Russia is a multinational country, occupying the largest land area, in comparison with other countries. In forty-six regions, almost two hundred different peoples live, each with its own cuisine and national dishes. That is why the most promising area of ​​tourism in Russia is gastronomy.
Increasingly, residents choose culinary tourism in Russia and the countries of the former USSR instead of overseas warm shores. Before the World Cup, which was held in 2018, the interest of foreign citizens in Russia increased significantly. Foreign tourists were actively interested in our country, local dishes, mentality. This observation prompted Ekaterina Shapovalova to the idea of ​​creating the gastronomic map of Russia at the food festival. She assembled a team of like-minded people and set to work.
Ekaterina Shapovalova - organizer of the national food festival
A talented organizer who devoted more than twenty years to the tourism business, a patriot of his country - these qualities can be described as a passionate traveler. Ekaterina Shapovalova conceived a large-scale project "Gastronomic map of Russia" in preparation for the Sochi Olympics.
The girl worked for about three years in the project, carefully studying products produced in the regions. Then I realized that there are a lot of culinary delights in the regions, but there are practically no producers. Due to her professional activities, Catherine traveled to many Russian cities in search of dishes that could be included in the menu of the culinary festival. According to the girl, the work was not endless, but she managed to put together a “delicious mosaic” into a single picture, which was presented to Russians and tourists from abroad, first at the Olympics and then at the football championship.
The first year of preparation for the festival, Catherine and her team visited regions within a radius of a thousand kilometers from the capital. The purpose of the trip was to collect information and develop gastronomic travel routes. The result of this preparatory work was the tour "Agrosafari on SUVs."
This new direction has captured the whole team so much that over the next two years another thirty similar gastronomic tours in Russia were tested. Catherine could not help but visit the cities of the Golden Ring, combine acquaintance with historical heritage and "delicious" excursions. During a visit to the Vladimir region, the mayor of Suzdal Igor Kekhter suggested that researchers think through the concept of the project “Gastronomic map of the Vladimir region”.
Catherine's team happily set to work. Soon, new tourist models were tested: tasting breakfasts, a regional menu, farm dinners, as well as local chefs. Subsequently, gastronomic trips to other cities of the Golden Ring of Russia were developed and tested under this project. Catherine coordinated and transferred her knowledge to other culinary specialists as part of the festival at the proposal of the Federal Tourism Agency in 2016. Experience has helped to understand how gastronomic tourism is developing in Russia and the former Soviet republics.
Together with other chefs, they developed an interactive map of delicious routes. Opposite the name of each city, icons appeared with iconic dishes of regional cuisine, all the most unusual and original. In addition to the iconic ready-made dishes of regional cuisine, food production facilities, small-town farms and restaurants were also mapped.
The project "Gastronomic Map of Russia" has become useful for participants from different areas. Photo collages are created that display the features and characteristics of each particular place. Support for manufacturers of quality products is provided by reputable industry organizations. Since the festival, gastronomic tours in Russia have gained great popularity. And not only gourmets love to travel around our country, abroad this way of relaxation has long been put on stream.
One of the sponsors of the festival, a permanent partner of the Gastronomic Tourism Association in Russia, the GAZ automobile plant provided participants with 11 food trucks “GAZelle NEXT” to travel to the cities hosting the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
From June 14 to July 15, a team of the best chefs, restaurant business owners and manufacturers of Russian products presented national street food to foreign tourists in mobile restaurants. All the cars were very symbolically named: "Samara", "St. Petersburg", "Kaliningrad", "Sochi", "Yekaterinburg", "Volgograd", "Moscow", "Rostov-on-Don", "Kazan", " Saransk. "
In addition to food trucks, street vendors participated in the festival, picnic contests, tastings of the best products from the regions, soccer freestyle and much more took place.
Project Participating Regions
The Republic of Udmurtia presented at the festival perepis - small rye pies produced by the Emelin Furnaces company. A mobile bakery offered tourists an original snack with a variety of fillings: meat, fresh and sour cabbage, vegetables, mushrooms, green onions and scrambled eggs.
Nizhny Novgorod introduced the championship guests with smoked delicacies from the "Goryacho" grill bar. Legendary pork and beef ribs with delicious sauces, steaks and briskets, fresh and baked vegetables did not leave anyone indifferent. The wonderful smell of roasted meat with a fragrant smoke spreading through the streets around the stadium attracted new customers.
In addition to pies and smoked meat, the festival treated fans and admirers of gastronomic tourism in Russia with Tatar ecchochpaks, Mordvinian pancakes, Paprika Buryats, Black Sea and Baltic specialties stuffed with sour cabbage and Don carp.
All these amazing dishes can be prepared at home or in the country, to please those close to the national traditions of the peoples of our immense homeland. And if you can’t always cook on your own, you can always go on a popular gastronomic tour in Russia or other countries.
Hit parade of gourmet domestic cities
Recently, a popular culinary travel service ranked areas with the highest local cooking scores by interviewing their audience. Gastronomic tourism in Russia is in full swing. Experienced tourists will tell you where to go for new taste experiences.
The vast majority of users of the service spoke in favor of the port city of Vladivostok. The freshest fish and seafood, rich in iodine and other trace elements, are the main features of Pan-Asian cuisine.
Gastronomic tours in small cities of Russia fell in love with travelers for their simplicity and originality. The second place was given to Suzdal for delicious cucumbers and an invigorating mead.
The homeland of cheeses - Kostroma - takes a confident third place. The ancient city attracts tourists with the residence of the Snow Maiden, an abundance of ancient monuments, magnificent architecture. After all, Kostroma dates back to the 12th century. Famous cheese makers treat residents and guests of the city with Kostroma cheese, smoked cherchil and suluguni, as well as excellent butter and dairy products.
The next place in the top of delicious travels is occupied by the city of Pskov. The oldest settlement, located at the intersection of trade routes, still delights travelers with delicious dishes made from natural products: fish, game and vegetables. The Pskov-Peipsi Lake is rich in various gifts, but many loved the small fragrant smelt. Fish has become the culinary brand of this harsh region.
The fifth place is occupied by Kaliningrad. The former Koenigsberg stands on the shores of the Baltic Sea, therefore fish dishes are considered national dishes here. Kaliningraders especially love seafood “with a smoke”. Smoked eel or sprats are what tourists will be offered at local restaurants. Kaliningrad is also famous for Koenigsberg bugs. Small meat balls in sauce - a legacy of Prussian cuisine. The secret of the taste of this dish is anchovies, added to the minced meat. So bedbugs become juicier and more aromatic.
The sixth line of the delicious rating is occupied by the cities located on the Black Sea coast: Sochi, Adler and Gelendzhik. Krasnodar Territory has become a home for various peoples, each of which brings its own taste preferences to the kitchen. On the Black Sea coast you can try Greek gyros and souvlaki, eastern Shurpu and Lagman, Caucasian khash and Armenian tzhvzhik. And each of these dishes is considered to be national.
Nizhny Novgorod and Yekaterinburg are in seventh place in the hit parade of attractive cities among tourists. The first stands at the confluence of two great rivers: the Volga and the Oka. Therefore, dishes of fish caught here prevail in Nizhny Novgorod restaurants.
Another feature of the local cuisine is dumplings with dried mushrooms. From sweet in Nizhny Novgorod served honey kokuki. Small onion-shaped dough is stuffed with carrots and hazelnuts. A dessert is served with honey, which justifies the name.
Yekaterinburg formed its national cuisine under the influence of the Finno-Ugric peoples and based on the resources surrounding the city: mountains, forests and rivers. The Urals has a harsh climate, so local dishes are high-calorie and nutritious. The discerning tourist will be offered dumplings with meat, fish, sauerkraut, radish and mushrooms. Bird cherry, abundantly growing at the foot of the Ural Mountains, is in demand and loved by many. Pies with this piquant berry are associated with a carefree childhood.
For connoisseurs of history and architecture, tour operators offer a gastronomic tour of the Golden Ring of Russia or a delicious trip to St. Petersburg. In the northern capital, the Borsch monocafe has recently opened. In this place you can pay for food as much as you like.
Gourmet Capital Tours
Moscow offers residents and guests a wide variety of products. Here you can try dishes not only of Russian cuisine, but also of other countries. In past centuries, merchants on trade routes brought their goods, furs, wood, game, flax and cotton, vegetables and flour to the capital. And each merchant brought something of his own to the local cuisine. The nobility and the nobility wanted to constantly try new dishes, so the cooks tried to surprise their masters.
Today, gastronomic Moscow can offer tourists a variety of shades of Russian cuisine, as well as conduct a delicious tour of other countries: China, Japan, Libya, Africa, France, Italy, Germany and many others. You can explore restaurants and cafes on your own or with a guide.
Gastronomic tourism in Russia is actively developing. This is a very convenient destination for vacationers - you do not need a lot of time to travel, you can go on a weekend gastronomic tour without issuing a visa and a foreign passport. It’s easy and simple to visit your favorite city, taste the local delights, see the sights and come to work on Monday with a fresh head and excellent mood.
Gourmet delicacies
Tour operators offer gastronomic tours to Georgia to an active traveler. Many of our fellow citizens do not want to spend their vacations aimlessly, basking in the warm sun on the beaches of Turkey and Egypt. The time of "lazy rest" is passing, gastronomic tourism in Russia has become a new trend. And when you want exotic and new experiences, you can go to Georgia. There is a lot of sun, and even more delicious food and positive emotions.
A visa to Georgia is not needed, so the country does not lose attractiveness for Russian tourists. From Moscow, the capital of Georgia can be reached by train, bus, car or plane.
The most popular way to get to Tbilisi is by plane. Flights between the two capitals are regular, the flight takes about two and a half hours. A transplant is possible in Baku, but then you will have to spend more than 10 hours on the road.
If flight for some reason is not possible, you can take a train to Vladikavkaz and transfer by bus to Tbilisi. Direct trains to Tbilisi from Russia do not go, there are flights with transfers. For example, from the capital of Azerbaijan.
More than thirty-five hours will take the road by bus or car. The route through Sochi will help save energy along the way. This city has a ferry to Batumi, where you can get to Georgia with a car. The ferry goes a little over eight hours, there is time to sleep. From Batumi to get to Tbilisi and other cities of Georgia is not difficult. The only minus of the ferry is the lack of navigation in some months and the high cost of services, the transition will empty the wallet by seven thousand rubles.
Georgian national dishes are slightly different in different cities. According to surveys of experienced tourists, a rating of dishes is compiled, which you must certainly try, being in a particular place.
Tbilisi
The largest city and capital of the country. A tourist who has appeared on the streets of the pearl of Georgian cities for the first time is slightly lost. Experienced travelers recommend deviating from popular destinations, turning on the navigator and taking a walk around the city in search of a small local restaurant. Taste the most delicious khinkali there.
The signature Tbilisi dish is significantly different from the Khinkali in Batumi. Delicate dough, lamb toppings with onions and traditional spices and delicious broth. Khinkali must be eaten hot. You need to take the bag by the tail, bite a little and drink aromatic broth through the hole that has formed. Ponytails are not eaten, but stacked on a plate. By their number, the owner of the establishment determines how tasty his guest seemed to the guest.
Mtskheta
Twenty kilometers from the capital is this ancient picturesque town. Mtskheta can be called the cradle of Georgian Christians, since it was from here that the spread of this religion began.
The tourist route includes a visit to Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, the main Christian monument, and Jvari Monastery, located at the confluence of Aragvi and Kura. Local restaurants will certainly offer lamb kharcho and chakapuli. These dishes are very tasty, but very spicy. An unusually delicious eggplant salad with nuts will be offered as a snack.
Signagi
To Sighnaghi, the city of love, it takes about two hours by car, only a hundred kilometers. Sighnaghi is the heart of Georgian winemaking, the center of Kakheti. Once here, you must definitely visit the vineyards and taste the wines of the region. Of the attractions - the Bodbe Monastery and the burial place of the remains of St. Nina.
The abundance of grapes also influenced the cuisine of the region - Signagi is very fond of dolma. It reminds Russian cabbage rolls, but instead of cabbage leaves - grape. Lamb, beef or pork filling. By the way, they eat pork in Georgia and love it very much, it’s a Christian country, so there are no such restrictions on meat, as in other Caucasian regions.
Telavi
Another ancient wine city, located on the edge of the famous Alazani Valley. The distance from Tbilisi is one hundred kilometers, from Sighnaghi - a little less than fifty. Telavi is a real city-museum, traditions of different eras are so intricately intertwined in it.
In addition to sightseeing, it’s nice to enjoy the view of the Greater Caucasus Range, which opens from many viewing platforms. Tired of joining the beautiful, you can relax in one of the cafes, drink local wine and taste the local aromatic dishes: mzhava, satsivi, badrigani and many others.
Stepantsminda
Earlier, the village in the center of the Great Caucasus Mountains was called Kazbegi. The view of Mount Kazbek, the Georgian Military Highway and the Holy Trinity Church provide the place with an inexhaustible flow of tourists. Restaurants will offer to try mushrooms on kets and traditional pork skewers.
Borjomi
First of all, when you hear this name, a brand of popular mineral water pops up in your memory. And not by chance. The town is famous for its healing water, clean mountain air and wonderful climate. It was in Borjomi that party leaders of the USSR and the Moscow elite came to be treated. But even ordinary citizens did not deny themselves the pleasure of going on gastronomic trips, having a drink of mineral vodka and basking in the rays of the gentle Georgian sun.
Georgia is located in a unique place, so it has a huge number of taste preferences. To the west of the Suramsky pass, they like more European cuisine with a light Turkish hue. East of it, the population prefers Asian cuisine with lots of spices. Borjomi was lucky to be at the intersection of two directions.
Local restaurateurs offer tourists not only traditional meat dishes: barbecue, khinkali and dolma, but also amazing sour milk products, brine and hard cheeses, rich rich soups, sauces and sweets. Taking into account the wonderful climate, one cannot be surprised at the abundance of herbs, fresh vegetables and spices in Borjomi. In addition to delicious dishes, cafes and restaurants serve excellent wine and amazing mineral water. Traveling to Georgia can be a great alternative to gastronomic tourism in Russia. And how pleasant it is to look at sunny photos with the whole family on winter nights and relive summer adventures. A gastronomic tour to Georgia is much more interesting and informative than simple trips to the beaches in warm countries.