Recipe: Solyanka (soup)/ солянка

One of the culinary delights in Russia is the range of soups and this one is one of my favourites. It's meaty and rich... and delicious.

 

 Here's a recipe (in near industrial quantities)...

Love is...

a Turkish brand of bubble gum that was hugely popular in the former USSR countries in the 1990s and is still available in Russia today.

Up in smoke

As widely reported, a fire in a shopping centre in Kazan, Tatarstan, Russian has killed 14 people, with more bodies likely to be found.

Photo: BBC

Reuters say that the cause could be arson, but, according to the President of Tatarstan, that the managers hadn't complied with safety regulations. This reminds me of a couple of things from my time in Russia.

Tulsky Pryanik/ Тульский пряник

A Tulsky pryanik is one of those things that Russians appear to think that everyone abroad knows about Russia and buys as a souvenir... like vodka and Russian dolls. It might be true for the latter two, but I hadn't heard of this cake until after leaving Russia.