Food in Russia, Unit 1

Food in Russia is much unlike anything we would expect to eat in the United States, but many dishes are similar to other Eastern European cuisines, such as Poland.  The two most popular foods are borsch and pirozhki.  Borsch is a soup based on beets, and is usually full of vegetables and topped (or mixed with) some sour cream.  While this seems to be a very unusual dish in the US, it is very often cooked in Poland and by Polish families as well.  Pirozhki can be encountered all over the world, the most common kind being filled with meat.  The ones less popular in America, such as pirozhki filled with cabbage, potatoes, or cheese, are staples in the Eastern European diet.  One difference that was interesting was that ikra (caviar) is a popular meal served on bread or blini, while caviar isn't nearly as popular in Poland, and in the US is mostly popular only among upper class families.