Russia is the mother country of the Slavic cuisine, another culinary entity that does not exist on the map. This cuisine comprises the former Soviet Union, Poland, Albania, and parts of the Yugoslav region and Bulgaria. A Russian-speaking traveler through this region might find it difficult to make himself understood, but he could order the familiar borsch, a beet or cabbage soup, wherever he went. He might dine on blintzes (stuffed pancakes) or zrazy (stuffed fried fish or seafood). He could enjoy beef stroganoff, beef cooked with onions in sour cream, or a seafood pie called rakov. Wherever he went, vodka would be the most popular drink.

The Russians developed zakusky, their equivalent of the French hors d’oeuvres. Potage Bagration (cream of veal with asparagus tips) is also part of the French grande cuisine together with many other dishes the French chefs learned in the Russian court kitchens. Interesting specialties are the botvinya (green vegetable soup with a fish base), solyanka (cucumber soup), pelemeni (Siberian meat dumplings, boiled, fried, and served with sour cream), kasha (buckwheat porridge), holubtsi (Ukrainian stuffed cabbage), bitki (meatballs or fish balls with strong spices), paskha (cottage-cream cheesecake with candied fruits made in a pyramid shape for Easter), and babka (a round coffee cake).