Home Cooking with local family
We say that the most enjoyable way to learn about the country’s culture and modern life will be to visit the local’s home. Home cooking together or chatting over the kitchen table about day-to-day life gives you the chance to get to know people better. The big value of such an experience is the mutual exchange of opinions, cultures, believes, which help us to built personal relations away from stereotypes made by media and politics.
Today we want to tell you about Reilya, who is ExploRussia local guide in Moscow. She is an amazing guide around Moscow, and one of her favorite things to do is to host our foreign guests at her home together with her husband. Home Cooking Experience at their place is always such a fun and yummy time!
We have asked Reilya several questions about this experience:
What are your favorite dishes to cook with your guests?
Reilya: I like cooking Borscht, because it’s a very traditional Russian dish.? You have to cut so many vegetables for the soup. So basically everybody is involved in the process. The most important part is to eat and talk about different cultures, languages, food after working together.?Home Cooking class is a real cultural experience not only for our guests but also for us as hosts.
Why do you like having foreigners at your place for a meal?
Reilya: In Russian and Bashkir cultures we LOVE guests.? We share the best with guests: food and seat. Guest will be seated in the best places around the table and will be given the best food.
When we have guests I teach them how to prepare Russian food and learn something new from my guests. It’s an interesting process of sharing the best they and we have.
What are the topics you often discuss with your guests?
Reilya: Usually, we talk about the history of our country and their homeland, culture and their and our traditional food, of course.??
Tell us about a memorable story from your cooking class.
It is hard to just select one and tell; every family and every guest is very special and very interesting. Probably, the most memorable was a family from France. We had a very good time and they just loved everything we prepared and ate. Lots of laughing, such a good time. My husband and I love spending time with our guests and becoming friends with them.
P.S. When taking a Trans-Siberian Railway Tour to visit Reilya’s home should be on your list!
If you are looking for more information to be inspired, check our Essential guide for Trans-Siberian Railway trip.