Tatar cuisine is the offspring of a long relationship between the local people and the many foreign tastes over the centuries Situated on the world trade crossroads, the Volga Bulgars and the Tatar adapted the most important specialites of the neighbouring and remote nations.

The history of the Tatar nation dates back to the 9th century. When their ancestors, the Bulgars, where nomadic tribes. Hunting, fishing and cattle breeding determined our ancestors, food traditions.

By the way, stewed horseflesh is also an important and exotic feature of Tatar cuisine. Perhaps, unconsciously following previous nomadic generations of her own womenfolk, who cooked horse-flesh for their man-riders and warriors- to make them stronger, a present- day woman chooses horse-flesh for some special Tatar meals. Young horseflesh roasted an a bed of sliced potatoes, tomatoes, onions, garlic and herbs served crisp and brown from the oven.

Pastry of all kinds is used to encase vegetables, fish, rice producing tasty and filling dishes. «Echpochmak» is a pastry filled with chopped meat, potatoes, onions and pepper. It is backed in the oven and served hot.

While on the subject of soup, one cannot miss mentioning very popular «pelmeni», that is minced meat wrapped in dough and boiled in broth; the original Tatar soup with self-cut thin noodles. This kinds of soup are usually prepared for guests or a holiday feast.

Among the most popular dishes in Tatarstan is «pilaf». Which is of the Central Asian origin. Since their ancient trade contacts, the Tatar people have developed their taste for Oriental Food.

Tatar food is based on seasonal produce. Many vegetables and fruit are growing in summer. That’s why summer meals are mainly vegetarian. The best-loved dish is a vegetable salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions. All kinds of berries and fruit are widely used as jams.

As a whole, the Tatar generally favour cooked desserts such as sweet pastries. They have originated from the Turkish cuisine. Another popular Tatar sweet pastry is «koshtel», a crisp pastry made of eggs and flour.

There is also a sentimental folk tradition, when adult children regularly visit their parents house bringing their kids under their parents roof, where all the family meet and eat dishes reminiscent of their own childhood. This tradition, on one hand, ensures love and unity in the family, and, on the other hand, it’s the way to keep culinary traditions alive by the next generation.

Armed with this knowledge of Tatar cuisine, you can easly advise your foreign friend to look fir the right variety of settings to try out the food, and by balancing your budget you will also get an enjoyable first hand taste of Tatar cuisine.