core , Veligorka, Smolenskaya, I made three wheat: whole, korkot, semolina, etc.), and, finally, according to the type of consistency, for the porridges were divided into crumbly, smears and porridges (very thin)

All this made it possible to vary from 6-7 types of grain and three types legumes (peas, beans, lentils) several dozen different cereals. In addition, a variety of flour products were made from the flour of these crops. All this baked, mainly flour food was diversified mainly with fish, mushrooms, wild berries, vegetables and, less often, milk and meat.
Already in the early Middle Ages, a clear, or rather, sharp division of the Russian table arose into lean (vegetable, fish, mushroom) and fast (milk, meat, egg). At the same time, the Lenten table did not include all plant products.
Thus, beets, carrots and sugar, which were also classified as fast food, were excluded from it. Drawing a sharp line between the fast and fast table, fencing food off from each other with an impassable wall of various origins and the strict prevention of mixing them naturally led to the creation of original dishes, for example, various types of fish soup, pancakes, kundums (mushroom dumplings).


The fact that the majority of days in the year from 192 to 216 in different years were fast, caused a completely natural desire for variety in the Lenten table. Hence the abundance of mushroom and fish dishes in the Russian national cuisine, the tendency to use various plant materials from grain (porridge) to forest berries and herbs (snot, nettle, sorrel, quinoa, angelica, etc.).
At first, attempts to diversify the Lenten table were expressed in the fact that each type of vegetable, mushroom or fish was prepared separately. Thus, cabbage, turnips, radishes, peas, cucumbers (vegetables known since the 10th century) were prepared and eaten raw, salted (pickled), steamed, boiled or baked separately from one another.
Salads and especially vinaigrettes were not typical of Russian cuisine at that time and appeared in Russia only in the middle of the 19th century. But they were also originally made mainly with one vegetable, which is why they were called cucumber salad, beet salad, potato salad, etc.

Mushroom dishes were subject to even greater differentiation. Each type of mushroom, milk mushrooms, saffron milk mushrooms, honey mushrooms, white mushrooms, morels and pecheritsa (champignons), etc., was not only salted, but also cooked completely separately. The situation was exactly the same with fish, consumed boiled, dried, salted, baked, and less often fried.


Sigovina, taimenina, pike, halibut, catfish, salmon, sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, beluga and others were each individually considered a special, different dish, and not just fish. Therefore, the fish soup could be perch, ruff, burbot or sterlet.


The taste diversity of such homogeneous dishes was achieved in two ways: on the one hand, by differences in heat and cold processed, and also due to the use various oils, predominantly vegetable hemp, nut, poppy, wood (olive) and much later sunflower, and on the other hand, the use of spices.
Of the latter, onions and garlic were most often consumed, and in a very large quantities, as well as parsley, mustard, anise, coriander, bay leaf, black pepper and cloves, which appeared in Rus' since the 11th century. Later, in the 11th and beginning of the 12th centuries, they were supplemented with ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, calamus (oil root) and saffron.


In the ancient period of Russian cuisine, liquid hot dishes also appeared, which received the general name khlebovak. Particularly widespread are such types of bread as cabbage soup, stews based on vegetable raw materials, as well as various sautés, zaverikhs, chatterboxes, solomats and other types of flour soups, which differed from each other only in consistency and consisted of the three elements of water, flour and fat , to which sometimes (but not always) added onions, garlic or parsley.


They also made sour cream and cottage cheese (in the terminology of that time, cheese). The production of cream and butter remained unknown until the 14th century, and in the 14th-15th centuries these products were rarely prepared and were initially of poor quality. The butter quickly turned rancid due to imperfect methods of churning, cleaning and storing.

National sweet table consisted of berry-flour and berry-honey or honey-flour products. These are gingerbread cookies and various types of unbaked, raw, but folded dough in a special way (Kaluga dough, malt, kulagi), in which a subtle taste effect was achieved through long, patient and labor-intensive processing.

Porridge has been known to all agricultural peoples since ancient times. In Russian written monuments, this word is found in documents from the end of the 12th century, but in archaeological excavations pots with remains of porridge are found in the layers of the 9th - 10th centuries. The word “porridge” comes, according to linguists, from the Sanskrit “kash”, which means “to crush, to grate”.

Why did people in Rus' always treat porridge with such respect? The roots of the ritual attitude towards such seemingly simple food lie in our pagan origins. It is known from manuscripts that porridge was presented to Mother Earth, to the Saints in the hope of well-being, to the Gods of agriculture and fertility in order to ask for a good harvest for the next year. As is known, the gods were offered only the best. And to be able to eat every day what the Gods can afford once a year, you see, is nice.

Porridge is a very healthy, nutritious, tasty and, importantly, inexpensive product. It was impossible to imagine any celebration or holiday without traditional Russian porridge on the table. Moreover, a certain ritual porridge was necessarily prepared for various significant events. This is reflected in the proverbs:

"Porridge is our nurse"

“You can’t feed a Russian peasant without porridge”

"No lunch without porridge"

"Shchi and porridge are our food"

"Borscht without porridge is a widower, porridge without borscht is a widower"

Among some peoples of our country, porridge, which was called “babkina,” was used to greet a newborn. At the wedding, the bride and groom always cooked porridge, which was an obligatory part of the wedding ceremony - “The hostess is red - and the porridge is delicious.” Porridge was cooked for christenings and name days; porridge (kutya) was used to remember a person, seeing him off on his last journey to a funeral or wake.

It was impossible to receive guests without our own original preparation of porridge. Moreover, each housewife had her own recipe, which was kept secret.

Porridge was always prepared before big battles, and at victory feasts it was impossible to do without “victorious” porridge. Porridge served as a symbol of truce: to make peace, it was necessary to prepare “peaceful” porridge.

In ancient Russian chronicles, the feasts themselves were often called “porridge”: for example, at the wedding of Alexander Nevsky, “porridge was made” twice - one during the wedding in Trinity, the other during a national celebration in Novgorod.

Porridge was always prepared on the occasion of the start of a big business. This is where the expression “brew the pot” comes from.

In Rus', porridge even “defined” relationships between people. They said about an unreliable and intractable person: “You can’t cook porridge with him.” When they worked as an artel, they prepared porridge for the entire artel, so for a long time the word “porridge” was synonymous with the word “artel”. They said: “We are in the same mess,” which meant in the same artel, in the same brigade. On the Don today you can still hear the word “porridge” in this meaning.

In Rus', spelled porridge was popular, which was cooked from small grains made from spelled. Spelled is a semi-wild variety of wheat, which was grown in large quantities in Rus' back in the 18th century. Or rather, spelled grew on its own, was not whimsical and did not require any care. She was not afraid of either pests or weeds. The spelled itself destroyed any weed. Spent porridge, although coarse, was very healthy and nutritious. Gradually, “cultivated” varieties of wheat replaced spelled, because it peeled off badly. The spelled grain grows together with the flower shell, creating almost a single whole with it. In addition, the yield of spelled was much lower than that of cultivated wheat varieties.

Spelled, or emmer, is the oldest species of cultivated wheat (Triticum diciccon). It has now almost been replaced by higher-yielding varieties of soft and durum wheat, but now there is a revival in spelled production because spelled has a huge advantage over other wheat varieties - drought resistance. Spelled contains a lot of protein, from 27% to 37%, and there is little gluten, so people who are allergic to gluten can safely eat this porridge. Spelled is richer in iron and B vitamins than regular wheat and has a pleasant nutty flavor. Spelled is grown in the Caucasus: its crops have been resumed in Dagestan and the Karachay-Cherkess Republic. Here it is called "zanduri". American spelt is also sold in Russia today. It's called "spelt". Sometimes you can find spelt grown in Europe. All this brings some confusion, but “spelt”, and “zanduri”, and “spelt”, and “kamut”, are names of the same plant, Old Russian spelled. Moreover, it came to both America and Europe from Russia.

In ancient times, porridge was the name given to dishes prepared not only from cereals, but also from other chopped products (fish, peas, bread). The huge variety of Russian porridges was determined, first of all, by the variety of cereal varieties that were produced in Russia. From each grain crop, several types of cereals were made - from whole to crushed in various ways.

The most beloved and popular porridge among Russians was buckwheat (sinful, buckwheat, buckwheat, sinful) and already in the 17th century. was considered a national Russian dish, although it appeared quite late - in the 15th century. There is a proverb about it: “Our grief is buckwheat porridge: I would eat something like this, but there is none.” In addition to whole grains - kernels, used for steep, crumbly porridges, they also made smaller grains - “Veligorka” and very small ones - “Smolenskaya”.

Porridge prepared from whole or crushed barley grains was called: barley, barley, zhitnaya, crushed zhito, thick, glazed, pearl barley. This porridge was called zhito in the northern and central Russian provinces, where the word zhito meant barley. Pounded rye, barley - porridge made from finely crushed grain. The word thick in the Novgorod, Pskov, and Tver provinces was the name for thick barley porridge made from whole grains. It was so popular there that Novgorodians in Rus' were even called “gush-eaters.” The term "glazukha" was used to refer to porridge cooked from barley and peas. The peas in the porridge were not completely cooked, and “eyes” - peas - were visible on its surface. Barley is a porridge cooked from whole grains, the bluish-gray color of which and slightly oblong shape slightly resembled a “pearl grain” - pearl. Three types of cereals were made from barley: pearl barley - large grains were lightly ground, Dutch - smaller grains were ground white, and barley - very small grains made from unpolished (whole) grains. Barley porridge was Peter the Great's favorite dish. He recognized “egg porridge as the most delicious and delicious.”

Oat porridge (oatmeal, oatmeal) could be cooked from either whole or crushed grains. I liked it for its nutritional value and speed of preparation. It could be cooked on a light Taganka without melting a Russian stove or stove.

Barley and oatmeal porridge have been brewed since ancient times throughout Russia, both in villages and cities, and were served mainly on weekdays.

Millet porridge (millet, white - made from millet) was known to Russians for as long ago as oatmeal and barley. The word millet was first mentioned in written documents of the 11th century. Millet porridge was consumed both on weekdays and during festive feasts.

Wheat, turned into very fine grain, was used to make semolina porridge. The word "manna" is Old Slavonic and goes back to the Greek word "manna" - food. It was served only to children and was usually prepared with milk.

Rice porridge appeared in the 18th century, when rice was brought to Russia, and was consumed mainly in cities. It entered the diet of peasants very slowly and was called porridge from Sorochinsky millet. In rich houses it was used as a filling for pies. In addition, over time they began to prepare kutya from it.

Along with porridges made from whole or crushed grains, “flour porridges” were traditional for Russians, i.e. porridge made from flour. They were usually called mukawashi, mukaveshki, mukovinki, mukovki. Some of these porridges also had special names, which reflected the methods of making the porridge, its consistency, and the type of flour used for production: bearberry (bearberry, bearberry), solomat (salamat, salamata, salamakha), kulaga (malt, kiselitsa ), peas, brew, thickener (gustakh, gustushka), etc.

Bearberry was prepared from oatmeal, which is a fragrant, fluffy oat flour. Oatmeal was made in a unique way: oats in a bag were dipped in a river for a day, then languished in the oven, dried, pounded in mortars and sifted through a sieve. When making porridge, the oatmeal was filled with water and ground with a whorl so that there were no lumps. Bearberry has existed since the 15th century. one of the most common folk dishes.

Solomat is a liquid porridge made from roasted rye, barley or wheat flour, brewed with boiling water and steamed in the oven, sometimes with the addition of fat. Solomat is an old food for Russians. It is mentioned already in written sources of the 15th century. The word "solomat" was borrowed by the Russians from the Turkic languages. Gorokhovka is a porridge made from pea flour. Kulaga is a dish made from rye malt - grains sprouted and steamed in the oven and rye flour. After cooking in the oven, the result was a sweetish porridge. Zavarikha is a porridge made from any flour, poured into boiling water during cooking with continuous stirring. Gustikha is a thick porridge made from rye flour.

Porridge was prepared in every home, both for everyday and festive meals. They could be consumed with milk, cow or vegetable oil, fat, honey, kvass, berries, fried onions, etc. Three porridges were usually placed on the festive table: millet, buckwheat and barley.

Plants are given by nature the ability to accumulate sunlight (energy) and extract nutrients from the ground. Only plants have the ability to synthesize and accumulate necessary for a person nutrients and biologically active substances (vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc.). That is why, since time immemorial, people have been growing plants for food. The most valuable and biologically important of them are cereals. Without them, our existence is unthinkable.

Cereals are the compressed light of the Sun.

Eat porridge and be healthy!