Since ancient times in Russia the more bread there was in the house the more prosperous it was. Russian sushki, baranki, and bubliki were the most popular types of pastry. People did not only eat them, but also used them to decorate walls in their houses. Today, in this article we are going to tell you about how these types of pastry appeared as well as how they were made.

Sushki

Sushka is a ring-shaped hard pastry which can be found in Russian, Belarusian, Polish, and Ukrainian cuisines. As you’ve already guessed its name “sushka” was derived from the word “to dry”.

Originally, sushki were made to eat in the winter.  A specially kneaded dough was used to make them. The recipe of this dough hasn’t changed since then. There is also an opinion that if a ready product can be broken into four parts, it means that there was a correct proportion of all ingredients used.

Baranki

Baranki or as they were called earlier “obvaranki” appeared in Belarus, in the town of Smorgon, and then spread throughout Russia. In order to make them, the dough was boiled and twisted into bundles in advance. They got their name “baranki” because they looked like a ram’s horn.

It’s an amazing fact is that in ancient Russia the word “baranok” was exclusively masculine and was used only in the singular. The person who made this type of bakery product was called a “baranochnik”.

Bubliki

Bublik is not only a traditional Russian type of pastry, but also a symbol of Russian culture. According to some historical facts, Eastern European Jews were first ones who started making bubliki.  Therefore, in the past sushki and baranki were called Moscow, but bubliki Odessa.

Bublik also has its ring-shaped form and it was not an accident. The story of bublik began in the 17th century, when a Jewish baker in Vienna gave the Polish king Jan Sobieski his gift – a bun in the form of a stirrup, in honor of the victory over the Turkish army. Since then, bubliki and their recipe has spread around the world, including in Russia.

The word “bublik” came to Russia from the Ukrainian language and it is directly translated as “bubble”. This word has rooted in the Russian language; therefore, it is not considered as a borrowed one. It is often used in Russian literature.

Besides the fact that this pastry played the role of mascots and decorations for the Russian people, it was also an attribute of the traditional Russian tea drinking. When Russians laid the table for tea, they always served lots of baranki, sushki, and bubliki on golden and colorful trays. However, not every family could afford it, only affluent ones.

Nowadays, you can buy all various types of this pastry. Therefore, if one day you decide to visit Russia, you can buy as a souvenir a bunch of sushki, baranki, or bubliki, for example, plain, with poppy seeds, with fruit or glazed.