BelarusWhat to eat in Belarus: top 10 dishes
Traveling to Belarus? These are the ten dishes it is best known for, from everyday staples to festive classics, with a short background and a tip on where and when to eat each one. Ranked by how widely they are known around the world.
01Potato pancake
Potato pancakes are shallow-fried pancakes consisting of grated or ground potato, matzo meal or flour and typically a binding ingredient such as egg or corn starch, often flavored with grated garlic or onion and seasonings.
Travel tip Common in cafes and traditional restaurants and also made at home. Eat it hot with sour cream, and it is a good place to try the local potato cooking.
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02Aspic
Aspic or meat jelly is a savory gelatin made with a meat stock or broth, set in a mold to encase other ingredients. These often include pieces of meat, seafood, vegetable, or eggs. Aspic is also sometimes referred to as aspic gelée or aspic jelly.
Travel tip A cold dish often served as an appetizer at holiday tables and traditional restaurants. It is usually eaten with mustard or horseradish.
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03Gugelhupf
A Gugelhupf is a cake traditionally baked in a distinctive ring mould, similar to Bundt cake, but leavened with baker's yeast. There are three main types: cocoa; plain with a hint of vanilla and lemon zest; and a marbled combination of the two.
Travel tip A ring-shaped cake served with tea or coffee. Look for it in bakeries and cafes, or at family celebrations.
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04Kissel
Kissel or kisel is a dish with the consistency of a thick gel, and made of sweet fruits such as berries, grains (such as oatmeal, rye, wheat), peas, or milk.
Travel tip A sweet berry-based drink or dessert, served at home, in canteens and in traditional restaurants. Drink it warm or cold.
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05Angel wings
Angel wings are a traditional sweet crisp pastry made out of dough that has been shaped into thin twisted ribbons, deep-fried, and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Travel tip A crisp fried pastry sold in bakeries and made at home for holidays and festive times. Eat them fresh, dusted with powdered sugar.
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06Paska
Paska is a traditional Ukrainian Easter bread particularly spread in Central and Eastern European countries with cultural connections to the ancient Byzantine Empire, Eastern Orthodoxy or Eastern Catholicism.
Travel tip An Easter bread, so look for it in bakeries around Orthodox and Catholic Easter. Families often bring it to church to be blessed.
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07Kasha
In English, kasha is a porridge usually made from buckwheat, a pseudocereal. In the Slavic languages, kasha means porridge. In some varieties of Central and Eastern European cuisine, kasha can apply to any kind of cooked grain.
Travel tip A common everyday dish at home and in canteens, eaten as a side or a main with butter, mushrooms or meat. It is filling and simple.
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08Šakotis
Šakotis ("tree cake") is a spit cake. It is a national Lithuanian, local Polish (northeasternmost part of Poland), and local westernmost Belarusian traditional spit cake, made of butter, egg whites and yolks, flour, sugar, and cream, cooked on a rotating spit…
Travel tip A festive cake rather than an everyday treat, associated with weddings and holidays in the western part of the country. Look for it in bakeries and gift shops.
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10Zrazy
Zrazy or zrazi is a meat roulade dish popular in Poland (Silesian rouladen), western Belarus and Lithuania. Its origin can be traced back to the time of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Travel tip A meat roll found in traditional restaurants, often with a filling and served with sour cream or mushroom sauce. It is a hearty main dish.
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