Russian Far North

Reading my post on Arkhangelsk a couple months back, you might’ve been wondering: “What the hell is he doing in that sh**hole?” Especially for someone who’s been all over Russia dozens of …

If you’re an assiduous reader of this blog, you might remember my first recipe for ukha, the traditional Russian fish soup: a yellow perch ukha with perch fritters and perch roe croutons. …

When my partner, tasked with finding a Russian-ish dessert recipe for me for a recent quarantine weekend, unearthed a rye bread cake in Joyce Toomre’s English translation of Elena Molokhovets’ A Gift …

In my last post, I talked about my trip to the wilderness of Lake Lacha, outdoor adventures in the surrounding woods and swamps, and meals at the Kolokol tour base – burbot …

Limiting one’s trip to the Russian Far North to its major cities (Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Petrozavodsk) would be a little bit like going to a beach or ski resort and never leaving your …

In my recent post on Pomor cuisine, I mentioned that the Pomors were known as “cod eaters” because they consumed codfish, in various ways, with impressive regularity. At the Arkhangelsk market, the …

In my last post, I introduced you to the Pomor people and reviewed Pochtovaya Kontora, a restaurant in Arkhangelsk that serves its own interpretation of the local cuisine. One of the dishes …

As I continue my series on the Great Russian North, it might be natural to wonder: in a country so vast and varied, how did people come to freeze their butts by …

Having recently returned from a trip to the region of Arkhangelsk, I am ready to resume my series on the Great Russian North. And just as with any good meal, I’d like …

As I mentioned in my last post, if you want to fully appreciate the complexity of the plant and berry blend that is Karelian balsam, you should drink it on its own, …