Belarusian(national) Cuisine

Wondering what to expect on your plate in Belarus? Meat and potatoes is a bit of a stereotype in this part of the world, but it's certainly not far from the truth. Similar to the cuisines of neighboring countries Ukraine, Russia, Poland and Lithuania, Belarus puts a lot of emphasis on pork, dumplings, soups, as well as the mighty potato.

Common in Belarusian cuisine were dishes from potato which is called among people "the second bread". For example, pancakes (draniki, in other words).  To my mind this dish is a speciality of our country, it is delicious. If you don’t mind I will give you the recipe. First you should peel some potatoes, then you should grate them, add an egg , some flour, some salt, mix everything and make little pancakes on a frying pan . Serve your draniki hot with sour cream or butter. Bon appetite!

A traditional Belarusian dinner must always start with a soup.  You can taste borscht and khaladnik. Borscht is popular in many Eastern and Central European cuisines. It is made with beetroot and beef as the main ingredients. It usually contains heavy vegetables including potatoes and beets, but may also contain carrots and peppers.  
The Belarusian khaladnik , a cold borscht made of beets, beet leaves and served with sour cream, hard-boiled eggs, and boiled potatoes  will be pleasant on a hot summer day. 

Most of all I prefer pancakes of various thickness, plain and filled, made mostly of wheat or buckwheat flour, but also using oatmeal.

Тraditional liquid desserts that accompanya meal include kompot, normally made of dried or fresh fruit, boiled, and then cooled, and kvass.

As you can see Belarusian cuisine has colorful history and a great variety of dishes for every taste. But the best way to understand it all, is to simply get eating!