Solyanka. Interesting facts about the dish
Every Russian has eaten solyanka at least once in his life - a nutritious and satisfying dish that replaces both the first and the second at the same time. It’s unlikely that anyone would have thought about the fact that solyanka, an original Russian dish familiar far beyond the borders of Russia, in the old days was called nothing more than “hangover”, and serving it to the table of the Russian aristocracy was considered the height of bad form.
History of Solyanka
The name “solyanka” was first mentioned in literature in the 15th century. This type of spicy and fatty soup was originally served with vodka and served as an excellent snack for it, simultaneously serving as both the first and second. It was cooked fatty - this helped to drink for a long time and not get drunk, and at the same time it was filling and quick to eat. shala. In those distant times, it had two names that accurately reflected its essence: “hodgepodge” and “hangover”. In the 18th century, the aristocracy recognized solyanka exclusively as a dish for the poor, as well as peasants who had a weakness for vodka. Solyanka or “hangover” was eaten with pleasure only by commoners, while the nobles considered it too simple and unworthy of a noble table. Perhaps that is why the original name of solyanka was distorted and the dish was included in old cookbooks under a new name - “selyanka”. The name has taken root in culinary literature, and, despite the fact that it has long ceased to be considered a sign of uncouthness and simplicity, it has gained great popularity among the highest circles of society. In old cookbooks, as well as in recipes for rural cuisine, the name “selyanka” remains to this day.
The taste of solyanka
Solyanka can always be recognized by its characteristic pungent taste and strong spicy aroma. Any hodgepodge is always based on concentrated broth. Depending on the type of broth, three types of solyanka are traditionally distinguished: meat, mushroom and fish. The sour-salty-spicy taste of this soup is formed due to the presence of such integral components as pickles, olives, capers, lemon, kvass, salted or pickled mushrooms. Depending on a particular recipe (and they vary greatly in different regions of Russia), these components can be added to the soup at the same time, or only some of them. Thus, solyanka is, moreover, an original soup, which combines in its composition the characteristics of cabbage soup, rassolnik, fish soup , mushroom and regular meat soup, depending on the ingredients put into it. Spices are what were always added to hodgepodge and in large quantities. Most often they are represented by dill, parsley, onions, pepper, and garlic. Preparing hodgepodge is not difficult, however, to obtain a tasty and aromatic hodgepodge, it is important to observe temperature conditions and the order of adding ingredients to the soup.
Is hodgepodge healthy?
Due to its rich composition, hodgepodge contains almost all the elements that are necessary for the health of the human body. It contains especially a lot of vitamin C due to the content of cabbage, pickles, herbs, lemon, and olives. Meat, fish, mushrooms are a valuable source of proteins, and sour cream is also calcium, which is necessary for normal growth and bone formation. The greens that make up hodgepodge contain a large amount of antioxidants and pectins. Antioxidants, which include vitamin C, help protect cells from harmful factors. Pectins improve digestion processes in the intestines and remove excess toxins from it.
Incredibly, such a successful combination of products in one dish was obtained completely by accident. Few people know about this, but Solyanka was “invented” in the same way as the American pizza we all know: housewives simply prepared a dish from those products that remained in the house, practically from waste. Amazingly, both pizza and its Russian analogue in preparation - solyanka - subsequently enjoyed enormous popularity.
Today, solyanka is considered a restaurant dish and is served in many establishments, from student canteens to expensive elite establishments. It stands on a par with popular exotic Japanese, Caucasian and European dishes.
Galina Yampolskaya
Solyanka is one of the few traditional Russian dishes that have survived to this day. It gained fame not only in our area, but also spread throughout the world.
Where does the name “solyanka” come from?
Today no one knows how this name came about. As usual in such cases, there are several opinions.
According to one version, the dish was originally called “selyanka”. In other words, country or rural food. Sometimes this name is explained by the fact that Solyanka was originally a food for peasants. But not everyday food, but festive food. For common meals, the peasants brought a variety of products for the table - some meat, some vegetables, and some something else. They prepared selyanka from these ingredients. It is worth saying that the word “solyanka” in Rus' meant confusion, mishmash, etc. It’s easy to guess why the village woman turned into a hodgepodge.
According to other scientists, Solyanka was a Solyanka from the very beginning. The name comes from its taste characteristics. Among the ingredients, the dish previously contained capers and olives, that is, various salinities.
The first mention of Solyanka
The first entry about Solyanka appeared on the pages of the Russian literary monument “Domostroy” at the beginning of the 15th century. According to the recipe, the dish was fish and was a fatty soup, and quite spicy. It was usually served with vodka and other strong drinks. This soup served as both an excellent appetizer, first and second course due to its thickness. Solyanka made it possible not to get drunk for a long time and at the same time quickly fill up. At the same time, this is a very tasty dish. The soup was also in demand in the mornings, when it was necessary to get a hangover with something. For this, hodgepodge received its second name “hangover”.
As you can see, in the old days such soup was irreplaceable, which is why I fell in love with it.
How did the variety of hodgepodges appear?
When our people realized that tomatoes are not an ornamental plant, but a food vegetable, this product became one of the ingredients of hodgepodge. The recipe has changed dramatically, and since then they always try to add tomatoes or tomato paste to the hodgepodge.
As the dish became popular, the recipe received many alternative versions. Today there are fish, meat and mushroom solyanka, and each of them has many modifications.
In the 18th century, such soup was suddenly recognized as a peasant dish, after which it practically disappeared from the tables of aristocrats. Maybe it was then that it was specially renamed “selyanka”, so that later it could be returned to the tables of elite restaurants under its original name.
Taste characteristics of solyanka
The pungent taste and strong aroma of spices is what has always distinguished solyanka from other dishes. This soup is usually prepared with a concentrated broth base.
The dish acquires its sour-salty-spicy flavoring qualities thanks to ingredients such as pickles, lemon, spices, capers, olives, kvass or pickled mushrooms. Interestingly, depending on the recipe, all of the listed components, or some of them, can be used in the soup. Due to the variety of products, the dish simultaneously has characteristics of cabbage soup, fish soup, pickle soup, mushroom and meat soup.
A large dosage of spices is one of the main signs of proper hodgepodge. Usually they are dill, parsley, garlic, onion and pepper.
Solyanka is everything the body needs!
Numerous ingredients in hodgepodge provide the body with almost all the necessary elements. Solyanka vegetables contain a huge amount of vitamins, especially vitamin C. Meat, fish and mushrooms consist of almost the same protein. And if there is also sour cream in the soup, this will provide the body with calcium, which is necessary for bones. Greens contain pectins and antioxidants. Pectins improve digestion, and antioxidants protect cells from negative influences.Such a health-improving effect of hodgepodge is an absolute coincidence, because the components of the dish were not initially chosen specifically. By the way, another famous dish was born in exactly the same way - pizza. Housewives simply took the food that was left over and prepared their own culinary creation from it. The result is wild popularity all over the world of both solyanka and pizza.
Therefore, do not be afraid to experiment - get a chance to become the author of a dish recognized throughout the world!
A little history of the creation of this legendary Solyanka soup - a symbol of Russian cuisine, a dish known far beyond the borders of Russia.
In order not to die of hunger, any foreigner should learn just this one word. The name “solyanka” was first mentioned in Russian literature of the 15th century. Since the 18th century, the dish has become widespread; in those days, solyanka had two names - actually, “solyanka” and “pohmelka”. It was a spicy, thick, fatty and very satisfying soup, which was served as an appetizer with vodka, and was quite suitable as both a first course and a second course. Aristocrats did not recognize this dish, considering it unworthy; serving it on the table among nobles was considered a sign of bad taste. For a long time, this dish was popular exclusively among commoners and the poor, helping them to drink a lot and not get drunk, while solyanka was an excellent snack, giving a feeling satiety.
This soup warmed and restored strength. Perhaps this is why solyanka is also called “selyanka”, that is, a village dish, peasant food. According to its thickness, solyanka can be thick or liquid. It is always prepared in clear and strong broths: meat, fish or mushroom, which form the basis of the soup. It is possible to add smoked meat, sausages, sausages and other sausage products to the dish. There are a lot of recipes for preparing this dish, but it invariably includes sour, salty and spicy foods - pickled or salted mushrooms, lemon or lemon juice, capers, olives, and even kvass, which can be added to the soup either all at once or in any combination. It is the salty-spicy-sour taste of solyanka that gives it its uniqueness and charm; after trying it just once, the taste of this soup will be remembered forever. Solyanka also contains sour cabbage and sour cream (components of cabbage soup) and pickles and brine (components of rassolnik).
From the mid-19th century, tomatoes and tomato paste appeared in the composition, significantly enriching the taste of solyanka. And, of course, the “correct” and most delicious solyanka cannot be imagined without an abundance of spices - dill, parsley, garlic and onions, hot and allspice. It was thanks to this dish that the stable phrase “combined solyanka” appeared in the Russian language, meaning a variety of “ motley” mixture of something….
Let's look into the past of this dish. Of course, there is no mention of “solyanka” in Domostroy. These are all Pokhlebkin’s fantasies, which are simply replicated without any verification. “Rossol”, “rosol dishes” - that’s it. But with the same success then the first mention of solyanka can be attributed to the Novgorod birch bark documentsXIIIcentury, where there is the word “salt”. In general, the Pokhlebkin version turns out to be nonsense.
For example, is this also about hodgepodge?
Novgorod birch bark charter (1340-1360)
But when was Solyanka (Selyanka) first mentioned?
In written sources - inXVIIIcentury. And then, of course, it is not yet a soup (stew), but a hot dish of cabbage, cucumbers, meat, poultry, fish, mushrooms or other products. The defining factor is the sour taste, which could be provided by brine and even vinegar. Here, for example, is a recipe from Vasily Levshin’s “Dictionary of Cooking, Henchman, Candidate and Distiller” (1795):
Even in the “Dictionary of the Russian Academy” of 1822, solyanka is not yet the first dish, but the “second serve”:
What about hodgepodge, like soup? It appears later - already in the 1830-40s. One of the first books with a similar recipe is “The Hand Book of a Russian Experienced Housewife” (1842) by Ekaterina Avdeeva. Here is a later edition of it from 1846, which already contains solyanka soup with cucumbers and saffron milk caps:
And already in the second halfXIXcenturies, the hodgepodge actually takes on the appearance we are familiar with. Intricate, fantasy versions appear - with sturgeon, capers, lemon, smoked meats. Each innkeeper showed his talent in it, attracting customers with unimaginable tastes and smells. Moreover, there was simply no “classic” recipe for this soup.
The next episode of the program “Second and Compote” on the Moscow-Doverie TV channel is dedicated to investigating the past of this dish. There are many expert participants talking about all sides of the matter. The presenter of the show, Irina Shikhman, and I talked about the past of this dish and prepared the very first - Levshin's solyanka recipe - with cabbage, quails soaked in kvass and ham.
", then there will be a lot of options. How to find your ideal option and, in general, how was the very first hodgepodge prepared?
Today it has become almost a symbol of Russian cuisine. Almost all restaurants offer Russian solyanka to tourists.
Even despite such popularity, few people know where this gastronomic miracle came from. Scientists linguists claim that the name comes from the products included in the composition. Namely, various pickles: cucumbers, capers, olives. It is believed that the dish was originally called “selyanka”. Only in the 20th century the name was transformed into “hodgepodge”.
The composition was determined completely by chance. There is an opinion that it was created by some hungry person. Namely, he threw everything that was in one cauldron and cooked it. He liked this. This is how the first hodgepodge came about. Treated neighbors, friends, etc. The dish was to everyone's taste and became widespread.
Other scientists talk about the deliberate invention of solyanka as a spicy and fatty soup. It was intended for feasts where alcohol was consumed. And this kind of food reduces the absorption of alcohol in the blood and a person gets less drunk. An alternative name is said to be "hangover". It could be served both as a first and as a second course. Its ingredients are inexpensive, so it was considered a food for the poor. Solyanka was too simple for aristocratic tastes.
Time passed, but this simple dish not only entered cookbooks, but also firmly established itself on restaurant menus. Tourists coming to Russia consider it a truly Russian dish. There is an opinion that solyanka became a derivative of rassolnik. In principle, Solyanka contains echoes of cabbage soup, mushroom and meat soups, as well as fish soup. Today you can find many recipes, but one thing remains the same - the base is a thick broth.
Solyanka: what it was made from then, what it is made from now, useful properties
In the recipes of cookbooks of the 18th century you can only find fish solyanka. Today it comes in fish, meat and mushroom varieties. You can also find mushrooms together with fish. Since the mid-19th century, the composition also includes tomatoes (tomato paste).
Solyanka has an interesting taste. It is a combination of sour, salty and spicy. This effect is achieved by mixing pickles, capers, mushrooms (salted or pickled), olives, lemon and kvass. In addition to the above, seasoning vegetables are put there: onions, garlic and herbs, and pepper for spiciness.
Medicine recognizes the usefulness of this dish. It contains many vegetables that provide vitamin C. It also contains protein, antioxidants, pectin, fiber, calcium and various microelements. All this is extremely beneficial for health and beauty.
Solyanka helps improve digestion. This occurs through a beneficial effect on the functioning of the stomach and intestines. Vitamin C improves immunity. Thanks to other substances, it gives vigor and also removes harmful substances. Solyanka can be tasted both in the factory canteen and in an elite restaurant. Due to its simple recipe, you can prepare it yourself.
Options for preparing solyanka - its recipes
How to prepare hodgepodge from such a variety of recipes? The main ingredients are:
- salted cucumbers;
- fried onions;
- olives (olives);
- tomato paste;
- capers.
What products are needed for one of the varieties of meat solyanka:
- meat (beef) - 0.5 kg;
- sausage. It's better if there are several types. It can be either sausage or frankfurters. Also, some recommend adding smoked ribs instead of sausages. - 0.3-0.4 kg;
- onions - 1-2 pcs;
- carrots - 1 piece;
- pickled cucumbers 3-4 pcs;
- tomato paste - 4 tbsp;
- bay leaf - 3 pcs;
- Lemon - added to taste;
- salt and pepper - the same;
- olives - half a jar.
The principle of preparing fish solyanka is practically no different from meat solyanka. But still they exist:
- fish is placed instead of sausage and meat;
- the fish must be cleaned, the head and tail removed, the entrails removed and separated from the backbone;
- when frying onions, carrots are not added to it;
- the broth in the fish soup is filtered. This is done after boiling the fish with carrots and spices (pepper, bay leaf);
- Instead of carrots, capers are added to fried onions and tomatoes.
There is also an option with mushrooms. Solyanka with mushrooms ingredients:
- any fresh mushrooms - 0.5 kg;
- white cabbage - 0.5 kg;
- pickled or pickled cucumbers - 2 pcs;
- onion - 1 piece;
- tomato paste - 2 tbsp;
- sugar - 2 tsp;
- lemon juice - 1 tbsp;
- butter - 50 gr.;
- bay leaf - 2 pcs.;
- salt pepper.
Mushroom solyanka recipe:
- Wash the mushrooms and boil for 10 minutes (no more).
- Boiled mushrooms are cut into pieces and fried in vegetable oil. Then you need to add the onion. The main thing is not to overcook the mushrooms, otherwise they will not be juicy;
- placed in a saucepan. It is advisable to use dishes with a thick bottom. Put butter on the cabbage and pour a little water. Add lemon juice to everything else. Not a lot of water is needed so that the cabbage is stewed and not fried;
- Cut the cucumbers into circles. Then add to the cabbage;
- then add tomato paste, spices, sugar. Continue simmering over low heat. Stir constantly so that the cabbage does not “stick” to the pan. Add water if necessary;
- add mushrooms and onions. Simmer the contents for no more than 7 minutes;
- Place the contents in a baking dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs if desired. Bake for about 30 minutes at 180 degrees.
- Some people recommend first boiling the meat or fish until tender, and only then cutting it and putting it back. This makes the broth clear and light.
- If you use sausages, you can fry them in oil before adding them. Alternatively, you can first fry the sausages, and then the vegetables in the same oil, or do it together.
- Despite the fact that solyanka contains pickled products, adding lemon will add the necessary sourness.
Some features, cooking secrets and recommendations
- As an experimental option, you can add kidneys instead of meat.
- When preparing fish solyanka, it is recommended to strain the broth. The broth is also strained at the composition stage with fish, carrots, bay leaves and pepper.
- It is better to use noble breeds of fish for hodgepodge (sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, beluga, sterlet).
- The original Russian recipe for solyanka did not include tomatoes, but sauerkraut. This gives a completely different taste than the modern dish.
- For a rich taste, it is better not to use store-bought tomato paste (it does not convey the taste of tomatoes well), but to prepare it yourself.
- Finely shredded cabbage and fried in olive oil fits well. The main thing is not to overdo it. The cabbage should provide a light aftertaste rather than be the main ingredient.
- Under no circumstances should you overuse seasonings. Solyanka contains many products that convey their taste and smell. Too many seasonings will only spoil the dish.
- Solyanka is a dish to which you can add anything you like. The only rule is not to overdo it.
- When choosing a fish, you need to pay attention to the fact that it should have its head. This will make the broth richer.
- Sometimes lemon and olives are placed in separate portions of hodgepodge, and not during the cooking process.
In general, how to prepare hodgepodge, or rather, according to what recipe, is up to you.
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