Solyanka

The Cultural Story

Solyanka is the baroque cathedral of Russian soups. Where shchi and borscht are simple and honest, solyanka is theatrical — a heap of different meats, the briny shock of pickles and capers, the soft richness of olives, the brightness of lemon. The name comes from the word "sol" (salt), a reference to the preserving agents that give the soup its character. There are three versions: meat solyanka, fish solyanka, and mushroom solyanka. The meat version — the most common — can contain beef, pork, sausage, ham, and kidney all in one pot. Nothing in Russian cooking is quite as unapologetically over the top. Solyanka's reputation as a hangover cure is as old as the dish itself, and not unfounded. The pickled cucumber brine that goes into the broth is hydrating and mineral-rich; the multiple meats and fats provide caloric density; the heat and acidity jolt the system awake. Russian literature is full of mornings after where a bowl of solyanka is described as life-restoring. Chekhov, who was both a doctor and a devoted eater, wrote about it with medical authority. It was the standard breakfast offering at Moscow inns, served to travelers arriving on overnight coaches at dawn. Making solyanka properly requires commitment. The broth should be built from a good meat stock and enriched with the pickle liquid from the jar. The meats go in at the end — they are already cooked and you are only combining them. The final garnish — a slice of lemon, a spoonful of smetana, a few olives — is not optional. Without it, the soup is unfinished. Solyanka with a glass of cold beer and a piece of dark bread is a very specific kind of perfect.