You may be surprised, but many of the vegetables that we consider to be native to Russia and on which Russian cuisine is based have immigrated to us from the most unexpected places.
Carrot.
The history of carrots goes back more than 4 thousand years and the lands of modern Afghanistan and Iran are considered to be the birthplace of carrots. Initially, carrots were purple and yellow in color, but when they immigrated to Europe, Dutch breeders bred a sweet bright orange variety.
The carrot came to Russia presumably from Byzantium. The first written mention of carrots is found in the ancient book of rules and advice of the 16th century "Domostroy", where it is recommended to store it in cellars, as well as recommendations for cooking. Carrots have become so entrenched in Russian cuisine that their carrot pies were considered an integral dish at festive feasts.
Cucumber.
Cucumbers immigrated to Russia from Southeast Asia through the trade routes of Byzantium and Bulgaria. In the same book "Domostroy" (16th century) there are already tips on how to salt cucumbers for winter preparations. Russian peasants quickly appreciated the cucumber for its precocity and yield. By the 17th century, the first greenhouses appeared in Russia, where cucumbers were grown all year round for the royal table.
An interesting fact is that the art of growing thermophilic vegetables in Russia greatly surprised European travelers. In their records in the 17th century, they noted that cucumber grows better in the cold climate of Russia than in the warm lands of Europe.
Cucumber is so ingrained in Russia that every year we widely celebrate the "Cucumber Festival", in which TM "SKATERT-SAMOBRANKA" actively participates.
Squash.
Squash immigrated to Russia relatively recently in the 19th century from Greece and Turkey. South America is considered the birthplace of squash, and it came to Europe thanks to the travels of Columbus.
You will be surprised, but the popularity of squash in Russia came only in Soviet times, when cold-resistant varieties were introduced, before that it was considered a "delicacy". And for the popularity of squash spread, which has become a national Russian dish, it is worth thanking Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, who ordered the construction of the largest factory in Europe for its production.
Jalapeno pepper.
Jalapeno pepper is the youngest immigrant in Russia, but its popularity is growing every year. It is beginning to be added to traditional Russian dishes: cabbage soup, porridges, pies, roasts and others...
Jalapeno was grown by the Aztecs and is considered the national vegetable of Mexican cuisine. However, for several years now, jalapeno has been grown in Russia, and it is absolutely not inferior in quality to its Mexican brother. One of the first to preserve Russian jalapenos was at our "SAMOBRAKA" factory. For this, the company became a laureate in the international competition "Product of the Year 2021" in the nomination "Achievements in import substitution".
In addition to jalapenos, we also preserve carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes, and make squash spread from raw materials grown in Russia. They can be found in our product catalog TM "SKATERT-SAMOBRANKA".
