American Portions in Russia

July 28, 2016

Dining in Russia is not as different from the United States as I originally anticipated. In many other countries, portion sizes are the most shocking thing for Americans, as they are usually much smaller. However, the food in Russia comes in very large portions. In my homestay, I am usually given eggs, pancakes, or toast for breakfast. Bread is always served on the side, and usually eaten with butter and sour cream. My host mom usually makes a lot more food than I usually eat; while I prefer coffee and cereal for breakfast, I am expected to eat two or three times the amount of food I am used to. At the beginning of the trip, I was served 10 pancakes with sour cream and jam for breakfast, and as expected, I struggled to finish the entire meal. I have found that it is expected that you will finish your entire meal in Russia, and your host or family will always offer seconds. However, it has been quite difficult adjusting to portion sizes.

Dinner portions are usually just as large as breakfast, and usually consist of dumplings or soup, potatoes, bread, salad, and sour cream. The meals contain a lot of carbohydrates, making it even more difficult to finish an entire meal. I’ve had to politely decline a lot of food for this reason. Fortunately, my host mom is very understanding and has made smaller portions. I always eat lunch near campus at a cafe or restaurant. There are many more options, so finding smaller portions is much easier. During the weekends, I prefer to eat dinner out with my classmates and friends from Moscow. This allows me to try cuisine from former Soviet republics like Georgia and Moldova.

The most interesting food I have tried so far is vareniki, or sweet dumplings. They are usually filled with cottage cheese and sprinkled with sugar. Although they are very popular in Russia, I found them to be less appetizing than most foods I have tried since being abroad. The biggest struggle thus far has been the lack of access to water. Tap water is not drinkable in Russia, so I must buy bottled water each day to stay hydrated. Despite the struggles, I have enjoyed most food I have tried in Moscow and look forward to trying the different cuisines during our time in Kazan and St. Petersburg.

Written By

Elisabeth Borja

Hello! My name is Elise and I am a senior at Northeastern University. I have a major in Communication Studies with two minors in International Affairs and French. I will be apart of the Tale of Three Cities Dialogue of Civilizations program, which takes place in Moscow, Kazan, and St. Petersburg, Russia. I hope that this Dialogue of Civilizations program will help me improve my Russian language skills, as well as educate me on the many parts of Russia that aren't shown in Western media. A fun fact about me is I speak three languages: English, French, and Russian. I am very eager to share my experiences with you for the next several weeks, and hope you continue to read my weekly posts!