December 24, 2021

School Lunch Gourmet


School Lunch Gourmet
Natalia Terenteva

Rarely do we consider the lunches purchased out of the school cafeteria to be anything better than "edible," but if you attend school in Tambov, Russia, you might just be in luck! Out of more than twenty-five thousand schools participating, chef Alexander Larinov of the Fifth School of Tambov took first place in the All-Russian Best School Cafeteria competition.

Larinov has been working in the catering industry for over thirty years and has been head of the school cafeteria for six. For his winning dish, Larinov created a casserole from tvorog (Russian cottage cheese), meat cutlets filled with vegetables and rice (called "zrazy"), and a berry compote. Much nicer than the typical fried foods and prepackaged fruit cups usually served at American high schools!

It should also be noted that another school in the Tambov region won second place in the category of "Best Cafeteria for a Rural School." Perhaps Tambov is the next culinary capital, and we just don't know it yet?

You Might Also Like

Apple Compote for the Soul
  • October 01, 1997

Apple Compote for the Soul

During the Soviet years, jam was often called povidlo for ideological reasons. It is even rumored that one government member was given the personal mission of taking the foreign name “dzhem” off the menus of public catering enterprises, replacing it with the more neutral povidlo.
From Tvorog to Protests
  • February 17, 2021

From Tvorog to Protests

Natalia was raised between downtown St. Petersburg and a small village. She is passionate about sharing all aspects of Russian life: both the good and the bad.  
No Ketchup Here
  • November 24, 2020

No Ketchup Here

A Russian agency has banned some foods from school cafeterias in Russia, including ketchup.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955