Honey in Russian Cuisine

Honey is one of the most nutritious food products. The Gospel says that John the Baptist during his desert solitude ate only acridas (dried locust) and wild honey

Cooking time —
Complication —

In recipe book

Honey is one of the most nutritious food products. The Gospel says that John the Baptist during his desert solitude ate only acridas (dried locust) and wild honey. Honey is permitted on any day of the year, except Good Friday of the Holy Week when all foods are forbidden.
Honey was considered most godly for funeral rites. It was brought to the tombs of the deceased and used during requiem service; the funeral repast started with honey, and it was a part of funeral kutya (boiled rice).
In Russian cuisine there are a lot of honey-based sweet dishes. Honey cakes and gingerbreads, pancakes and porridge with honey are widely known. Berry jams and even some vegetable (turnip, radish) jams were made with honey. In Nicholas Gogol’s immortal novel, landowner Sobakevich treated Tchitchikov with radish on honey.
But honey drinks were much more popular. The oldest and best known of them was tipsy honey. It is mentioned in hagiography of Princess Olga. Saint Prince Vladimir treated bogatyrs to "mature honey". Such drinks always amazed and delighted overseas guests. Strong intoxicating honey was an obligatory part of Russian table until the 18th century. Domostroy advises each owner to have in the house a stock of honey for a holiday, a name-day or weddings, births, christening and commemoration, for guests, unexpected or invited, and especially for a visit of Father Superior. It was the man not the woman who observed the preparation of home honey. To give the honey intoxicating properties, yeast and hop were added in the bee honey diluted with water, and left to brew. Various spices and additives added to the prepared beverage gave various flavours. Slavs knew a lot of recipes of tipsy honey – veshny (vernal), stoyaly (matured), sborny (combined), red, white, with cloves, and especially strong "princely" honey. Honey was also prepared with berries – currant, cherry, raspberry, etc.

Sweets "Petushki" ("Roosters")

2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp honey
2-2

Bon appetite!