The New Year is a special time in Eastern Europe; a time when loved ones gather to share food and drink, festivities, and to reflect on the past year and prepare for the new one. One unique tradition involves writing down a wish on paper, burning it, and then drinking the ashes mixed with champagne. Of course, food also plays a central role in the celebrations. To mark the festive period, we’ve added a few traditional dishes to our menu over the New Year.
Kholodets is a savoury meat jelly made with tender, slow-cooked cuts of meat and infused with aromatic spices. A quintessentially Slavic dish, the name comes from the Russian word for cold. Before the advent of refrigeration, the dish could only be made in winter and the jelly-like consistency was created by boiling animal parts such as trotters and feet. Today kholodets is the traditional centrepiece on New Year tables, offering a comforting and nostalgic taste for many.
Seliodka pod Shuboi which translates as “Herring Under a Fur Coat” is on our menu all year round but is another New Year classic. Originally a Swedish dish, it consists of diced herring, boiled eggs, potatoes, carrots and beetroot, onions and mayonnaise. The herring is topped with beetroot and looks to be wearing a bright purple fur coat.
Salad Olivie, known in English as “Russian salad”, also contains a healthy dose of mayonnaise as well as diced vegetables, pickles and meats. Named after the French chef who came up with the recipe while working at a celebrated Moscow restaurant in the 1860’s, it is another classic New Year dish. Both salads bring vibrant flavours and colours to the table and will help soak up the vodka if you are drinking.
Cake Napoleon was invented in 1912 to mark the centenary of Russia’s victory over Napoleon and has become a staple of any celebration, be it a birthday or New Year. A decadent layered pastry, filled with rich vanilla cream, this is a classic treat that balances the hearty savouries on our menu. Cake Napoleon is the perfect way to end your feast on a sweet note.
The festive season doesn’t end on New Year’s Day, as many in Eastern Europe celebrate Christmas on 7th January, consistent with the Julian calendar. Most people are on holiday between New Year and Orthodox Christmas and much of the time is spent with family at the dinner table. Many of the dishes are the same as New Year, but some traditional Christmas dishes reflect the solemn nature of the holiday.
Here are a few ideas for what to try over Orthodox Christmas.
Ukrainian Borsch is one of the most popular dishes at The Bath House. This classic beetroot soup is made with beef or vegetable stock and we recommend pairing it with Pampushki, fluffy homemade Ukrainian white bread rolls. Rich in flavour and colour, any celebration is enhanced by a bowl of borsch.
Pirozhki s Myasom are our soft miniature pies stuffed with minced beef. They make a rustic and comforting addition to the table and go particularly well with our soups. Pirozhki can also come stuffed with cabbage, mushrooms as well as sweet fillings such as apricot and cream cheese.
Salo is salted and cured pork lard, a quintessentially Slavic delicacy that is often enjoyed with rye bread and raw garlic and onion. Delicious but not for the faint of heart, salo keeps well so was often included in soldiers’ ration packs in the past.
As for salads, why not try Vinegret, a colourful vegetable salad made with beetroot, pickles, and sauerkraut or Soleniya, a selection of pickled cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes, and mushrooms, which offers a simple side dish bursting with flavour?
At the banya every visit is a chance to taste delicious food and enjoy great company. Be it New Year, Christmas, or a regular visit, our menu honours the flavours of tradition and the joy of sharing.
We look forward to welcoming you at The Bath House to try our new dishes and enjoy your old favourites.
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