The tastiest dishes of the Yamal nomads The Yamal Peninsula | The Russian Kitchen
The tastiest dishes of the Yamal nomads
The Yamal Peninsula in Siberia is home to over 10,000 people, the largest number of nomads in Russia. They are mostly Nenets, Khanty and Selkup. Once a year, they come to the towns to celebrate ‘Reindeer Herder’s Day’ and present their culture to the urban dwellers. During this festival in Salekhard, we enjoyed a rare opportunity to taste some of the unique dishes of the nomads.
The main dish is called ‘stroganina’ (Photos 1&2). It’s frozen raw fish sliced in thin, almost transparent shavings. The slices can be dipped into a mixture of salt and pepper. Sometimes, they prepare venison the same way.
In Yamal, people also eat cooked fish (3). The most popular kinds of fish are vendace and whitefish. They are usually baked or fried and used as stuffing for pies.
The traditional hot dish is ‘ucha’ or ‘shurpa’ (4). This is a thick and very hearty soup.
