Vodka is to the Russians what wine is to the French, or whiskey to the Scots and Irish, a spirit that touches on hundreds of years of history, rituals, culture and cuisine.
Appetizers, amuse-bouches, starters, snacks, tapas, hors d'oeuvres, canapés, small plates—Russians, strong believers that brevity is the soul of wit, have given them but one name: zakuskis.
A central part of any Russian gathering, these delicate, colorful bites are often piled so high that tables groan beneath their sheer quantity and variety, demonstrating the sheer expanse of the country with influences from all corners of what was once Imperial Russia, then the Soviet Union, and today the Russian Federation.
A kaleidoscope of Russian culinary traditions, zakuskis might include jewel-bright salad, cured meats, smoked fish, tiny sandwiches, airy dumplings, fluffy pastries, wild mushrooms and cucumbers pickled to perfection—and, with premium vodkas by Russian Standard, plenty of caviar, which can be eaten piled atop blini and garnished with hard-boiled eggs, sour cream and chopped onion, or, as the real decadents do, straight off an ivory spoon.
It's a tradition that brings all the glory of yesterday to modern-day, international induldence—and one that can keep any evening celebration going strong into the next day.
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