Authentic Belarusian cuisine: In search for ancient recipes in Polotsk District

A video catalogue of ancient recipes has been created in the oldest Belarusian city. TV series Nadzeika’s Tasty Journey makes part of the project The Hospitable Land of Polotsk. The project has been launched by the Polotsk District Cultural Center and Skif-Polotsk, a local TV company, in a bid to revive the authentic cuisine traditions. The Year of Native Land will see housewives from across the region share the most interesting recipes from family cookbooks.

The main character, an urban girl named Nadzeika, collects recipes of the local authentic cuisine from the local old-timers. The first episode came out in late January. The oldest residents of the village of Bogatyrskaya told the girl how to cook tsybriki (fried mashed potato balls) and Rovgenya, a drink made with rye flour.

In the second episode, Nadzeika visited Olga Chobot, a folklorist from the agrotown of Bliznitsa. Olga Chobot has founded a museum of ancient Belarusian cooking tools. She also heads the folklore ensemble Bliznyanka. Olga shared some recipes of old Belarusian fasting dishes. The menu of the “tasty journey” features tolcheniki (mashed potato pancakes) and fish soup with sorrel.

Find out more about the secrets of authentic Belarusian dishes in our photo story!