Zalivnoe is the second type of this dish appeared not long ago. In the end of the 18th century the gelatin was invented. In the 19th century, this technology appeared in Russia and our cooks understood they are able to create other dishes similar to kholodets but made of fish and vegetables. These dishes were called “zalivnoe”. The key difference is kholodets should be cooked without gelatin, but for zalivnoe it is the necessary ingredient.
Translation of the name
It origins from the word “kholodnij” means “cold”. The word “kholodets” translates as “the cold thing”. Another name of this dish “studen” origins from the word “studenij” and it also means “cold”.
These two words “kholodets” and “studen” have the identical meaning, but “studen” is an old word. The January month was named “Studeny” in the old Russian language that means cold. The famous poet Alexander Pushkin applied this word in his fairytales. In the modern Russian language this word is not used.
All Russia is divided to regions where people prefer to use the name “kholodets” and other regions where the word “studen” is more common.
And the word “zalivloe” origins from the word “zalit`” means “to flood”. The word “zalivnoe” may be translated as “the flooded thing”.
Where to taste kholodets in Moscow
It is almost impossible to find natural kholodets. Food factories and restaurants do not want to spend much time for cooking. If you even find a restaurant with kholodets in the menu, then there will be no warranty it will be natural. It is usually cooked with the help of gelatin.
Kholodets with gelatin is widespread; you may purchase it in a supermarket. Please find the photo on the left.
You may also taste this dish in few Russian national fast-foods, like “Teremok” or “Kroshka-Kartoshka”. Their marketing policy changes every day unfortunately, and kholodets can appear in their menu today and disappear tomorrow.
How to bring kholodets from Russia to home
If you want to take it from Russia as a delicious souvenir, then it will be easy. Remember this dish is a way of preserving meat. If you buy it in a supermarket, it will be stored up to one month. Just put it into travel bag.
Kholodets in the Russian culture
Kholodets was the necessary dish for holidays in Russia. Nowadays Russians cook it less, and it is even hard to find in a large city.
The brightest reference of this dish in the Russian culture is linked with the classical movie from the Soviet Union “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” One of the main characters Ippolit (you may see a film from this movie on the right) eats fish zalivnoe and says: “Your fish zalivnoe is a filth”. In the Russian language this phrase seems much more expressive.
It is a catchphrase for Russians – “Nu I gadost eta vasha zalivnaya riba”.
This phrase may be used if you do not like something and you want to tell this fact in the form of a joke. According to the Russian tradition, if somebody offers you a food and you eat it, then will be prohibited to tell this food is bad. This tradition is very old and it was written in the old Russian text “Domostroy”. If you have a strong wish to tell you do not like the food, then this phrase will be the better way.
Kholodets is used in many “black” jokes in Russia. For example:
“Two villagers talk with each other.
The first asks: Why your pig is using crutches to walk?
The second answers: I will not score the pig if I need only one kholodets!”
There are many “black” jokes in Russia similar to this one.
The story of Pavlik Morozov is the next important reference of this dish in the culture of Russia. This story is very “dark” and historians debate about its circumstances until now.
In mass consciousness Pavlik seems to be a monster because he betrayed his father. If fact, his father was a monster, and Pavlik Motozov and his brother were killed in result.
The government of the Soviet Union declared Pavlik Morozov as a hero, but he left in folklore as the traitor to his family. We think we will tell this story in details in one of our next articles.
There is a humorous poem about him. This poem translates as:
“Pavlik Morozov was cooking a kholodets,
On the floor his father was rolling without legs.”
This “black” joke shows us the relation of the Russian people for Pavlik Morozov.
You could observe that kholodets was very popular in Russia for a long time. We advise you to taste it during your travel to Russia.
Wish you have a good time in Moscow and our articles will help you (see the list of hyperlinks below and at the left column of this page).