what were the favorite dishes of Russian classical writers?
Descriptions of cuisines play a very important role in fiction texts. I will once devote a special post to this issue, but right now I want to share with you some stories about Russian classical authors’ food preferences. Not only they described dishes in their texts making our mouths water, but they were also huge food lovers in their real lives.
So, what Russian classics liked to eat?
N. Gogol
Gogol was fond of eggnog which he used to mix with rum. He was also mad about Little-Russian food (Gogol was from Little-Russia) and pasta which he cooked like a most skillful Neapolitan. His contemporaries remember that their shared Italian meals used to look like a sacramental act and Gogol resembling a priest preparing to make a sacrifice [1].
Not only Gogol loved to eat, but he also enjoyed describing food in his texts. You might remember for example the detailed description of Sobakevitch’s dinner in «Dead Souls»:
«”My dear,” said Sobakevitch, “the cabbage soup is excellent”. With that he finished his portion, and helped himself to a generous measure of niania the dish which follows shtchi and consists of a sheep’s stomach stuffed with black porridge, brains, and other things. “What niania this is!” he added to Chichikov. “Never would you get such stuff in a town, where one is given the devil knows what”. <…> To the shoulder of mutton there succeeded, in turn, cutlets (each one larger than a plate), a turkey of about the size of a calf, eggs, rice, pastry, and every conceivable thing which could possibly be put into a stomach. There the meal ended» [2].
I. Turgenev
Although he lived in Europe for the most part of his life, Turgenev was a lover of Russian cuisine. When he was visiting Spasskoe-Lutovinovo (his native estate), his mother would order his favorite foods, especially gooseberry jam which was his favorite. He also liked fish soup, tripe soup and chicken soup. Veal cutlets in broth were one of the specialties which were served in the estate, accompanied by a huge number of snacks.
Before paying a visit to Polina Viardo (his beloved) Turgenev would leave his orders for the cook in advance. For example, once he asked for the apple cobbler to be made for his coming.
You might know that Turgenev was a passionate hunter. He often went hunting together with his friend Afanasy Fet (a Russian poet). Their trips would always end with a picnic at the fresh air, during which they would also feast on Russian traditional cuisine: bread with salt, fresh cucumbers, fried chickens and sherry [3].
F. Dostoevsky
Dostoevsky used to drink a few glasses of very strong and sweet tea. Descriptions of tea ceremonies in texts of other authors immediately drew him to samovar. He enjoyed the process of brewing and pouring of tea and during his travels around Europe he would search for the tea shop in every town.
Tea is also his heroes’ favorite drink. It usually appears in Dostoevsky’s texts in most calm and convenient moments [4]. Remember the main hero of the «Notes from Underground» saying: «Is the world to go to pot, or am I to go without my tea? I say that the world may go to pot for me so long as I always get my tea»? [5].
L. Tolstoy
The most famous Russian writer was a vegetarian. Vegetarianism actually became popular in Russia exactly because of Tolstoy. He refused to eat meat in 1880s and wrote an incredibly influential essay «First Stage» where he called vegetarianism the first stage of the moral revival. These words made a lot of people become vegetarians: «For ten years the cow has fed thee and thy children, the sheep has warmed thee with its wool. What is their reward? To have their throats cut and to be devoured» [6].
By the start of the 20th century vegetarian canteens could have been found in all major Russian cities. A lot of them would resemble Tolstoy’s mini-altars, because there were hanging his portraits in all possible sizes and positions [7].
A. Chekhov
Chekhov’s favorite dish were carps in sour cream. He also respected suburban style of life with its cuisine — gooseberry, raspberry and mushrooms.
His mother would often complain about his appetite, because Chekhov did not eat much during numerous meetings, assemblies and dinners that were organized at his home. Although being on visits he would not keep his appetite at bay eating caviar and drinking wine [8].
M. Gorky
Just like Tolstoy Gorky was a vegetarian.
Contemporaries remember that throughout his life Gorky always preferred simple cuisine, such as soups and porridges.
Sauerkraut with apples is said to have been his favorite dish, but he was also fond of other salt vegetables. Gorky loved eating and picking mushrooms. In the evening he would set a samovar for which, if possible, he himself collected pine cones. Gorky also had a sweet tooth and loved pancakes [9].
V. Mayakovsky
We do not know much about Mayakovky’s food preferences, but they say he loved donuts and asked his mum to give him more money for school breakfast so that he could also treat his classmates. When he grew up he used to go to his friends’ houses for dinner, because he was not a rich person. In turn, sometimes he fed his friends with the best food he could find in the canteen — sand cakes and curdled milk [10].
A. Akhmatova
Her contemporaries remember that Akhmatova was disinterested in food and everyday life in the whole. The food she had at home was usually poor and not diverse: her contemporaries remember her eating carrot, sauerkraut and boiled potatoes. Although Akhmatova loved mushrooms stewed with onion, pepper and sour cream. She also liked milled porridge with pumpkin.
Brodsky remembers that she used to drink one or two shots of vodka in the evening. She did not drink wine, because she had a weak heart and vodka narrows blood vessels, while wine, on the contrary, opens them up [11].
That’s it! Whose food preferences surprised you the most?
P.
Literature:
- Gogol in the memoirs, diaries, correspondence of contemporaries. In 3 vol. Vol. 2. Moscow, 2012. 1032 p.
- Gogol N. Dead Souls. 2005. 384 p.
- Fet A. My memoirs. Moscow, 2016. 1697 p.
- https://arzamas.academy/mag/922-dostoevsky
- Dostoevsky F. Notes from Underground. San-Diego, 2005. 182 p.
- Tolstoy L. The Pathway of Life. New York, 1919. 305 p.
- https://arzamas.academy/materials/636
- https://www.culture.ru/s/vopros/chehov/
- https://www.culture.ru/s/vopros/el-gorkiy/
- https://www.culture.ru/s/vopros/chto-el-mayakovskiy/
- Fokin P. Akhmatova without gloss. Saint-Petersburg, 2008. 473 p.
- The book about healthy and tasty food. Moscow, Saint-Petrsburg, 1939. 494 p.
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