Vasilissa the Fair & What was in Baba Yaga's Soup

Folklore, Food & Fairytales

In which we enter the world of Russian folklore and ask impertinent and possibly irrelevant questions about a soup called Solyanka. Vasilissa the Fair is a Russian wonder tale, as collected by Alexander Afanasief. In this unusual story, the heroine comes up against not only the traditional wicked stepmother and envious stepsisters but also a dangerous Baba Yaga.
We also talk about what happens to those who don't share their food and how sometimes home is scarier than the hut of a child-eating witch/pagan goddess of the earth/nature spirit.
This week's recipe is for Solyanka, a historic Russian (possibly Ukrainian) dish. Solyanka is a wonderful salty, sour soup or stew. The rich melting beef, smoky sausages and the unami from the mushrooms is enhanced by the saltiness and sourness of the preserved vegetables and olives. The tomatoes and prunes disappear into the sauce to provide a touch of sweetness that complements the whole dish. If you'd like to cook a vegan/vegetarian version there are some excellent recipes online with cabbage and an unami mushroom hit.
If you want to know more about it's history and some further reading on either the recipe, Vasilissa the Fair or Baba Yaga please visit www.hestiaskitchen.co.uk