Traditional Russian cuisine is rich and hearty peasant fare. A lot of weight is given to winter-proof root vegetables, stewed meat and fatty dairy products. The dark green herb dill (ukrop) is sprinkled in abundance on many dishes. Classic dishes include Bliny (pancakes) served with ham (vechina), caviar (ikra), cheese (syr), or as a dessert with vareniye (chunky, sweet fruit preserve), or honey (myod) and tvorog (sweet cottage cheese). Expect to see a lot of soups on the menu too, such as Borshch (beetroot soup), shchi (cabbage soup) or Ukha (a clear fish soup). Salads are very popular here and almost always come with mayonnaise. And of course we can't forget pelmeny (dumplings), a Russian dinner staple usually filled with minced meat and served with a dollop of smetana (Russian-style sour cream).