When you are about to cook some meals, there are some ingredients that you need to prepare. For example, when you want to eat some spaghetti, besides boiling the spaghetti, you are also going to cook the spaghetti sauce. For this part, you will need ingredients such as diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil, salt, pepper, and oregano. In this case, oregano is an important ingredient, especially for those who prefer a powerful flavor and smell in the sauce. If you have never added oregano into your spaghetti sauce before, the next time you make it, you can add two teaspoons of it. You will find a big difference 🙂

Just like the common use of oregano in spaghetti, Russians also have ingredients used in most of its cooking. Here are common herbs and spices Russian needs for cooking

Common Herbs And Spices In Russians Cuisine

1. Dill

Dill is a herb that is a part of the celery family. You will find dill in many fish and milk-based Russians cuisines. The fact that dill is so easy to grow make this herb can be found all over Russia. When you need dill for the winter weather, you can dry it first and keep it in the storage.

The drying process is pretty simple. First, you must hang it in bundles for up to two weeks. During this process, you need to check whether the texture has turned into crispy and crumbles by pinching it. Once it has reached that condition, you may start to crumble all of the bundles. Then, place it into a glass jar and make sure the lid is sealed tightly.

Dill is not only useful for Russian cuisines but also for its herbal remedies. This herb is very popular for its function to soothe your upset stomach. It tastes sweet so when you drink a dill-based herbal medicine, it will still delicious 🙂

2. Parsley

From its shape, we can tell right away that parsley is a species of the flowering plant. This plant is not only famous for being useful as a herb but also as a spice and even a vegetable. The taste of slightly citrusy of parsley makes you can tell if a meal has this herb or not.

Just like dill, many Russians foods use parsley. Some of the most famous are Russian chicken pie and beet and potato salad. For the chicken pie recipe, you need parley to make the filling while for beet and potato salad, you need it to give some taste for the potatoes.

Parsley can grow very well in cool weather. That is why you can have this plant inside your house. An important note if you want to try growing your parsley is to plant it in a moveable container. That way, you can move it easily outdoor when the weather warms up and move it again inside when the winter comes.

If you want to grow it completely indoors, it is very easy, too! Plan it in a pot, water it regularly (always make sure that the soil is moist), but always remember to empty the saucer after you water the parsley. Do not ever let the roots sit in water! You only need to fertilize it once every two weeks with either fish emulsion or half-strength liquid fertilizer.

3. Chervil

When you see chervil, you will see that it is very similar to parsley. This similarity is caused by the fact that chervil is a member of the parsley family.

As one of the most common herbs and spices Russian needs for cooking, chervil has a unique taste. It has a light flavor of licorice, which means it tastes a little bit of sweet, bitter, salty, and sour. So many flavors in one herb, right? 🙂 Many people also say that the taste of chervil makes them taste a mixture of tarragon and parsley. As a part of Russian dishes, you can find chervil in egg dishes. It is also very useful as a substitution of cilantro, a herb with a citrusy flavor. One of Russian famous cuisine is potatoes in cilantro sauce. You can change the cilantro part with chervil and you will still get to enjoy a delicious meal. Chervil might not be very common to grow in home gardens. But worry not, you can still buy it in the markets. The herb, famously known for its nice mild flavor, is perfect for your simple dishes. The light green color would also make your meals look appealing.

4. Tarragon

There is two types of tarragon, the French and the Russian. Flavor-wise, French tarragon tastes better the Russian tarragon. The texture is also softer in the cold. What makes tarragon a famous ingredient is its powerful taste. If you do not want to add a strong taste to your meal, make sure to use the dried tarragon and not the fresh one.

Tarragon is for sure another example of common herbs and spices Russian needs for cooking. It is widely used for many egg or cheese-based dishes, such as omelet or cheese soufflé. What makes it even more special, tarragon is also an ingredient for Tarhun, a classic Russian carbonated beverage.

5. Horseradish

Horseradish is a root vegetable that Russians use as a spice. You can eat it fresh or make it as pickle, or as mentioned before, process it and use it a spice. When you go to the supermarkets, you will find horseradish spice packed in bottles. One of the recipes that need horseradish is Russian Hron Horseradish recipe. This is an appetizer recipe, a very famous one in Russia, which consist of boiled and grated beets seasoned with horseradish. Russians usually eat it with meat, such as turkey.

6. Garlic

Garlic is very suitable for many Russians dishes. You can store it easily for the wintertime so you can taste its warming rich flavor when the weather starts to make you feel cold. When you want to make a salad dressing, such as the tarragon mustard vinaigrette, garlic is a perfect herb that will enrich the flavor. You can also use it to give a delicious taste to the lamb in Russian Lamb Pilaf.

Now we have learned about 6 common herbs and spices Russian needs for cooking. Which one is the most interesting?