Arguably, dumplings are the ultimate comfort food. There is just something screaming home, care and food heaven. Cheap, filling and ubiquitous in Russia, I was happy eating my way through my fair share of dumplings! Here it goes:

Pelmeni: a classic from Siberia, shape similar to a tortellini, served here with a mushroom filling and mushroom sauce at Café Pushkin. Somewhat of a tourist trap, but still good food.

Here are more pelmenis served at the chain Varenichnaya №1, served with sour cream (smetana).

Vareniki: similar to pelmeni, but the shape is much more closer to a Chinese jiaozi and the filling is more likely to be cabbage or potatoes, also served with smetana and fried onion.

Here is another picture of a mix of different dumplings, smetana (of course) and blini (pancakes). The restaurant (Taras Bulba) is Ukrainian but both cuisines are quite similar and both lay claim on many shared dishes.

More dumplings – kurze: dumplings in a different shape with a braided folding technique, but other than that quite similar to the above mentioned dumplings. Accompanied by pierog (a meat pie), a flat pie with vegetables and dill and…sour cream, of course. This meal is from Dagestan, a region close to Georgia.

Yet another style of dumpling – manti: filled with savory mutton and onions, seasoned with cumin, dripping with delicious juice, these hail from Uzbekistan and were a definite highlight. The samsa (small pastry) – also filled with mutton – was delightful, as was the handmade noodle dish named lagman which also featured mutton.

Let’s not forget the beautiful Georgian kinkhali featured on the header – we tried ones with salmon and mushroom, both such a treat. And don’t they look pretty (and a lot like soup dumplings with a really exaggerated stem)?

 

August 17th – 24th, 2018