Juniper coffee and wickets with cloudberry: a gluttonous excursion to the north of Russia

What are your vacation plans? We’re already hearing the heavy sighs. Don’t be in a hurry to despair. For the second covid year it is not so easy to tell about new tourist routes, but we have something to surprise you.

We suggest going on a little gluttonous tour of your home country. After all, even stress can and should be eaten properly.

All roads, of course, lead to Rome. And all our routes start in the Third Rome – Moscow. It is from here that we will travel to all four corners of the world to try something that even in such a megalopolis you cannot find.

Karelia

Karelia

One of the most colorful and diverse gastronomic palettes of Russia, oddly enough, comes from the harsh north. Exoticism here is literally on the tip of your tongue after only 12 hours of travel – what are the long, musical names like Valaam, Sortavala, Ruskeala.

Already on the train to the small Karelian town of Sortavala you can taste the legendary local cuisine: fish dishes, northern berry infusions and small pies “kalitki”, which are filled with everything from cloudberries to potatoes and mushrooms.

Karelia

In the towns of Karelia you will be offered a wide choice of fish dishes, because local lakes are not without reason seen in the dreams of fishermen from all over the country. Baked potatoes with butter, fresh red fish, cole slaw, berry sauces – sounds like a perfect Karelian breakfast, and this is the combination you can taste in Sortavala for a small 500 rubles by Moscow standards.

You can drink this large portion with coffee from a “Finnish turka”. Juniper is added to the strong drink, which gives it a special spicy flavor, which can be felt only here, on the windy shores of the lake region.

Have you had breakfast? It’s time to move on, on the long journey to the vast north! Don’t forget mosquito protection – I’m sure you don’t want to become someone’s lunch. Speaking of lunch, it’s worth visiting the monks of Valaam Island for it. Despite the fact that the Valaam archipelago is not famous for its fertile lands, and is located quite far from civilization – in the middle of Lake Ladoga – the local brethren know a lot about good and healthy food.

Karelia

Monks breed fish right on the island, then catch and smoke it on the territory of the monastery. Anyone can buy it. The main dish of Valaam, local smoked trout, will cost a tourist 2-3 thousand rubles per piece, but, believe me, it is worth its money. You can drink fish with hoppy monk’s kvass, and for dessert taste ice cream made of milk, which is obtained here at the local dairy farm.

Murmansk region

Traveling in Russia is amazing! You get on a train and ride for an hour, two, ten, twelve….

And while we make a small change in Murmansk, here’s a question for you: what is the most valuable spice for a real traveler? No, it’s not the fabulous oriental saffron, but the sea salt that settles on your lips on a distant deserted coast. From Murmansk we will go to the distant Teriberka, one of the northernmost villages of the country on the shores of the Barents Sea. We may not have eaten a poodle of salt together, but it was a long journey and we definitely deserve a dinner at the end of the world.

Murmansk region

In Teriberka, by the way, there is a beach of dragon eggs, but you will not be offered an omelet from them – behind the beautiful name there are big smooth boulders. But it is possible to taste sea gads here: squid fried on the fire, scallops, fish are a common thing here. If you make friends with the locals, you can count on a treat in the form of freshly caught crab or even fishing in the Barents Sea from an old boat. Those who prefer soup for dinner will like Teriberian soup, and if you can’t stand fish, you can try venison.

By the way, in Murmansk restaurants you will be offered to try reindeer heart with pearl porridge – you won’t find it in Moscow food courts! For dessert – herbal tea (necessarily in an enameled mug) and pies with northern berries. And if you want something more familiar, you can find croissants with different fillings at the Teribersky Bereg restaurant. The dessert will definitely not be too sweet, but salty splashes of the sea are guaranteed – and what can be tastier than the very taste of traveling?

Murmansk region

The North is a harsh land, that’s no secret. But there is still something to eat here, literally and figuratively. And even if it’s not the most obvious destination for a trip, but don’t they tell us that you should try everything in life?

Savor the delightful northern beauty and don’t forget: gastronomic tourism is not about what to eat, but where and how to eat, so that the food becomes another part in the magical symphony of the journey.