Okroshka recipe history culture origin

Okroshka with kefir. Or perhaps you'd prefer kvass?

Okroshka: A Refreshing Summer Soup

Published: December 5, 2019

Okroshka (ะžะบั€ะพัˆะบะฐ) is a cold soup that probably originated in the Volga region of Russia. Because of its light, refreshing taste, it is popularly served in summer. The soup usually consists of diced vegetables, eggs, and meats in a base of either kvass or kefir and is often garnished with sour cream. Best known in Russia, it can be found throughout the former Soviet space.

How Okroshka Got Its Name

(ะŸะพั‡ะตะผัƒ ั‚ะฐะบ ะฝะฐะทั‹ะฒะฐะตั‚ัั?)

Mentions of kvass and okroshka date back to some of Russiaโ€™s earliest chronicles, with the first being in 1096, when there existed only the roots of what we know today as the Russian state.

Okroshka most likely derives its name from the Old Church Slavonic ยซะบั€ัŒัˆะธั‚ะธยป, which in modern Russian corresponds to the verb ยซะบั€ะพัˆะธั‚ัŒยป, meaning to crumble, break, or chop into small pieces. As in many Russian soups and especially salads, chopping the ingredients to a small, uniform consistency is a large part of the art of its preparation.

Okroshka recipe history culture origin
Chalop is a cold soup native to Uzbekistan โ€” that bears a strong resemblence to, and may be related to, okroshka. Photo source: Kuharka.com

Okroshka is classed as a โ€œะฟะพั…ะปรซะฑะบะฐโ€ (pokhlyobka), which basically means that it can be composed of various and often indiscriminate odds-and-ends that might need to be used up. Okroshkaย can have everything from mushrooms, meat, fish, eggs, beets, vegetables, and/or even fruit floating in it, depending upon the nationality of the person making it, the occasion, and what happens to be on hand.

Although okroshka is Russian, its inspiration may have been Turkic in origin. Similar soups can be found in many Turkic cultures and Turkic peoples were (and still are) settled along the Volga region where okroshka is believed to have originated. Analogues includeย โ€œะพะฒะดัƒั…โ€ (ovdukh) from Azerbaijan, which is very similar to okroshka but usually made with boiled beef and exclusively made with โ€œะบะตั„ะธั€โ€ rather than โ€œะบะฒะฐั.โ€ In Uzbekistan, โ€œั‡ะฐะปะพะฟโ€ is local version soup made with a sour-milk product called โ€œะบะฐั‚ั‹ะบโ€ and is usually meatless.

How and When Okroshka Is Eaten

(ะšะฐะบ ะฟั€ะฐะฒะธะปัŒะฝะพ ะตัั‚ัŒ ะพะบั€ะพัˆะบัƒ?)

The most standard vegetables used to make okroshka are fresh cucumbers, boiled potatoes, radishes, and various greens such as scallions and dill. Most common for meats are diced ham or soft, boiled-type sausage such as โ€œะดะพะบั‚ะพั€ัะบะฐั ะบะพะปะฑะฐัะฐโ€ (doctorโ€™s sausage), a type of bologna developed in the USSR. However, beef, veal, or other types of sausages can also be used.

Other, less common regional variations include using cooked beets in the recipe (found in Ukraine and the Baltics) or adding walnuts (associated with Bulgaria).

Okroshka recipe history culture origin
An advertisement featuring okroshka with kvass from Teremok, a Russian fast food chain.

Both traditional bases โ€“ kvass and kefir โ€“ are fermented foods. This means that they have a small alcohol content โ€“ as all fermented foods (like yogurt, kimchi, or traditional root beer) do. These all have less than 1% alcohol content, which means that the alcohol gives the foods a slight bite to their taste, but eating them will not get you drunk.

Instead, the probiotics in the foods as well as the very small alcohol content have several health benefits for oneโ€™s digestive and cardiovascular systems. Some also say that the probiotics have good effects on your hair, skin, and energy levels.

Okroshka is, by and large, a summer dish, as the refreshing and cool kvas or kefir that is at the heart of the dish are perfect ways to โ€œbeat the heatโ€ of a Russian summer (which can get quite hot). Many also associate the soup with the โ€œะดะฐั‡ะฐโ€ (dacha), the traditional โ€œsecond homeโ€ that many Russians keep as a way to escape the city on weekends. It is a common and easy summer lunch often had at a dacha, where one might make it using vegetables taken straight from the garden. It can also be found in restaurants as a seasonal dish.

Certain ะพะบั€ะพัˆะบะฐ variations might be eaten at certain times on the Orthodox calendar. One of the best examples of this is the ะพะบั€ะพัˆะบะฐ eaten during Peterโ€™s Fast (the Apostlesโ€™ Fast). This fast, which begins a week after the โ€œะ”ะตะฝัŒ ะกะฒัั‚ะพะน ะขั€ะพะธั†ั‹โ€ (Day of the Holy Trinity; in the West often called โ€œThe Pentecostโ€), a date which can range from early June to early July, and ends on July 12 with the feast of Peter and Paul, requires that the observant eat neither meat nor dairy. Thus, the natural solution for the inhabitants of water-rich Russia, which contains more freshwater than any other country on earth, is to eat fish, a shift reflected in the โ€œั€ั‹ะฑะฝะฐั ะพะบั€ะพัˆะบะฐโ€ (rybnaya okroshka) eaten during this portion of the summer.

Okroshka is always served cold. Beyond that, there are no unique standards of presentation. Some chefs will garnish it with various ingredients such as sour cream, garlic, horseradish, mustard, one half of a hard-boiled egg, and/or dill; others will serve it โ€œas isโ€.

To eat okroshka, you only need a spoon and a hungry stomach. It is a very healthy, oil-free, and inexpensive dish that can be eaten as a starter or a meal.

Preparing Traditional Okroshka

(ะšะฐะบ ะฟั€ะฐะฒะธะปัŒะฝะพ ะณะพั‚ะพะฒะธั‚ัŒ ะพะบั€ะพัˆะบัƒ?)

Classic okroshka is dominated by boiled eggs and potatoes as well as diced bologna and cucumbers. It is served in kvas or kefir and seasoned with dill and/or green onion.

Preparing okroshka is very easy and can be done in half an hour. The longest element will be preparing the boiled potatoes. Boil them until soft, but not until they are mushy. They should still have enough firmness to be cut into cubes without falling apart. One recipe below for kefir okroshkaย suggests simply grating the potatoes and leaving them raw, for extra crunch. You can use boiled or grated potatoes for either recipe, depending on your personal taste.

The next longest cooking time will be the boiled eggs.

The debate on whether kvas or kefir is an intense one, with Russians usually being solidly in one camp or the other. Kvas appears to be the older and likely more traditional choice for Russian culture, while recipes using kefir are generally associated more with Central Asian, Eastern European, and Caucasian cultures. Some Russians point to the old Russian belief that mixing dairy products and cucumbers (a common ingredient in okroshka) is bad for the digestive system. However, both variants of the soup can be easily found across Russia. It will be up to you to decide which camp you fall in.

Okroshka poll survey
A survey was taken that reveled that the kefir vs. kvass orkoshka divide in Russia is a regional debate.

If one chooses to use kvas, care must be taken in which type to use. Most store-bought kvas is too sweet for producing good okroshka.ย Traditional kvas is, on the contrary, rather sour, a hallmark of the painstaking brewing process. This sourness contrasts beautifully with the saltier notes of the vegetables and/or meat in okroshkaย and helps to pull the dish together.

There are also several different types of traditional kvas, including even a very concentrated version used in past centuries for skin treatments. The two main divisions, however, are โ€œะฑะตะปั‹ะนย ะบะฒะฐัโ€ (white kvas) and โ€œะบั€ะฐัะฝั‹ะน ะบะฒะฐัโ€œ(red kvas). White kvas is simpler, less processed, and less sweet, having undergone a much less rigorous heating process than ะบั€ะฐัะฝั‹ะน ะบะฒะฐั, and making it the best of the kvas family to use for making an okroshka. In Belarus, a version of kvas is made using beets and is popular for the local okroshkaย there. For more on kvasย (and how to make your own!) click here.

Okroshka recipe history culture origin
Okroshka with kefir

Kefir okroshkaย often has sparkling water added. Borjomi, a Georgian mineral water that is naturally high in salt and other minerals is the favored water to use for this. Borjomi is so known for its health properties that the water is one of the tiny countryโ€™s major exports. If you use Borjomi, you might need to reduce your added salt by about half. The added minerals and strong carbonation will also add an extra kick to the soup.

Some cooks will additionally add about a tablespoon of strong Russian mustard (or two tablespoons of Dijon) to the vegetable/meat mixture per liter of kvass or kefir. This will give the soup a slightly bolder flavor.

Thus, while okroshka may be a simple dish, it by no means offers only simple flavors. It allows for a surprising amount of creativity. The dish, best served, will deliver a salty-tangy flavor, and mixes the smoothness of the kefir or kvass with the crunch of fresh vegetables.

Lastly, always remember that adding of the kefir or kvas is actually the last step in making the okroshka! The texture of the dry ingredients would be irrevocably changed to a soggy mass were one to add them to the okroshkaย rather than the other way around. It is possible to make batches of โ€œdryโ€ okroshka and keep it chilled in the refrigerator for a few days (chilling it at least overnight will improves the flavor) and then you can scoop out servings and add kefir or kvasย as needed.

P.S. It is interesting to note that all forms of okroshkaย have ingredients similar to those of Olivier Salad (ัะฐะปะฐั‚ ยซะžะปะธะฒัŒะตยป). For more on that traditional Russian salad, click here.

Letโ€™s Cook Okroshka!

(ะ”ะฐะฒะฐะน ะฟั€ะธะณะพั‚ะพะฒะธะผ!)

See below for several free recipes for okroshka. See also the free videos below. If you are interested in cuisines from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and other places in Eurasia, make sure to see all our free recipes! You might also be interested in the following specialized cookbooks weโ€™ve enjoyed:

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ย 

Oะบั€ะพัˆะบะฐ (ะฝะฐ ะบะฒะฐัะต) Okroshka (with kvass)
ะ˜ะฝะณั€ะตะดะธะตะฝั‚ั‹:
  • ั€ะตะดะธั โ€“ 230 ะณ
  • ะบะฐั€ั‚ะพั„ะตะปัŒ ะฒะฐั€ะตะฝั‹ะน โ€“ 400 ะณ
  • ัะนั†ะฐ ะบัƒั€ะธะฝั‹ะต ะบั€ัƒะฟะฝั‹ะต โ€“ 5 ัˆั‚.
  • ะพะณัƒั€ั†ั‹ ัะฒะตะถะธะต โ€“ 300 ะณ
  • ะบะพะปะฑะฐัะฐ ะฒะฐั€ะตะฝะฐั โ€“ 300 ะณ
  • ัะผะตั‚ะฐะฝะฐ โ€“ 230 ะณ
  • ัะพะปัŒ โ€“ ะฟะพ ะฒะบัƒััƒ
  • ะบะฒะฐั โ€“ ะฟะพ ะฒะบัƒััƒ
  • ะปัƒะบ ะทะตะปะตะฝั‹ะน โ€“ 1 ะฟัƒั‡ะพะบ
  • ัƒะบั€ะพะฟ ัะฒะตะถะธะน โ€“ 1 ะฟัƒั‡ะพะบ

ะŸั€ะธะณะพั‚ะพะฒะปะตะฝะธะต:

1. ะšะฐั€ั‚ะพั„ะตะปัŒ ะธ ัะนั†ะฐ ะพั‚ะฒะฐั€ะธั‚ัŒ ะดะพ ะณะพั‚ะพะฒะฝะพัั‚ะธ, ะพั‡ะธัั‚ะธั‚ัŒ ะธ ะฝะฐั€ะตะทะฐั‚ัŒ ะบัƒะฑะธะบะพะผ. ะะฐั€ะตะทะฐั‚ัŒ ะพะณัƒั€ั†ั‹, ั€ะตะดะธั ะธ ะบะพะปะฑะฐััƒ.

2. ะœะตะปะบะพ ะฝะฐั€ะตะทะฐั‚ัŒ ัƒะบั€ะพะฟ ะธ ะทะตะปะตะฝั‹ะน ะปัƒะบ.

3. ะกะพะตะดะธะฝะธั‚ัŒ ะฒัะต ะฟะพะดะณะพั‚ะพะฒะปะตะฝะฝั‹ะต ะธะฝะณั€ะตะดะธะตะฝั‚ั‹, ะฟะพัะพะปะธั‚ัŒ, ะทะฐะฟั€ะฐะฒะธั‚ัŒ ัะผะตั‚ะฐะฝะพะน.

4. ะ”ะพะฑะฐะฒะธั‚ัŒ ะบะฒะฐั ะฟะพ ะฒะบัƒััƒ (ะบั‚ะพ-ั‚ะพ ะปัŽะฑะธั‚ ะฟะพะณัƒั‰ะต, ะฐ ะบั‚ะพ-ั‚ะพ ะฟะพะถะธะถะต).

Ingredients:
  • radish โ€“ 230 g
  • boiled potatoes โ€“ 400 g
  • large chicken eggs โ€“ 5
  • fresh cucumbers โ€“ 300 g
  • boiled sausage โ€“ 300 g
  • sour cream โ€“ 230 g
  • salt โ€“ to taste
  • kvass โ€“ to taste
  • green onion โ€“ 1 bunch
  • fresh dill โ€“ 1 bunch

Preparation:

1. Boil the potatoes and eggs, then peel and cut them into cubes. After that, chop the cucumbers, radishes and sausage.

2. Finely chop the dill and green onions.

3. Combine all the prepared ingredients. Season with salt and sour cream.

4. Add kvass to taste (some like it thicker and some thinner).

ย 

Oะบั€ะพัˆะบะฐ (ะฝะฐ ะบะตั„ะธั€ะต ะธ ะฒะพะดะต) Okroshka (with kefir and water)
ะ˜ะฝะณั€ะตะดะธะตะฝั‚ั‹:
  • ะบะฐั€ั‚ะพั„ะตะปัŒ ะฒะฐั€ะตะฝั‹ะน โ€“ 4 ัˆั‚.
  • ะบะพะปะฑะฐัะฐ ะบะพะฟั‡ะตะฝะฐั โ€“ 300 ะณ
  • ะพะณัƒั€ั†ั‹ ัะฒะตะถะธะต โ€“ 4 ัˆั‚.
  • ั€ะตะดะธัะบะฐ โ€“ 500 ะณ
  • ัะนั†ะพ โ€“ 2 ัˆั‚.
  • ะปัƒะบ ะทะตะปะตะฝั‹ะน โ€“ 1 ะฟัƒั‡ะพะบ
  • ัƒะบั€ะพะฟ โ€“ 1 ะฟัƒั‡ะพะบ
  • ัะผะตั‚ะฐะฝะฐ โ€“ 4 ัั‚. ะป.
  • ะบะตั„ะธั€ โ€“ 1 ยฝ ะป
  • ะฒะพะดะฐ ะผะธะฝะตั€ะฐะปัŒะฝะฐั ะณะฐะทะธั€ะพะฒะฐะฝะฝะฐั โ€“ 2 ัั‚ะฐะบะฐะฝะฐ
  • ะฟะตั€ะตั† ั‡ะตั€ะฝั‹ะน ะผะพะปะพั‚ั‹ะน โ€“ ยฝ ั‡. ะป.
  • ัะพะปัŒ โ€“ ยฝ ั‡. ะป.

ะŸั€ะธะณะพั‚ะพะฒะปะตะฝะธะต:

1. ะฏะนั†ะฐ ะพั‚ะฒะฐั€ะธั‚ัŒ ะฒะบั€ัƒั‚ัƒัŽ, ะพัั‚ัƒะดะธั‚ัŒ, ะพั‡ะธัั‚ะธั‚ัŒ. ะ’ั‹ะผั‹ั‚ัŒ ั€ะตะดะธั, ะพะณัƒั€ั†ั‹, ะทะตะปะตะฝัŒ. ะžะณัƒั€ั†ั‹ ะพั‡ะธัั‚ะธั‚ัŒ ะพั‚ ะบะพะถะธั†ั‹.

2. ะšะฐั€ั‚ะพั„ะตะปัŒ ะพั‡ะธัั‚ะธั‚ัŒ ะพั‚ ะบะพะถัƒั€ั‹. ะšะฐั€ั‚ะพั„ะตะปัŒ, ะพะณัƒั€ั†ั‹, ั€ะตะดะธั, ัะนั†ะฐ ะฝะฐั‚ะตั€ะตั‚ัŒ ะฝะฐ ั‚ะตั€ะบะต ะดะปั ะผะพั€ะบะพะฒะธ ะฟะพ-ะบะพั€ะตะนัะบะธ. ะžะฒะพั‰ะธ ะฟะพะปัƒั‡ะฐัŽั‚ัั ะฒ ะฒะธะดะต ะดะปะธะฝะฝะพะน ั‚ะพะฝะบะพะน ัะพะปะพะผะบะธ.

3. ะšะพะฟั‡ะตะฝัƒัŽ ะบะพะปะฑะฐััƒ ั‚ะพะฝะบะพ ะฝะฐั€ะตะทะฐั‚ัŒ ัะปะตะบั‚ั€ะธั‡ะตัะบะพะน ะปะพะผั‚ะตั€ะตะทะบะพะน. ะ—ะฐั‚ะตะผ ะฝะฐั€ะตะทะฐั‚ัŒ ั‚ะพะฝะบะพะน ัะพะปะพะผะบะพะน.

4. ะšะตั„ะธั€ ะธ ะผะธะฝะตั€ะฐะปัŒะฝัƒัŽ ะฒะพะดัƒ ะฒะทะฑะธั‚ัŒ ะฑะปะตะฝะดะตั€ะพะผ, ะฟะพัะพะปะธั‚ัŒ, ะฟะพะฟะตั€ั‡ะธั‚ัŒ.

5. ะ›ัƒะบ ะธ ัƒะบั€ะพะฟ ะผะตะปะบะพ ะฝะฐั€ะตะทะฐั‚ัŒ. ะ’ั‹ะปะพะถะธั‚ัŒ ะฒ ะบะฐัั‚ั€ัŽะปัŽ ะฒัะต ะฟะพะดะณะพั‚ะพะฒะปะตะฝะฝั‹ะต ะฟั€ะพะดัƒะบั‚ั‹, ะทะฐะปะธั‚ัŒ ะบะตั„ะธั€ะฝะพะน ัะผะตััŒัŽ, ะฟะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะฐั‚ัŒ. ะŸะพัั‚ะฐะฒะธั‚ัŒ ะฒ ั…ะพะปะพะดะธะปัŒะฝะธะบ.

6. ะ ะฐะทะปะธั‚ัŒ ะฟะพ ั‚ะฐั€ะตะปะบะฐะผ, ะดะพะฑะฐะฒะธั‚ัŒ ัะผะตั‚ะฐะฝัƒ. ะŸะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะฐั‚ัŒ. ะœะพะถะฝะพ ะดะพะฑะฐะฒะธั‚ัŒ ะบัƒะฑะธะบะธ ะปัŒะดะฐ.

Ingredients:
  • boiled potatoes โ€“ 4
  • smoked sausage โ€“ 300 g
  • fresh cucumbers โ€“ 4
  • radish โ€“ 500 g
  • eggs โ€“ 2
  • green onion โ€“ 1 bunch
  • dill โ€“ 1 bunch
  • sour cream โ€“ 4 tbsp.
  • kefir โ€“ 1 ยฝ liter
  • sparkling mineral water โ€“ 2 cups
  • ground black pepper โ€“ ยฝ tsp.
  • salt โ€“ ยฝ tsp.

Preparation:

1. Hard boil, cool, and peel the eggs. Then wash the radishes, cucumbers, and greens. Peel the cucumbers.

2. Peel the potatoes. Then julienne the potatoes, cucumbers, and radishes using a grater.

3. Thinly slice the smoked sausage with an electric slicer and further slice them into thin strips.

4. Mix the kefir and mineral water in a blender. Add salt and pepper.

5. Finely chop the onion and dill. Put all the prepared ingredients in a saucepan, pour in the kefir mixture, and stir. Put in the refrigerator.

6. Pour on a plate and add sour cream. Stir. You may add ice cubes.

ย 

ะžะบั€ะพัˆะบะฐ ะฟะพัั‚ะฝะฐั ั ัะพะปะตะฝั‹ะผะธ ะณั€ะธะฑะฐะผะธย  Meatless Okroshka with Pickled Mushrooms
ะ˜ะฝะณั€ะตะดะธะตะฝั‚ั‹
  • 2 ะปะธั‚ั€ะฐ ะฑะตะปะพะณะพ ะบะฒะฐัะฐ
  • 200 ัะพะปั‘ะฝั‹ั… ะณั€ะธะฑะพะฒ
  • 3 ะฝะตะฑะพะปัŒัˆะธั… ัะฒะตะถะธั… ะพะณัƒั€ั†ะฐ, ะพั‡ะธั‰ะตะฝะฝั‹ั… ะพั‚ ะบะพะถัƒั€ั‹
  • 1 ะผะพั‡ั‘ะฝะพะต ัะฑะปะพะบะพ, ะพั‡ะธั‰ะตะฝะฝะพะต ะพั‚ ะบะพะถัƒั€ั‹ ะธ ัะตะผะตั‡ะตะบ
  • ะทะตะปั‘ะฝั‹ะน ะปัƒะบ
  • ัƒะบั€ะพะฟ
  • ั…ั€ะตะฝ ั‚ั‘ั€ั‚ั‹ะน

ะŸั€ะธะณะพั‚ะพะฒะปะตะฝะธะต

  1. ะ’ัะต ะธะฝะณั€ะตะดะธะตะฝั‚ั‹ ะผะตะปะบะพ ะฝะฐั€ะตะทะฐั‚ัŒ, ะฟะพั‚ะพะปะพั‡ัŒ ะดะตั€ะตะฒัะฝะฝะพะน ั‚ะพะปะบัƒัˆะบะพะน ะธ ะทะฐะปะธั‚ัŒ ะบะฒะฐัะพะผ.
Ingredients
  • 2 liters of white kvas
  • 200 pickled mushrooms (for additional information on Russian
  • pickles, including steeped apples, click here)
  • 3 small fresh cucumbers, skin peeled
  • 1 steeped apple, skin peeled and seeds removed
  • Green onions
  • Dill
  • Prepared horseradish

Preparation

  1. Finely cut up all of the ingredients, crush them up with a wooden pestle, and pour on the kvass.

ย 

ะžะบั€ะพัˆะบะฐ ั€ั‹ะฑะฝะฐั Fish Okroshka
ะ˜ะฝะณั€ะตะดะธะตะฝั‚ั‹
  • 1.5 ะป ะฑะตะปะพะณะพ ะบะฒะฐัะฐ
  • 300 ะณ ะฟั€ะธะฟัƒั‰ะตะฝะฝะพะน ั€ั‹ะฑั‹
  • 3 ัะฒะตะถะธั… ะธะปะธ ะผะฐะปะพัะพะปัŒะฝั‹ั… ะพะณัƒั€ั†ะฐ
  • ะทะตะปั‘ะฝั‹ะน ะปัƒะบ
  • ัƒะบั€ะพะฟ
  • ะฟะตั‚ั€ัƒัˆะบะฐ
  • ั…ั€ะตะฝ ะธะปะธ ะณะพั€ั‡ะธั†ะฐ
  • ัะพะปัŒ

ะŸั€ะธะณะพั‚ะพะฒะปะตะฝะธะต

  1. ะ ั‹ะฑัƒ ะดะปั ะพะบั€ะพัˆะบะธ ะฝะฐะดะพ ะฑั€ะฐั‚ัŒ ะฝะตะถะธั€ะฝัƒัŽ, ะปัƒั‡ัˆะต ะฒัะตะณะพ ะฟั€ะธะฟัƒั‰ะตะฝะฝั‹ะน ะฒ ะฒะพะดะต ัะฒะตะถะธะน ััƒะดะฐะบ ะธะปะธ ั‚ั€ะตัะบัƒ. ะ—ะตะปั‘ะฝั‹ะน ะปัƒะบ, ัƒะบั€ะพะฟ ะดะฐ ะฟะตั‚ั€ัƒัˆะบะฐ, ัะฒะตะถะธะน ะธะปะธ ะผะฐะปะพัะพะปัŒะฝั‹ะน ะพะณัƒั€ะตั† โ€“ ะผะตะปะบะพ ั€ะตะถัƒั‚ัั, ะฟะพัั‹ะฟะฐัŽั‚ัั ัะพะปัŒัŽ ะธ ัะปะตะณะบะฐ ั€ะฐะทะผะธะฝะฐัŽั‚ัั ะดะตั€ะตะฒัะฝะฝะพะน ั‚ะพะปะบัƒัˆะบะพะน. ะ‘ะตะปั‹ะน ะบะฒะฐั ัะดะฐะฑั€ะธะฒะฐะตั‚ัั ั…ั€ะตะฝะพะผ ะธ ะฟะพะดัะฐะปะธะฒะฐะตั‚ัั. ะ ั‹ะฑะฐ ั€ะฐะทะดะตะปั‹ะฒะฐะตั‚ัั ะฝะฐ ะฝะตะฑะพะปัŒัˆะธะต ะบัƒัะพั‡ะบะธ, ัƒะถะต ะฑะตะท ะบะพะถะธ ะธ ะบะพัั‚ะตะน, ะฟะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะธะฒะฐะตั‚ัั ั ะดะฐะฒัˆะตะน ัะพะบ ะทะตะปะตะฝัŒัŽ ะธ ะทะฐะปะธะฒะฐะตั‚ัั ะบะฒะฐัะพะผ.
Ingredients
  • 1.5 liters white kvass
  • 300 grams stewed fish
  • 3 fresh or mildly-cured cucumbers
  • Green onion
  • Dill
  • Parsley
  • Horseradish or mustard
  • Salt

Preparation

  1. You should procure a non-fatty fish for this ะพะบั€ะพัˆะบะฐ, best of all fresh pike, perch, or cod, stewed in water. Take green onion, dill and parsley, fresh or mildly-cured cucumber โ€“ cut finely, sprinkle salt and lightly work on them with a wooden pestle. Flavor the white kvass with horseradish and salt. Divide the already skinless and boneless fish into small pieces, mix up with the juice given off by the vegetables and pour in the kvass.

Our Favorite Okroshka Videos

A very good basic video on preparing okroshka. It takes you through step-by-step in very clear, deliberate Russian. Sure makes us want to try some!

In this video, a Russian grandmother, with slow, clear instructions, shows you how to make okroshka with kefir.

This video is from a Russian YouTube channel called โ€œSpasibo Chefโ€ or โ€œThank You Chef,โ€ which is a channel dedicated to food and cuisines from around the world. In this video, detailed steps on how to make okroshka with kvass are explained.

Vladimir Zhirinovskii, the colorful leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, makes the largest batch of okroshkaย on record! He also shares an interesting secret to his okroshkaย recipe. Notice that he mentions the importance of the type and quality of ะบะฒะฐั used.

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About the author

Tanya Tanyarattinan

Tanya Tanyarattinan

Tanya Tanyarattinan is a third-year Thai international student at the University of Denver, double majoring in International Studies and Economics with minors in Russian and Japanese. She is currently studying Society, Business, and the Arts in St. Petersburg with SRASโ€™s Home and Abroad Scholarship. With an interest in pursuing a career in politics, she travels to see how the world works from different perspectives. Her next stop is Berlin where she will complete her study abroad year. In her free time, she likes to play games and try new food.

Program attended: Home and Abroad Scholar

View all posts by: Tanya Tanyarattinan

Jordan Bryant

Jordan Bryant graduated from Harvard University with a BA in Slavic Languages & Literatures. Sheย  previously spent two summers studying abroad in St. Petersburg and one in Prauge. She participated in SRASโ€™s Home and Abroad Program in Vladivostok, Russia.

View all posts by: Jordan Bryant