Summary of Local Eating Habits#

Most people in Moscow have three main meals a day, but the timing and size can differ.

Breakfast (Завтрак - Zavtrak) is usually quick and eaten at home. It’s often something warm and simple to start the day. Coffee or tea is a must.

Lunch (Обед - Obed) is often the biggest meal of the day. This is where you’ll see soups and fuller dishes. Many people eat lunch between 1 pm and 3 pm. If they work, they might have lunch at a work canteen or a nearby cafe.

Dinner (Ужин - Uzhin) is usually lighter than lunch and eaten later, maybe between 7 pm and 9 pm. It’s often a family time meal.

Common Home-Cooked Meals vs. Street Food#

Home cooking is a big part of life in Moscow, like in much of Russia. Meals are often based on traditional recipes passed down. Soups are very common for lunch – like Borscht (beetroot soup), Shchi (cabbage soup), or Solyanka (a thick, sour soup). For the main course, people cook dishes with meat (like chicken, pork, or beef), fish, potatoes, and other vegetables. Pelmeni (dumplings filled with meat) and Vareniki (dumplings with potato, cheese, or berries) are popular and often made at home, sometimes in large batches to freeze. Kasha (porridge, often buckwheat or oats) is common for breakfast.

Street food isn’t the primary daily food for most locals like in some other countries, but it’s growing. You’ll find places selling Shawarma (similar to a kebab), блины (Blini - thin pancakes, often with sweet or savory fillings), пирожки (Pirozhki - small baked or fried buns with various fillings), and sometimes hot dogs or burgers. It’s more for a quick snack or lunch on the go rather than the main way people eat every day.

Local Ingredients or Spices People Use#

Russian cooking uses simple, hearty ingredients that were traditionally easy to store, especially for long winters. Potatoes are a staple, used in everything from soups to salads. Cabbage, carrots, beets, and onions are very common vegetables. Sour cream (Сметана - Smetana) is used generously on soups, dumplings, and many other dishes. Dill and parsley are the most popular fresh herbs, added to almost everything savory. Black pepper and bay leaf are common spices, often used in soups and stews. Buckwheat (Гречка - Grechka) is a very popular grain.

Traditional Dishes Eaten During Festivals or Weekends#

Weekends or special occasions often mean spending more time cooking. A traditional Sunday lunch might be more elaborate. For festivals like Maslenitsa (the week before Lent), Blini are a must – symbolizing the sun. For New Year’s Eve (the biggest holiday for many), a lavish table is set with lots of salads, like “Olivier” (a potato salad with meat/sausage, peas, eggs, and mayonnaise) and “Selyodka pod Shuboy” (herring under a ‘fur coat’ of layered vegetables and mayonnaise), as well as aspics (холодец - Kholodets). Paskha (a rich, sweet cheese dish) and Kulich (Easter bread) are made for Easter. Meat dishes, often baked, are also common for celebrations.

Popular Snacks or Drinks#

Besides the street food mentioned, people snack on things like seeds (семечки - semecki), nuts, and sometimes dried fish (especially with beer). fermented milk products like Kefir (кефир) or Ryazhenka (ряженка - baked milk yogurt) are popular healthy drinks. Compote (компот) - a fruit drink made by boiling fruit with sugar - is a common homemade beverage. Of course, tea is huge, drunk throughout the day, often black tea. Coffee is also very popular now. Kvass (квас) is a traditional fermented drink made from bread, especially refreshing in summer.

Cultural Food Taboos or Unique Rituals#

There aren’t many strict food taboos in the sense of forbidden foods for the general population in Moscow, unlike some cultures. However, hospitality is key. It’s considered rude not to offer food and drink to guests, and guests are encouraged to eat generously. Finishing everything on your plate can sometimes mean you’re still hungry, but it’s also seen as a sign you enjoyed the meal – context matters! Tipping is common but not strictly mandatory in the way it is in some countries. Some traditional beliefs exist, like not leaving knives stuck in food or not putting empty bottles on the table, but these are more superstitions than strict taboos. Sharing food, especially when hosting, is a deeply ingrained part of the culture.