10 BEST Russian vodka side-dishes

1. Pickles

On the menu of many restaurants in Russia, you will find plates of pickled vegetables: cabbage, garlic, tomatoes and, most importantly, cucumbers. Vodka with a pickled cucumber is an unshakable classic!

2. Caviar

Red, black, pike or any other caviar is often a side snack for sparkling wine, but it also goes great with the ‘white’ (‘belenkaya’, as vodka is sometimes nicknamed in Russia). And, if you make a small sandwich (buterbrod) the bread and butter, it will give you an additional layer of protection from rapid intoxication!

3. Borsch

Borsch can hardly be called a side dish or snack. But, according to Russians, a shot of vodka followed with some borsch is a great match. There is even a folk saying: "The one is stupid who does not drink with soup."

4. Kholodets

This “meat jelly” shocks many foreigners. But, in Russia, it is one of the main festive dishes (especially on the New Year's table). A fatty broth that has turned into jelly, filled with meat chunks and flavored with national spices – horseradish and/or mustard (not sweet Dijon, but the fiery Russian kind!) – is a centuries-old companion to a strong drink.

5. Herring

“Vodochka i selyodochka!” If you hear something like this from a Russian, it means they are expecting a great feast. ‘Vodochka’ is a diminutive-affectionate for ‘vodka’, while  ‘selyodochka’ – a diminutive for herring (‘seledka’). That’s how Russians like to attribute food they can’t wait to eat. A piece of salted herring with boiled potatoes is an appetizer that you can safely put into your mouth with one fork right after a 50-ml shot of ice cold vodka!

6. Mushrooms

You can often see pickled mushrooms right next to the pickled vegetables. Russians love mushrooms: every year, they go to the forests in early fall to collect them, then they dry or pickle them or cook right away, frying or boiling them. As a rule, these are not pop champignons, but penny buns, chanterelles, buttery mushrooms (slippery jacks), honey fungus, birch boletes and milky caps… In general, you can raise glasses “za zdorovie” (“to health"), but never “na zdorovie”, as Russians never say this!

7. Salo

This is another product that may shock a foreigner, because it is pure, natural pork fat! But, if it is salted, frozen and then thinly sliced…

8. Pelmeni (dumplings)

The main advantage of ‘pelmeni’ (dumplings) is that you can quickly cook a huge pot for any size of company. And, by the way, many Russians eat them straight from the frying pan!

9. Sausage

When Russians talk about their favorite food and snacks, they certainly add diminutive suffixes. Therefore, it’s not vodka, but ‘vodochka’, as we mentioned earlier, and it’s not ‘kolbasa’ (sausage), but rather ‘kolbaska’! It's a convenient snack, especially with a shot of vodochka!

10. Spring onion

It’s best to pick fresh onions directly from the garden and eat them after having an ice cold shot of vodochka, dipping the onion tips into some salt. It sounds weird, but just wait until you try it!