Cossack cuisine

[1] Many Cossack troops were named after rivers (Amur, Volga, Don, Yenisey, Kuban, Terek, Ussuri, and Yaik), and this connection to rivers has influenced the Cossack diet, which is dominated by an abundance of fish dishes.

The Don Cossacks bake carp or bream and prepare soups and stews with fish, such as ukha and kulesh.

A well-known Don dish is watermelon pickled in brine, which is often used as an appetizer for strong alcoholic drinks.

The ancient Greek historian Strabo wrote that during his travels, he visited the mouth of the Don, where the vines were covered with earth for the winter to protect them from snow and frost.

[6] Kuban Cossacks eat borscht, varenykies (dumplings stuffed of potatos or berries), pancakes, and shish kebabs.

They drink kissels, brews, and Iryan, a Cossack variant of ayran similar to suzma.