Shchi is the pride of Russian cuisine, and there’s nothing else like it in the world. It’s a very old dish, with roots going back at least 1000 years. You can tell where it ranks in the hierarchy of Russian cooking from the numerous mentions in folk adages and proverbs: "Look for us wherever there is shchi”, “It’s not like trying to eat shchi with a bast shoe”, or the perennial favourite, “Like teaching your wife to make shchi”. For hundreds of years shchi was the most important dish – and often the only dish – on the Russian peasant table. At the same time, shchi was also part of royal feasts. Cookbook author William Pokhlebkin counted 24 variations – not just recipes – of shchi that had come about over the many centuries of its history, from “empty” shchi to “rich” shchi. Shchi varied by region, local lifestyle, and time of year. Host of The Geography of Taste Vladimir Pavlov offers his take on this dish, which honors tradition, while at the same time allowing for some culinary experimentation. He’ll prepare shchi with dried nettle, lightly-smoked trout, and spinach sour cream! Only on Russian Travel Guide.