Russia Street Food

From metro-station pastry windows to late-night kiosks, Russian street food runs on quick, portable comfort you can eat while walking in the cold.

🌯 Shaurma — a Middle Eastern import — became so ubiquitous after the 1990s that it now outsells almost every native Russian snack on the street.

5 street food dishes from Russia — what each one is, why it's made that way, and what to expect when you order it.

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Signature street foods of Russia

Ancient Refresher · Berry Fruit Drink Mors It predates soda by centuries — a lightly sweetened berry water Russians have been drinking since medieval times. Mors is a traditional Russian drink made by boiling or steeping berries, most often cranberries or lingonberries, then straining the juice and sweetening it lightly. It's sold chilled from…

Street Pastry · Stuffed Bun Pirozhki The name comes from "pir," the Russian word for feast — a humble hand pie named after a party. Pirozhki are small, boat-shaped buns of yeast dough, either baked or deep-fried, wrapped around a filling like cabbage, potato, egg and onion, ground meat, or seasonal fruit. Long sold…

Street Wrap · Fast Food Shaurma In Moscow it's shaurma; two hours north in St. Petersburg, the exact same wrap is called shawerma — a rivalry locals take seriously. Shaurma is a flatbread wrap stuffed with spit-roasted, sliced meat, shredded cabbage, pickles, and a heavy swipe of garlic or mayonnaise-based sauce, folded to order at a street kiosk…

Street Griddle · Thin Pancakes Bliny Bliny are older than written Russian history — they were originally baked as a pagan offering to the sun god. Bliny are thin, lacy, yeast-leavened pancakes cooked quickly on a hot griddle until the edges turn golden and slightly crisp. Street stalls and kiosks stack them fresh to order, then fold…

Street Tank · Fermented Rye Drink Kvass Kvass is so mild it was traditionally served to Russian children instead of plain water. Kvass is a dark, faintly sweet-and-sour drink brewed by fermenting rye bread or rye flour with water, sugar, and a touch of yeast for about a day. In summer, Russian streets fill with…

More street food in Europe

Part of World of Street Food — 690 dishes from 118 countries. Photo credits.