Solyanka – that famous Russian dish that foreigners just can’t believe is possible. Not only are Russians very proud of this unusual soup – they love to eat it as well. They make it at home and they constantly order it in cafes and restaurants. Unlike other soups, the recipe for solyanka has taken centuries to reach the form it has today. Initially, the sourness and saltiness of the soup was attained by using things that were always available to rural dwellers: salted mushrooms, pickled cucumbers, and brine. With time, the recipe gathered a slew of new ingredients: capers, tomatoes, olives, lemon… How to best combine them became a valuable skill, and the flavor of the soup became even more zesty. Taking into account the abundance of different foods that all go into the same pot of solyanka, those who prepare the soup must abide by one important rule: keep a balance between all the flavors. This is so that no one flavor dominates – not saltiness, not sourness, not sweetness, and not spiciness. Chef Vladimir Pavlov manages this with ease while making a mushroom solyanka with duck meatballs. And he’ll serve it with prune-flavored sour cream. On The Geography of Taste. Only on Russian Travel Guide.