Uno de los aperitivos que más me gusta de Rusia es el de los “sujáriki” o pequeños trocitos de pan frito aromatizados (como “croutons”). No es algo que no conozcamos en el resto de Europa, aunque, por ejemplo, en España, son más típicos con sabor a tomate o ajo y son trozos grandes de pan. En Rusia (y países de los alrededores) los “sujáriki” se hacen como palitos de pan, pequeños y duros (aunque también os hay en forma de rebanada o de dado) y los sabores suelen ser más adaptados al “fino paladar” local: caviar rojo, pollo, queso, brocheta de carne, queso ahumado, cangrejo, ajo, ensalada con tomate, smetana con hierbas, jamón y queso, salami, etc.
Originariamente eran de pan de centeno, fritos en aceite y rociados de especias (por ejemplo, ajo y cebolla). En mi humilde opinión, los más ricos (caseros) se cocinan en Lituania (y en todo el Báltico en general).
Como todo en Rusia, no hay producto que no esté estandarizado (al menos en teoría), y este sigue la normativa GOST 8494-96.
Un dato curioso: en época de guerra, cuando las tropas tenían que recorrer largas distancias, recibían “sujáriki” en lugar del pan más o menos normal.
Las marcas de “sujáriki” más conocidas en Khabarovsk son Хрус Team (“Jrus Team”) y Кириешки (“Kirieshki”).
One of the snacks I like the most from Russia is the “sukhariki” or small bread crumbs with flavours (like “croutons”). It is not something unknown to the rest of Europe, though, for example, in Spain, they are usually flavored of tomato or garlic and they are large pieces of bread. In Russia (and neighbor countries) the “sukhariki” are made as bread sticks, small and hard (though there are others loaf or dice shaped) and the flavors are adapted to the local “gourmets”: red caviar, chicken, cheese, meat skewer, smoked cheese, crab, garlic, tomato salad, sour cream with herbs, ham and cheese, salami, etc.
Originally, they were of rye bread, fried in oil and seasoned with spices (for example, garlic and onion). In my humble opinion, the best (homemade) are cooked in Lithuania (and in the Baltic countries in general).
As everything in Russia, there is no product which escapes standardization (at least, in theory), and this one follows GOST 8494-96.
An interesting fact: during war times, when troops had to walk long distances, they got “sukhariki” instead of more or less normal bread.
“Sujáriki” most popular brands in Khabarovsk are Хрус Team (“Khrus Team”) and Кириешки (“Kirieshki”).
Russian army always use them as a preserved bread… and there is legend what after long marches, during european wars, sukhariki are melted in a baggage and locals saw what each russian have a “some piece of mother land” and even eated it by adding to a food. :))
That’s a lovely story, some bucolic memories of motherland even during the war.