The ossetian

Ossetian cuisine is the national cuisine of the region, which is located in the central part of the Caucasus. The people who historically live in Ossetia call themselves Ossetians.

Currently, two separate states are located on the territory of Ossetia. The Republic of North Ossetia, which remained part of the Russian Federation, its other name is Alania.

And the Republic of South Ossetia, the officialism of which not everyone recognizes in the world community. According to the recipes of national Ossetian cuisine, food is prepared in both South and North Ossetia. National Ossetian cuisine developed primarily under the influence of the lifestyle of the ancient people of Alan.

The ancestors of modern Ossetians were nomads who moved around the Caucasian lands. The Alans came from Scythian-Sarmatian tribes and spoke an ancient Iranian dialect. Some of the nomadic Alans decided to continue their journey, and some remained in the modern territory of Ossetia as early as the 1st century AD.

From this time, Ossetian cuisine begins to emerge. The cuisine of nomadic Scythians begins to transform into Ossetian cuisine. The main reason is the settled lifestyle in one territory. Now the main thing in the diet of Ossetians is meat.

Meat dishes of Ossetian cuisine are diverse and are made in various ways. Most beloved and popular in Ossetia is meat cooked in Kazan over an open fire. The meat is served with excellent Tsakhdon or Nurydzahdon sour cream sauce, spicy and at the same time very spicy in taste.

Ossetians use domestic beef or lamb meat in their national cuisine. The Alans, having settled in the Caucasus, began to raise livestock and poultry. Their Ossetian descendants continue the glorious traditions of great-grandfathers. Like centuries ago, Ossetians prefer to cook whole meat carcasses or cut meat into large pieces.

The meat is languished on fire for a long time, adding spices and seasonings. Meat is served in Ossetia mainly with spicy garlic sauces with the addition of wild garlic or with vegetables. The obligatory second dish for Ossetian cuisine is national pies with meat fillings.

The pie recipe is Chiritæ known to every Ossetian hostess. Ossetian meat pie is baked from wheat flour, beef, lamb or poultry meat can be used as a filling. Among the meat recipes of Ossetian cuisine can be distinguished churek, which are made from a mixture of corn and wheat flour.

Usually, the guest was served three pies or more at once. In Ossetia, this is considered a sign of respect and disposition for man. What is noteworthy is that the real recipe for Ossetian pies does not involve using margarine or eggs to make dough. At the beginning of the last century, Ossetian hostesses made Fydchin dough for meat pies only from wheat flour and water or whey.

The so-called fresh dough in our time is no longer popular in Ossetia. In addition to meat filling, famous Ossetian pies are filled with vegetables, for example, potatoes, pumpkin, cabbage or holy leaves. Often, homemade Ossetian Uælibakh cheese is used for filling.

The meager diet of highlanders who live in Ossetia was usually limited to meat and bread dishes. Rong (based on honey), araka, tutyra, braga and kvass are considered national drinks in Ossetian cuisine. Ossetians have always raised livestock, so milk is present in their diet.

Ossetian beer is widely known in the Russian Federation and in the countries of the Caucasus. Beer in Ossetia is distinguished by decent taste. Ossetians believe that the recipe for this hoppy drink was presented to them by Shatana himself or Satenik, the ancient hero of the famous monument of Ossetian literature - the Nartovsky Epic.