# Russian appetizer



## JoAnn L. (May 21, 2007)

I was watching the Travel Channel yesterday and they were at a Russian restaurant in Findland. They were having an appetizer that was a slice of pickle with a little honey drizzled on it with a teaspoon of sour cream on top. They didn't say if it was a sweet or dill pickle. Well, I tried it today with a Oval Dill slice and you know what,  it was pretty tasty. Has anyone else heard of this?


----------



## jpmcgrew (May 21, 2007)

JoAnn L are you sure your'e not pregnant?


----------



## kitchenelf (May 21, 2007)

LOL - that's actually a pretty good question!  

No, I have never heard of that appetizer.  But I assume the sour cream really tones down the pickle nicely.  I'm not going to disregard it until I try it.  You might want to send CharlieD a link to this question.  He might be able to help.

The honey reminds me of sugar on snow parties we would have when I lived in Vermont - it's no different really - except for the sour cream.  You would drizzle the boiling hot maple syrup that was freshly collected from the trees on the snow (which was in a pan) and twirl that with a fork.  Eat some pickle and eat some twirled maple syrup - it was quite tasty!!!


----------



## Robo410 (May 21, 2007)

Russians love cucumbers (of which pickles are made) 
and the sour cream sounds a natural for there as well.


----------



## mudbug (May 21, 2007)

It does sound kind of good.  But where is the herring?  I thought those guys up north inhaled that stuff.


----------



## JoAnn L. (May 21, 2007)

jpmcgrew said:
			
		

> JoAnn L are you sure your'e not pregnant?


 
Hey, if I were pregnant at my age, you had better call Rome and tell them we have a Miracle here.  I just like pickles.


----------



## jpmcgrew (May 21, 2007)

Sorry JoAnn just had to make a joke at your expense but I just knew you would get it and not take it the wrong way.  JP
By the way that was a great reply made me laugh out loud.


----------



## kitchenelf (May 22, 2007)

mudbug said:
			
		

> It does sound kind of good.  But where is the herring?  I thought those guys up north inhaled that stuff.



Or possibly the sour cream could be topped with a little Beluga?


----------



## YT2095 (May 22, 2007)

when I was in Russia, I ate many such things, the gherkins aren`t sweet or vingar, they are all done in a very strong salt brine and most folks kitches have these jars around.
I stayed at my friends mothers house and she had over a dozen jars of them on the floor next to the wall in the kitchen 
(as well as mushrooms in some sort of liquid for tea).

those gherkins (didn`t have the honey on) were served with sour cream and dried salted herrings and bell peppers with cheese (raw) and home made "snacks" which was rolled out bread so it`s very flat with salt and then baked in the oven to crispy.

served with plenty Baltika 9 (beer) and cranberry Vodka


----------



## velochic (Jun 9, 2007)

I moved to Moscow in 1992.  I don't remember any sweet pickles at all, so I'd guess that the recipe called for savory pickles like YT2095 mentioned.  They had some creative ways of serving pickles, that's for sure.  I'd guess it's regional and also specific even within a family.  I wish I could appreciate pickles, but I don't like them.  I'll have to try out this recipe on my dh.  He's a pickle lover.

I'd go to the rynok to get my groceries and when I passed the area where they had pickles it would make my eyes tear up!!  Whew!  They were serious about their pickling!


----------



## Katusha (Jun 9, 2007)

I have Russian background. I newer tried this appetizer. My grandmother told me that her favorite food when she was a child was pickles with honey. I have not tried this as well.


----------



## Katusha (Jun 9, 2007)

The best use is when people drink vodka. 
The next day we drink the brine to minimaze the headache.
The brine is good when it is blended with the sour cream.


----------



## shawno9 (Jun 9, 2007)

Katusha said:
			
		

> The best use is when people drink vodka.
> The next day we drink the brine to minimaze the headache.
> The brine is good when it is blended with the sour cream.


 
I think just drinking the pickle juice would make me more sick than the vodka tghe previous day.

You should just mix the pickle juice with the vodka. That might prevent a hangover.


----------



## karinB (Jun 9, 2007)

Good Idea shawno9


----------



## Dove (Jun 9, 2007)

*My husbands family always have pickles on the dessert table when we had the big family potluck. Paul said they cut the sweet taste of the desserts...I would rather not have the pickles...LOL
they did this in the south long ago..
*


----------



## velochic (Jun 26, 2007)

shawno9 said:
			
		

> I think just drinking the pickle juice would make me more sick than the vodka [the] previous day.



My dh loves to drink pickle juice.  He says it's very refreshing.  I think it's


----------

