National dishes of Crimea. Seven recipes for original dishes of the Crimean Tatar cuisine

A unique mixture of Greek, Karaite, Tatar, Ukrainian and Russian cuisine - that's what awaits lovers of delicious food in Crimea. Slavic, Eastern and Mediterranean culinary traditions are harmoniously intertwined here, and the result is invariably excellent.

This oriental dish in the Crimea enjoys well-deserved popularity. The Crimean Tatars returning to their historical homeland from Uzbekistan also brought traditional dishes. Lagman is homemade noodles with meat in a thick rich broth with vegetables, a very tasty and satisfying dish.

Unusually delicious meat pies, which are traditionally cooked in the tandoor. In Crimea, on the side of the road you can often see a sign with the inscription "Tandyr". This means that a real clay oven is installed there, in which cakes and samsa are baked. The Uzbek tradition has perfectly taken root in the Crimea, because it is impossible to bake such yummy in an electric oven.

Which is sold all over the coast, looks like a rhombus from many layers of airy thin dough soaked in honey. It is completely different from Baku baklava - a sweet pie with honey and nuts. Sweet lovers will never pass by the Crimean baklava, and you can buy it on the beach, in cafes, and in shops.

It cannot be called an exotic dish, since numerous pasties have been so familiar since Soviet times, but this is real Crimean cuisine. Connoisseurs assure that a true cheburek cannot be tough and does not crunch on the teeth - the dough should be thin and tender, and the meat filling should contain a lot of onions and herbs. Chebureks with cheese or potatoes that have recently appeared are a new trend that has nothing to do with traditional Crimean cuisine, but this does not make them any less tasty.

This is a strong lamb broth in which carrots, onions and, depending on the recipe, potatoes or eggplants are placed. Under the USSR, it was almost impossible to buy good lamb in Crimea, now this is not a problem - the Tatars certainly know what the right lamb should be like.

These are tender rolls of young grape leaves wrapped in meat filling. It looks like small cabbage rolls, and the taste of this dish is very original.

In most restaurants and cafes, you will be offered just such a “mixed” semi-European and semi-Crimean cuisine: Greek salad and borscht, pilaf and kubete.

Kubete/Kubete- a dish of Krymchak cuisine

This is a special juicy lamb pie with potatoes and onions. In Krymchak families, kubete is prepared for the holidays. Krymchaks are an independent people (although sometimes they are referred to as Tatars, Karaites or Jews). There are very few of them left, but they have their own language, religion (Judaism) and their own culinary traditions.

So, before, kubete was served hot on the table, without taking it out of the pan, solemnly. A place was vacated in the middle of the table, then they sang: “Gelsen, gelsen, kubete, gelsen!” (“Come, come, kubete, come!”). The hostess put the kubete on the table, and it was the honorable duty of the men to cut it. First served hot stuffing, and then cut and served crispy bottom (instead of bread). Now kubete is sometimes sold in cafes just like meat pies, and this, of course, is not a real Krymchak pie, but anyway, the combination of meat, potatoes and onions is very tasty!

Dishes from all kinds of vegetables.

Among the favorite foods in the Crimea, a special place is occupied by dishes from green beans, sweet peppers, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower and, of course, eggplants. In Ukraine and Crimea, eggplants are sometimes called “blue” eggplants, which is still a mystery to me.

They are fried, cooked with garlic, added to stews, stewed with beef, lamb or chicken. A good vegetable snack is saute: these are fried eggplants with tomatoes, carrots, onions and garlic.

Fish and seafood

There are no comrades for the taste and color, but if we talk about the most delicious and famous Black Sea fish, these are flounder, mullet, red mullet (although the small Black Sea horse mackerel is also good). For seafood, try mussels fried with onions and rice. Many do not like mussels (they say, some strange mollusks), but they have a pleasant marine taste.

But the meat of the mollusk rapana can be quite tough (once we ourselves bought raw rapanas on the market and began to cook them. We didn’t succeed: the rapanas looked like rubber bands. But this, of course, does not mean that in a restaurant you they will serve the same hard rapans). If you are lying on the beach in the very heat, and you are offered to buy boiled shrimp, think about it: maybe they have been sold for a long time, and they are in a plastic bag, and on the street it is +30 in the shade. It's easy to get sick in the middle of summer!

Lagman -another interesting dish

Lagman is not a Crimean, but a Sino-Arabian dish, but in Crimea it has somehow “taken root” and everyone likes it. It's noodles with meat and gravy. Depending on the type of noodles and gravy used, there are many varieties of lagman. Sometimes it even looks like a thick spicy soup.

Then the lagman has a deep orange color: it includes bell peppers, carrots, some potatoes, garlic and pepper. Not surprisingly, lagman is a very satisfying dish (maybe even too satisfying for the summer), but it's worth a try.

Chebureks are not such an exotic dish.

They are also called "chir-chir" and also belong to the Krymchak cuisine. In Crimea, you can buy them almost everywhere, but keep in mind that cooking real pasties is an art that is not accessible to everyone. Pasties should not be crunchy on the teeth or be tough. There may be only two places in the whole city where pasties are cooked so that they melt in your mouth. Recently, chebureks with potatoes have appeared, as well as with cheese. And although many say that this is a hoax, not pasties - why not try it? Unleavened dough, from which chebureks are made, goes well with cheese. Or maybe you want to cook pasties yourself (to practice before going to the Crimea)? Then see the recipe below.

Crimean recipe for chebureks

Dough: 4-5 cups flour, 1.5 tbsp. spoons of sunflower oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, water as needed. Filling: minced meat - lamb or beef (previously only lamb was used) - 0.5-0.6 kg, 1-2 onions, parsley, salt and pepper to taste, water to make the minced meat juicy.

Preparation of pasties in Crimean style: knead a stiff dough, knead well, cover with a towel, let stand in a warm place (no drafts). Prepare the filling; finely chop the onion and herbs. Cut the dough into pieces, as for pies. Roll each piece into a thin rod and, twisting from both ends in the form of a spiral to the middle, fold the dough like a bagel. Cover all blanks in a bowl or on a board with a towel. Roll out 8-10 blanks with a rolling pin in two steps: first into circles with a diameter of 8-9 cm, then each to a minimum thickness of 15-16 cm.

Put minced meat (a full teaspoon) on one half, close with the second half, bend the pie in half and fasten the edges well with your fingers. Cut the cheburek around the circumference with a tyrhol (cutter) or the edge of a saucer. Spread the prepared chebureks on a towel or on a floured board. Do not accumulate a lot of blanks before frying, so that the dough does not get wet from minced meat. Pasties are fried over low heat in a deep bowl - a cauldron. Pour sunflower oil into the cauldron so that pasties float on the surface. Heat the oil until a light haze appears, then carefully immerse the chebureks (2-3, so that they fit freely on the surface of the oil). Fry, turning, until golden brown. It is better to turn and remove pasties with a slotted spoon so that the oil drains. Put the finished chebureks on a dish. Serve hot.

In addition to chebureks, there are also samsa: These are special triangular meat pies that are baked in a clay oven (tandoor). Samsa (like cakes) is an Uzbek dish, but it is also cooked with pleasure in the Crimea. In some restaurants, they even began to build tandoors. The tandoor looks like a large clay pot, to the walls of which flat cakes and samsa are stuck. The samsa dough is dense, fried - and inside, under a golden crust, there is a juicy filling.

Let's get sweet?

Baklava, which is sold along the coast, looks like an intricate diamond-shaped patty, inserted one into the other and smeared with honey. The dough is crumbly, thin, like plates.

But this is a "light" version of baklava. And baklava itself is a very sweet pie with nuts and honey (Baku baklava). It is soft, crumbly, and if you are a sweet lover, this dish will suit you very well.

Do you know what jam is made from in Crimea?

From apricots, strawberries, izyumerik (small Crimean plums), from quince, dogwood, raspberries. Even rose petals! If you accidentally come across a restaurant of Ukrainian cuisine somewhere, try syrniki with raisins and rose jam. This . Maybe you will be able to try dogwood jam: these are dark red oblong berries that give the jam a very pleasant sour taste. In addition, dogwood is very good for health, and jam from it is no worse than raspberry.

In the markets you can find fresh honey(including honeycomb) and special sweets: figs and nuts in honey. This is a rather expensive treat, but it looks very beautiful! In a jar of golden honey - hazelnuts and almonds.

Of course, this is not all that you can try in the Crimea. There are dozens and hundreds of other delicious things, but space must be left for your comments!

A trip to the Crimea and acquaintance with the Crimean cuisine is the most interesting part of the trip around the peninsula. However, some vacationers believe that Crimea, which became part of Russia, can offer the same dishes as the rest of the country. If you are of the same opinion, we hasten to dissuade you! Crimean cuisine will offer many delicious and unusual dishes, any of which you will fall in love with so much that you will go to Crimea not only to relax on the Black Sea, but also to eat a dish whose taste you cannot forget!

A trip to the Crimea will not be complete if you do not try the national dishes of the peoples living on its territory. Of course, we are talking about Greek, Karaite, Armenian cuisine and Crimean Tatar cuisine. But among vacationers, it is the national cuisine of the Crimean Tatars that is in demand. And not casually. Having tried puff pastry or shortcrust pastry, no one will remain indifferent! And what are the Crimean native drinks worth: wines, champagne, cognacs!

But first things first. As you understand, in this collection we will tell you what food is worth trying in the Crimea.

First meal.

Since we are talking about the Crimean Tatar cuisine, it is worth talking about lagman, - a hot dish cooked on beef. Delicious rich broth on beef or lamb with the addition of the right amount of seasonings and spices will not leave indifferent any gourmet! Thick rich lagman in Tatar combines two dishes at once - both the first and the second.

Azu- a favorite dish of Tatar cuisine. You will be offered to try it in any national restaurant. This is a hearty, and most importantly, delicious dish. Azu is prepared from meat (lamb, beef or horse meat), potatoes and stewed vegetables: pickles, tomatoes.

Second courses.

Pilaf- the head of everything. Real Tatar pilaf is prepared exclusively from lamb or beef. The highlight of this dish is Samarkand peas. Aromatic spices will give the dish a unique taste and aroma.

Khanum- steamed roll, tastes like dumplings, but much juicier, as it is not cooked in boiling water. The dish is served with sour cream or tomato sauce.

Bakery.

Samsa- one of the most popular dishes in Central Asia, which has managed to fall in love with many in our country. Samsa conquered the Crimea, where it is sold on every corner. And as we know from the laws of economics: demand creates supply. The special taste of samsa is indeed in great demand.

Samsa is often baked in a tandoor - a kind of oven in the shape of a barrel, at the bottom of which a fire is kindled, and samsa is attached to its red-hot walls. Since the dough is not fried, but baked, it turns out to be low-fat. The filling inside remains juicy.

You can buy samsa from the tandoor without fear for your health, because it is impossible to get poisoned by it. After cooking, samsa is not removed from the oven, but left in the oven, where a constant high temperature prevents the appearance and reproduction of pathogenic microbes.

Yatnyk- a kind of puff pastry pie, has the shape of a cheburek and is baked on a hot surface without oil. It is stuffed with minced meat. Also, pieces of tomato, pepper, cheese and fresh herbs can be added to the filling. Ready yantyk is smeared with a piece of butter and served with ketchup or adjika.

Chir-chiri- This is an original Karaite dish, the filling of which can be meat, vegetable or cheese. Chir-chirs are somewhat reminiscent of our usual chebureks. But they don't have the crispy crust that we all love so much. Since they are fried in oil, they turn out a little greasy. Cheer-cheers are inexpensive. They are taken for a snack or for a snack.

Tandoor samsa

Fish and seafood.

Of the seafood in the Crimea, you should definitely try mussels, crabs, rapans and oysters. Seafood and fish are delicious everywhere. And in soups, and in salads and in hot dishes. Many restaurants offer amazing seafood hodgepodge. Do not rush to refuse, it will be delicious!

If the wallet does not allow you to go to restaurants, then some seafood, for example, mussels, can be collected by yourself by diving with a mask. But since not everyone knows where the hot spots are, this activity can be a simple waste of time. Mussels, like rapana, are inexpensive. You can buy them frozen in any supermarket.

Note: the pulp of mussels contains a large amount of high-quality protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, iodine, etc. This mollusk is a source of vitamins B2, B6, B12, PP, C, A, D.

If you came to rest in the Crimea and don't know what to try, we recommend you to try the Black Sea red mullet fish. For its delicate taste, it was appreciated by the ancient Romans. Most often it is sold fried. It is not expensive, but for this money you will be pleasantly pampered.

Black Sea flounder and mullet are fish that can be seen on the shelves of fish stores. Where to eat delicious fish in Crimea? In every seaside town and village in any restaurant you can taste the most delicious dishes of the Crimean cuisine, watch the fishermen and enjoy the magnificent view of the sea!

On a note: red mullet cooks quickly. Its preparation takes a little time. The red mullet can not even be gutted, since this fish does not have bile.

Red mullet is not only tasty, but also very healthy: the fish contains magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin B. Unfortunately, not only people eat red mullet. It is hunted by other predatory fish and dolphins. Perhaps for this reason, its numbers in the Black Sea are decreasing.

Warning: When buying ready-to-eat fish and seafood on the beach, make sure they are fresh. Although, according to statistics, cases of poisoning are almost zero, you should not neglect the rules of hygiene and neglect vigilance!

Dairy products.

Brynza is nothing more than homemade cheese or even a cross between cheese and cottage cheese. This eco-friendly product is several times cheaper than cheese from the store. Cheese is made from cow and goat milk, but the latter has a rather specific one.

Cheese is made in the form of a disc, from which slices are cut off, like a normal cheese in our understanding. The market will definitely let you try it. By the way, every hostess has a different cheese. Some more, some less salty. Each has its own signature recipe. Brynza can also be ordinary or with herbs, for example, with dill and basil.

Crimean cheese

Alcoholic drinks.

Wine. Crimean wines became known far beyond its borders. Their taste is unique. The aroma differs notes of Crimean herbs. Among the best, it is worth highlighting the Crimean wines of the plant,. Fans of tasting can go on a wine tour of the Crimea. You will certainly get pleasure and a lot of positive emotions from such a pastime!

What wine to try in Crimea? Try everything! Wine tours are organized in Crimea and during the tasting you will appreciate the bouquet and taste of Crimean wines. Wines made from local grape varieties are highly valued. Indeed, in other places they simply do not exist.

Before you buy wine, first try what this winery has to offer, and only then buy a drink.

The inscription in the basement of the winery "Solnechnaya Dolina"

Champagne. Sparkling wines deserve no less attention. Crimean champagne from the House of Champagne Wines called "New World" will win you over with its unique sweetish taste.

Semi-sweet red champagne "Crimea" is worthy of the highest praise. A smart decision would be to bring home a bottle of such a drink as a souvenir.

Champagne Inkerman will surprise you with its unusual ruby ​​color and taste. After tasting it, you will feel a pleasant freshness and an original complex bouquet.

Cognacs. Crimean cognacs are worth a try, if only because at international exhibitions, many of the representatives of the peninsula turned out to be no worse than the French “original”. The most famous Crimean cognacs are produced under the brand names "Koktebel", "Golden Amphora" and "Bakhchisaray".

Warning: Any Crimean alcohol is often counterfeited even on the territory of the peninsula itself, so do not buy alcohol from random people. Buy drinks with excise stamps at factories or branded stores that are in every seaside town!

Another delicious authentic drink that few people know about is buza- low-alcohol drink, which is prepared from raisins.

Fruits

Of course, it is worth eating fruits in season. Delicious figs grow in Crimea. Its ripening time is June, August.

On the serpentine streets of the South Coast - in Yalta, resort Alushta, quiet Alupka, colorful Gurzuf, picturesque Miskhor and Koreiz, your eyes will certainly see bright orange persimmon fruits. On the south coast, virtually all subtropical crops feel great and are not treated with pesticides. If you want to get a portion of vitamins, be sure to replenish your body's reserves by tasting persimmons. The berry will take care not only of your vision and heart muscle, but also of the gastrointestinal tract, urinary system, raise hemoglobin and give you a good mood!

Persimmon, fig and pomegranate

Tea from Crimean herbs

Since you are in Crimea, be sure to try tea from the Crimean herbs.

Crimean teas are a storehouse of trace elements. This tea is a collection of dried mountain and field herbs, fragrant endemic flowers and fruits. It's not exactly what you're used to. Crimean herbal tea soothes, activates the supply of vitality, strengthens the immune system and even has healing properties. They are also taken for colds. Brezhnev himself came to the Crimea to taste chebureks with thyme tea.

By the way, Crimean honey or jam from Crimean rose petals is ideal for herbal tea. In the Crimean markets, you can find fresh flower honey, both in containers and in honeycombs. Linden, lavender, buckwheat, acacia honey, sage and mixed - on herbs. It is also worth trying special sweets - dried fruits and nuts in honey.

We take chak-chak, baklava and parvarda for Crimean tea

A special place in the culture of tea drinking in the Crimea is given to local sweets, which include honey baklava, parvarda, chak-chak and brushwood. Sweet baklava with delicious dried fruits and grated walnuts is baked in the oven and then poured with honey.

Crispy brushwood sprinkled with powdered sugar or sprinkled with honey, decorated with nuts.

Baklava. Delicious puff pastry with honey and nuts. In Crimea, it is sold everywhere.

Parvarda are small sugary-sweet colored pillows that are served with tea or coffee. Parvarda is a great alternative to sugar.

If you want - eat!

Resting in the Crimea, do not forget to follow the basic rules of hygiene: wash your hands immediately before eating, do not eat unwashed fruits bought in the market and keep an eye on small children. But you should not deny yourself the use of Crimean delicacies!

Resting in the Crimea, do not miss the unique opportunity to taste local cuisine. After all, Crimea is a real find for a gourmet! During the centuries-old history, the Crimean peninsula was inhabited by different tribes and peoples, which led to a mixture of not only cultures, but also gastronomic traditions. Greeks, Russians, Ukrainians, Turks, Crimean Tatars and many others lived here. Each of the nationalities brought something new and unusual to the prepared dishes: the method of preparation, spices, ingredients. This is what has contributed to the fact that today cuisine in Crimea represents a unique and inimitable gastronomic tradition. Traditional Russian, Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian dishes have stood the test of time, which are in the greatest demand among the guests of the peninsula and are so loved by the locals.

Dishes of the Crimean Tatar cuisine

First meal

Yufahash is considered one of the classic and even ritual first courses of the Crimean Tatars. It sounds, of course, very exotic, but in reality it is nothing more than dumplings with yushka. However, these dumplings are not quite ordinary. Yufahash have a tiny shape and up to 15 pieces can fit in a spoon. According to the Crimean Tatar tradition, a young wife feeds her husband with this dish the day after the wedding celebration. Thus, she shows him her patience, attention and love.

The traditional fragrant soup Shurpa, which includes lamb and various vegetables, is especially revered in the Crimea. On the peninsula, there are several options for preparing this hot dish. As a rule, potatoes, sweet bell peppers, tomatoes, greens are used. When serving, chopped raw or pickled onions are usually added.

Tokmach, the first dish with flour dressing, has earned particular popularity among tourists. It is prepared on the basis of turkey or lamb broth and has a particularly delicate taste.

Main courses

Crimean Tatar cuisine in Crimea is distinguished by an abundance of meat dishes. Most recipes use beef and lamb, vegetables and various spices are added. No matter what small restaurant you go to, you can always taste delicious traditional dishes there. Lagman, sarma, pilaf are just a small part of this gastronomic diversity.

Lagman is one of the most famous hot dishes of Central Asian cuisine. It has a rich taste and appetizing aroma. The classic lagman is cooked on thick rich lamb broth, to which noodles, vegetables and oriental spices are added.

It is impossible to talk about the gastronomic tradition of the peoples of Central Asia without mentioning plov. The dish is prepared in a cast-iron cauldron, and its main ingredients are rice, carrots, onions, lamb or poultry meat. Crimean pilaf is incredibly fragrant and will amaze the taste buds of even the most jaded gourmet.

If you love oriental cuisine and exotic dishes, then by all means try sarma or dalma (as this spicy dish is also called in Turkey). Outwardly, sarma resembles cabbage rolls, but grape leaves are used instead of cabbage leaves. For the preparation of the filling, choose low-fat lamb and rice. This is a true culinary masterpiece!

Crimean Tatar cuisine is incredibly diverse and includes not only meat, but also vegetable dishes, which will especially appeal to vegetarians. Fragrant imam-bayaldy is prepared from eggplant stuffed with finely chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic, raisins and parsley. This dish cannot be classified as traditionally Tatar, because it is prepared throughout Asia. However, the Crimean version is especially appetizing. Also, vegetarians should try a vegetable sauté made from stewed tomatoes, eggplant, carrots, onions and garlic.

Bakery

If you like flour products, then you definitely need to try the traditional Crimean Tatar pastries. The main distinguishing feature is the wide variety of types of dough used in baking. Let's single out the most popular flour products of the Crimean Tatars.

Samsa - a pie made from unleavened dough and meat filling, usually in the shape of a triangle. Samsa is cooked in a special clay oven - tandoor. Although the dish was brought to the Crimea from Uzbekistan, it has become an integral part of the gastronomic tradition of the Tatar cuisine.

Puff pastry pie, kubete, can be tasted in many Crimean Tatar restaurants, although initially it was baked only on the occasion of big holidays. For the preparation of the filling, potatoes, minced meat and onions are usually used. Kubete can only be served hot. Traditionally, a woman serves the dish to the table, and only a man cuts it into pieces.

The Crimean Tatar analogue of chebureks is the chir-chir dish. The dough should be soft and literally melt in your mouth. The filling can be meat, vegetable or cheese. Only a few chefs on the peninsula can boast of the ability to cook real chir-chir.

Among sweet pastries, honey-nut puff pastry baklava, which is very popular in the countries of the East, stands apart.

Beverages

Crimean wines are known far beyond the peninsula. One of the largest wine collections in the region belongs to the Massandra winery.

If you like to drink tea, then you should definitely try herbal teas, which include mountain herbs, which have not only a unique aroma, but also soothing properties. And adding a spoonful of jam from rose petals or quince petals to tea, you will discover a refined range of flavors and aromas.

Do not miss the opportunity to try real honey sherbet, which appeared in the 13th century. In the old days, they drank it at weddings and holidays, but now you can buy it in many Crimean establishments that offer Crimean Tatar cuisine.

Buza wheat kvass has an interesting history. From the Tatar language "buza" is translated as "mess, scandal", although its strength does not exceed five degrees. Buza is always served cold, which makes the drink very popular on hot summer days.

Russian kitchen

Russian cuisine came to the Crimean peninsula at the beginning of the 2nd millennium, when the first Russian-speaking inhabitants appeared on its territory. Over time, traditional Russian dishes have spread throughout the Crimea and today are the dominant gastronomic tradition in the region. Russian cuisine in Crimea rich in a variety of dishes, among which are some of the most popular and revered.

The most famous national first dish of Russian cuisine is cabbage soup, the cooking traditions of which have ancient roots. This is a multi-component dish consisting of cabbage, meat, carrots, onions. In the process of cooking, it is seasoned with sour dressing. It can be sour cream or brine, sometimes sour apples are added. The main feature of this first course is the absence of preliminary heat treatment of the ingredients. This means that the vegetables that make up the soup are not fried or stewed in advance. This is one of the distinctive features of Russian cuisine.

Okroshka is a famous cold soup, which is especially popular in summer. The first mention of the recipe for this soup dates back to the 18th century. The dish is a mix of vegetables (potatoes, carrots, cucumbers), black grouse, turkey or pork meat and spicy greens (parsley, dill, green onions). In some variations of okroshka, fish is added. All ingredients are cut into cubes and dressed with sour cream, whey or bread kvass.

Pancakes are an ancient traditional dish in Rus'. From before Orthodox times, pancakes had a symbolic meaning and personified the sun, so they were mainly baked at Maslenitsa. Today pancakes are served as an appetizer, main course or dessert.

Shangi - pies made from yeast dough, outwardly similar to cheesecakes. As a filling, it is customary to use mashed potatoes or peas, as well as unsweetened cottage cheese. To prepare the dough, use lamb or beef fat.

One of the most original dishes of Russian cuisine is pies, baked pies, which come with meat, fish and mushroom fillings. Often, rice, cabbage or an egg are added to the filling of pies.

Many European culinary traditions influenced the formation of Russian cuisine. So, combining elements of Russian and French cuisine, beef stroganoff appeared - finely chopped fried beef, which is poured with sour cream sauce and served hot.

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In Crimea, tourists are certainly offered to taste kebab, lagman, chak-chak and parvarda. The correspondent of the portal "" has collected a culinary platter of what you must definitely try while on the peninsula.

True adventurers, going on trips, try to plan everything to the smallest detail. They plan to visit local attractions, go to the most popular and little-known museums, get acquainted with the life and customs of the local population. But acquaintance with an uncharted land will seem incomplete to you if you do not taste the cooking of natives and indigenous peoples. Crimean cuisine is not as exotic as, say, the cuisine of Thailand or Vietnam. Here you will not find piping spicy dishes, the absorption of which can turn you into a fire-breathing dragon. You will not find fried water bugs and tree larvae either: the former are not found in our area, and the latter are treacherously few - only birds have enough.

As for the traditional dishes of the Crimean cuisine, it can be noted that they simply do not exist. Yes, you heard right. There is no native Crimean dish, for the sole reason that Crimea, like a flower garden, is replete with a variety of cultures and ethnic groups. The customs of the peoples living on the peninsula are so intertwined that sometimes we don’t even notice how we bring a piece of a different culture into our everyday life, including what we cook. And the hospitable hosts, which are the Crimeans, will not allow themselves to miss the chance to brag to the guests and cook a couple of dishes typical of other ethnic groups.

We try sarma, yantyk and kebab

The most popular and most recognizable in Crimea are dishes of the Crimean Tatar, Greek, Armenian cuisine, which can be found in most restaurants and cafes. It is extremely rare, but there are establishments where guests are treated to the dishes of the ancient Karaites.

In the Crimean Tatar and Karaite cuisine, the primacy is given to three main dishes that are served everywhere: plov, shurpa or lagman and shish kebab. To a greater extent, these dishes are typical for the entire Central Asian cuisine, but there are some differences. For example, boiled veal is often used to cook Crimean Tatar pilaf. Barbecue is prepared from any meat, chicken, pork, lamb, beef are used. They also cook barbecue from the liver and even from such a delicate product as fish.

Shurpa became popular on the peninsula in the mid-80s, when the Crimean Tatars began to return from Uzbekistan. They cook it, as in their homeland, on beef broth with the addition of coarsely chopped vegetables and herbs. Lagman is also boiled in meat broth, but in addition to seasonal vegetables, homemade noodles are added to the soup, it looks very appetizing.

From meat dishes, you should try sarma and kebab. Sarma is an analogue of cabbage rolls, only a grape leaf acts as a “clothes”. Lyulya, like barbecue, is fried on the grill, but a wooden skewer is used for the base, and the pre-marinated meat is passed through a meat grinder.

Samsa, chebureks and yantyks are no less popular - they can be found everywhere, often in roadside cafes. Golden semi-suns of chebureks are cooked in a large amount of vegetable oil, and traditionally stuffed with meat or cheese, if you wish, they can make you a mix. Yantyk is a variation of cheburek, only unlike the first one, it is not deep-fried, but fried in a dry frying pan and smeared with butter when ready. Yantyki are stuffed with minced meat with onions and dill.

In one of the roadside cafes on the way to Alushta, you can taste Greek cheburek. It, like yantyk, is prepared without oil, but is much larger and stuffed with minced meat, slices of tomato, pepper, cheese and fresh herbs. The basis for the preparation of samsa, in the classic recipe, is puff pastry. They stuff the pie with minced meat, often lamb, but they also use veal or poultry. As additives are potatoes or legumes. Real samsa is prepared in a special oven - tandoor.

Enjoy the inhabitants of the Black Sea

Fresh fish is best prepared in Sevastopol and its environs. If time and wallet allow, feel free to charter a small skiff or boat, be sure to check if the price of the trip includes a seafood lunch, and go to the open sea. The brave captain of the pleasure boat and his assistants will tell you the history of the area, which you will not read in any guidebook. And swimming in the purest sea, away from the coast, is incomparable with anything. When it's time for lunch, the queen of the Black Sea fish, red mullet, will appear to your eyes and smell. Other inhabitants of the sea: shrimps, mussels, rapana, horse mackerel - carefully cooked, hot and tasty.

Light and fresh Greek salad from sunny Hellas, at the same time, has perfectly taken root in our latitudes. Fresh cucumbers and tomatoes with the addition of bell peppers, sweet Yalta onions, olives and tender cheese, seasoned with olive oil sauce with spices and wine vinegar will be an excellent aperitif.

We take chak-chak, baklava and parvarda for tea

A special place in the meal is given to the traditions of tea drinking and kavah. Tea fragrant with Crimean wild herbs or coffee brewed in Kezlev style perfectly harmonizes with local desserts. Honey baklava, chak-chak, brushwood and parvarda are the most popular sweets. Delicate baklava with dried fruits and nuts is baked in the oven and poured with honey. Its analogue is crispy brushwood, on the contrary, it is deep-fried, sprinkled with powdered sugar or covered with honey and decorated with nuts.

Parvarda - sugary-sweet sweets are served with tea or coffee and, often, they replace sugar. Another delicacy of the sweet tooth, crispy chak-chak curls, unlike baklava, do not contain nuts, but are abundantly watered with honey or sugar syrup.

Where to try national cuisine in Crimea?

The cozy coffee-museum "Kezlev kavesi" is located on the territory of one of the sights of sunny Evpatoria - at the main fortress gates of the medieval Kezlev, a wooden bazaar built at the end of the 6th century during the reign of Khan Mengli Giray. The interior of the coffee house is designed in a traditional medieval style. Here, courteous staff will present to your attention a large selection of desserts, teas and coffee brewed according to ancient Karaite traditions. Here you can buy different varieties of Crimean tea.

Where: Evpatoria, st. Karaeva, 13.

In Alupka, the famous shurpa and belyashi with a pleasant Crimean blush are served in a cozy cafe of Tatar cuisine - Etno Kaffe Roomi. The entrance to the cafe is guarded by silent cypress guards, and the interior is decorated with old utensils and paintings.

Where: Alupka, st. Roza Luxembourg, 30

After a walk around the ancient settlement of Chufut-Kale, visiting observation platforms and a monastery in the vicinity of Bakhchisaray, when there will be a lot of impressions, and strength is already at zero, it's great to sit in the Caravanserai Salachik restaurant. The decoration is to match the Bakhchisaray castle, and the cuisine is predominantly Middle Eastern and halal.

Where: Bakhchisaray, st. Basenko, 43

The restaurant "Rybaka's Hut" is located in the Art Bay, right on the seashore. Dishes are predominantly seafood. Here you can taste fried red mullet, seafood soup (mussels, etc.), katran under filling, I highly recommend the warm seafood salad Barkas - the signature dish from the chef is hearty, fresh and very rich and unsurpassed assorted fish.