Russia adopts state standard for ‘traditional Russian cuisine,’ including ‘Little Russian’ borscht, Chicken Kiev, and okroshka made with kvass, not kefir

Rosstandart, Russia’s federal standards agency, has approved a state standard (GOST) titled “Traditional Russian cuisine: Recommendations for preparing dishes” (registered users can view it here). The document includes recipes, preparation methods, and serving suggestions for 132 dishes.An Industry and Trade Ministry working group developed the standard. Its members included officials and representatives from the restaurant industry. Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov said the document was “not an attempt to regulate everything, but a guide that guarantees consumers authenticity and high quality.”“[Today] only 1% of restaurants in the country describe themselves as serving Russian cuisine. In effect, we’ve lost an important part of our cultural identity,” the minister said. He said the standard should “reverse this trend.”Roskachestvo, Russia’s quality watchdog, said the standard aims to “catalog Russian dishes, their historical roots, and the principles for using authentic ingredients.” Compliance is voluntary, said Igor Bukharov, president of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers and a member of the working group.The standard provides guidelines for making blini, vinegret salad, stuffed cabbage rolls, porridge, kolobok buns, Russian-style crayfish, and more than 100 other dishes.For example, the authors recommend making okroshka with bread kvass that has a “pronounced sour taste.” Cucumber or berry brine may be added, but using kefir or other fermented dairy products in okroshka is “not recommended.”The document lists several versions of the dish: with meat, with fish, or suitable for religious fasts. The authors recommend serving it cold (no warmer than 14 degrees Celsius, or 57 degrees Fahrenheit) and advise against making it in advance.The list of “traditionally Russian” recipes also includes:Olivier salad in two versions: “historical” and modernBorscht, including a “regional” version called “Little Russian”Chicken Kiev, with a note saying that “the dish’s name probably reflects an indirect association and does not indicate its place of origin”The first edition of the standard will take effect on January 1, 2027. There are plans to review and update it regularly.At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.If you find any errors in this translation, please contact us at [email protected].To read Meduza’s exclusive content in English, please subscribe to our newsletter.