Zakuski & Vodka

Zakuski and Vodka...Moscow, Russia.
When it comes to eating and drinking in Russia, be ready to forget everything you might have learned patiently in your latin-originated tradition of wine going with food.
Moscow is now known for its intense nightlife (with probably more energy and fun than in many of our Western capitals - Moscow never sleeps), but it goes along with the everlasting and rich Russian traditions of feasting on zakuski and vodka. This story takes place in a small restaurant named рюмка (Riomka), on Trekhprudny pereulok, near mamonovskii and right under Tverskaya Boulevard in the heart of Moscow, south of the Mayakovskaya subway station (see map : type mamonovskii in the "street address" window, then enlarge and you'll see the Trekhprudny pereulok right next). Riumka infos on this page.There's quite a wide choice to dine out in Moscow today and the restaurant scene keeps growing everyday, But it is so good to have friends who know unpretentious, serious venues like this one. The place serves Russian cuisine and is both relaxed and affordable. The dining room is about 6 by 10 or 12 meters wide and has a decoration both rustic and relaxed. We went there an evening with Lena, Alexei and Volodia for several runs of the traditional Russian zakuski and vodka.
Now, zakuski are a collection of various hors d'oeuvres that you pick randomly along with drinking vodka shots. These can be salted fish (with such a light salting that the fish tastes like raw), tomatoes, concombers with dill (an aromatic herb called yкроп, or Oukrop which you'll find often on the Russian tables), Kiev-style chicken, soup, mushroom salad or a strange but delicious bean-like vegetable from Siberia with an acidulous taste. But don't expect to be let sip gently your vodka glass while eating from the dishes: the rule is to drink the glass (usually 50 or 70 grams of vodka) in one gulp and to eat immediately after some zakuski. I try to resist each time and often manage to drink only half of the glass, which is already quite a lot, but you don't fool your Russian friends like that and they'll remind you that the glass must be gulped in one go, or you're disrespecting them...

The swift ballet of glass filling at the Riumka counter... Of course, when the glasses are empty, they are immediately filled up for the next toast (who's turn?) which is never far away. Just think to the difficulty to adapt when you're used to first eat a bit of a given dish, then take a moderate sip of wine and patiently enjoy its aromas: Here it's all the way around, not only you begin by a hard spirit, but you take it in one shot, and eat right after it, with another full glass soon ready for the next round...But against all odds, that's a great way to have dinner and enjoy the food and your friends, and at no point you feel like rolling under the table.
There's something mysterious in Russia with vodka: I am not a hard spirit drinker back home, except for an occasional whisky with ice, and I still wonder how I could go through these successive rows of vodka (I didn't count but there were quite a lot of glasses for each of us) without ever getting drunk, tired or else...Has it to do with this Russian food eaten immediately after each shot, or the alchemy and thrill of good friends feasting together, or the good quality of the vodka involved ? Whatever, each time I get into such an evening of zakuski with vodka here, I'm feeling perfectly fit, including the following morning. This may not sound very scientific or medically documented, but I think that there is something in the Russian diet and lifestyle that can safely allow big amounts of vodka. This could be the regular Russian baths (every house here, even the modest ones, has a small outhouse with an antique traditional wood-stove sauna) where you stream with sweat and condensation under temperatures between 80° and 90°C (I checked it on a thermometer), or the frequent swims in cold rivers and lakes, or the tea that you drink even late in the evening (maybe all of this together)...
This exquisite vodka was a special preparation of the place, and owed its color and delicate taste to having been mixed several days with sea buckthorn berries, (облепиха, or Oblepikha in russian_see this link for various medicinal plants and grass).
One of our toasts toward the end of the evening was "Na Pososhok!" (на посошок), literally: "to the last step"...Vladimir ordering the Zakuski

Comments

[W. Shedd]

Privet Bert. Regarding the effects of drinking vodka without feeling especially drunk, I might suggest Konstantin's (perhaps antiquated) blog http://konstantin2005.blogspot.com/2005/09/how-to-drink-vodka-and-stay-sober.html for his take on the topic.

Personally, I think food with alcohol always limits its effects, and the Russian urban lifestyle does require lots of walking (unlike the U.S., for example). Maybe banyas offer some assistance as well - at the very least it makes for a great excuse to visit!

I've found that typically the rate of vodka consumption is about one shot every 15 to 20 minutes over a period of a couple of hours. If you keep that up for very long, it is sure to catch up with you, but for a typical meal it is just enough to feel a little tipsy.

[Jesse Heath]

When I studied in Russia, I was often a guest at dinners that involved several (i.e., 4-5) hours of eating punctuated by vodka drinking, or several hours of vodka drinking punctuated by eating. I was amazed at my tolerance and have never re-created this situation in the States. In addition to eating after every shot, I would point out that Russians remain seated for almost the entire time and are always engaged in lively conversation. I think this keeps you from over-exerting yourself but mentally 'aware' and thereby staves off the bad effects of the alcohol. Banya helps too...

[hikalu]

Very interesting report. I didn't know "zakuski and vodka". It sounds that I can't drink that much though, W. Shedd said that there is a way to be sober. The point is eating immediately after taking a shot. Wow.., Is this way only zakuski and vodka? It doesn't effect with other alcohols?

[Bertand]

Thanks for your comments.
Jesse said : "I was amazed at my tolerance and have never re-created this situation in the States."

This is the point, I was thinking the same thing and I forgot to develop it: Although I never really tried, I'm deeply convinced that somehow the magic wouldn't work here in France, even if I could manage to gather the same style of food.

The Konstantin's page about the subject is very insightful, thank you for the link, Wally.

I never tried to gulp wine glasses and have food immediately after, Hikalu, but I also doubt it would work (and the tasting side of the wine would be missed).

[Brooklynguy]

There also may be something about the vinegar in many of the zakuski (lots of the food is pickled, right?) that helps the liver and kidneys process the alcohol. Sort of like the trick of using white wine to get red wine stains out of your clothing...