Traditions > Food and Drink
Food and Drink
One of the strongest connections to our family history is through foods. A taste of a food that our grandmothers made can instantly transport us back to our childhood.
The colonists in Norka largely continued the food traditions of their ancestors. Over time, influences from ethnic Russian foods and the availability of local agricultural products modified their diets. These adopted foods, such as Kraut Kuche or Bierock, have in many cases become traditional for the Volga Germans.
Listed below are some of the foods and drinks that were commonly made by those living in Norka and their descendants now living around the globe.
The colonists in Norka largely continued the food traditions of their ancestors. Over time, influences from ethnic Russian foods and the availability of local agricultural products modified their diets. These adopted foods, such as Kraut Kuche or Bierock, have in many cases become traditional for the Volga Germans.
Listed below are some of the foods and drinks that were commonly made by those living in Norka and their descendants now living around the globe.
Main Dishes (Broda)
- Kraut Kuche or Kraut Bierock (a form of pirog)
- Kartoffelklösse (potato dumplings)
- Butter Klösse (butter balls or dumplings)
- Erdbeerklöße (strawberry dumplings)
- Wurst (sausages)
- Gebackenes Hühnchen (baked chicken)
- Schinken (ham)
Soups (Suppe)
- Schnitzsuppe (dried fruit soup)
- Nudelsuppe (noodle soup)
- Grün Bohne Suppe (green bean soup)
- Kartoffel Suppe (potato soup)
Salads (Salat)
- Sauerkraut (pickled cabbage)
Breads (Brot)
- Roggen Brot (rye bread)
Beverages (Getränke)
- Tee (tea) - Most homes had a samovar which was used to heat and boil water.
- Kaffee (coffee)
- Bier (beer)
- Wein (wine)
- Schnapps (distilled alcohol flavored with fruit)
Desserts
- Krebbel (a fried pastry)
- Riwwelkuchen
- Pfefferkuchen
- Schicht kuchen (Napoleons)
- Brenich (a holiday shortbread cookie also known as Springerle)
Contact us to share your favorite family recipes.
Our three children grew up with Volga German foods, not only the goodies their Grandma Mollie made but those from our own kitchen, as well. I still make my grandma's rye bread, Riwwelkuchen, Grebbel, and Bierok (also known as Kraut Kuchen, but we called them "Beer Hogs" as kids because we couldn't say Bierok!)
For our kids, now grown with families of their own, it just isn't Christmas without homemade German noodle soup and butter glace. Again, when we were little, my sister and I "Americanized" the word butter glace. In our family, it's noodle soup and butterballs. Our oldest son is such a fan of this soup that his siblings and two young daughters affectionately call him "Buttergut" at Christmas time.
And the traditions live on!
Courtesy of Vickie Willman Burns
Sources
Dalhaimer Bartkowski, Anna. Value Meals on the Volga: Sharing Our Heritage with New Generations: Eating Traditions from Mariental, Russia. N.p.: Infinite Adventure, 2006. Print.
Long, James. From Privileged to Dispossessed. Lincoln, Nebraska: U of Nebraska, 1988. 264. Print.
Küche Kochen. Lincoln, Nebraska: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1973. Print.
The German Kitchen. Portland, Oregon: Brethren Congregational Church, 1961. Print.
Long, James. From Privileged to Dispossessed. Lincoln, Nebraska: U of Nebraska, 1988. 264. Print.
Küche Kochen. Lincoln, Nebraska: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1973. Print.
The German Kitchen. Portland, Oregon: Brethren Congregational Church, 1961. Print.
Last updated July 27, 2017.
