GASTRONOMIC MAP OF THE REGION Kamchatka region

Traditional Cuisine

Fish and seafood dishes are the basis of Kamchatka cuisine. It has absorbed the traditions of indigenous nomadic people - the ability to quickly and deliciously make food using fresh products, those that are always at hand. You can try Itelmen, Koryak and Chukchi dishes during excursions to ethnic villages and camps, as well as during national holidays.

But so many dishes common in Kamchatka have become truly “international”. For example, previously, the indigenous inhabitants of Kamchatka did not know salt. And they used a method of fermentation for harvesting fish. Such fish can be tasted nowadays, but not everyone will like it.

Kamchatka fish soup

Kamchatka fish soup containts lots and lots of fish and most importantly only clear water. Different types of salmon are used - coho salmon, sockeye salmon, and chinook salmon. But the fish has to be freshly caught. To make an authentic triple fish soup, a fish broth is boiled twice and then the most delicious parts of the fish - heads and bellies, as well as chopped potatoes are boiled in it . And the first portions of boiled fish are served with the fish soup separately, sprinkled with herbs.

Caviar

Arriving to Kamchatka, you instantly get rid of the usual concept that caviar can only be red. It is different here, or rather, it comes from different types of salmon. Caviar of small pink salmon and medium-sized chinook salmon is of a delicate carrot color. Large chum salmon's caviar is red. And the caviar of small sockeye salmon and medium-sized coho salmon is purple-red in color.

Telnoye

A recipe of a fish dish which originally existed in Old Russian cuisine, perfectly assimilated in Kamchatka. Locals quickly adopted and supplemented the cooking method. This dish is a fish cutlet of chum salmon, salmon, pink salmon or sockeye, stuffed with mashed potatoes with spices and onions. Garnish is not needed for telnoye - it is already inside the cutlet. It’s usually served with pickled or fresh vegetables.

Yukola

Kamchatka is rich in fish - this is no secret. On the peninsula, dozens of ways were invented to cook it, and since ancient times, yukola has been present in the diet of local people. This stockfish has a long shelf life, so it is often taken on hiking trips. Many fish species are suitable for yukola, but salmon is preferred. Fish are gutted and bones are removed, then incisions are made but no salt or spices are added. Then the fish is hung in the shade inside a well-ventilated place, where it will not be reached by rain or sun. Sometimes yukola is used to make soups that, after adding fish, become more nutritious and rich.

Kylykil

The cuisine of the indigenous inhabitants of Kamchatka impresses with its variety and unusual combinations. Not every tourist will decide to try Kylykil - a berry salad with fish. However, this is one of the main dishes of Kamchatka cuisine, although it has an unusual taste. Traditionally kylykil was prepared by Koryak people. As a rule, salmon is used for cooking, which is boiled, peeled, and then grounded. Ripe berries are added to the fish - cloudberries, shiksha or lingonberries, as well as potatoes and pine nuts. Salad is dressed with fat. Kylykil is sometimes made from venison, but traditionally it is a fish dish.