Belarusian cuisine grew out of centuries of farming in a cold, landlocked country, which means potatoes, rye bread, pork, and hearty soups dominate the table. Potatoes in particular earned the nickname “the second bread” and arrived in Belarus decades before neighboring Russia, giving local cooks generations to perfect them. Here are the dishes that define what Belarusians actually eat.
Draniki
Draniki, thick pancakes made from grated potatoes, are widely considered the national dish of Belarus. The traditional version keeps things simple — just potatoes, onion, salt, and oil, without flour or eggs to thicken the batter, relying instead on the naturally starchy Belarusian potato variety known as bulba. First popularized as a breakfast dish in the 19th century, draniki are now eaten throughout the day, most commonly topped with sour cream, though they’re equally at home served alongside machanka, fried salo and onions, or even stewed in a ceramic pot with sausage, mushrooms, and cream.
Machanka
Machanka is a rich pork stew made from a mix of meat cuts — often sausage, bacon, and ham — simmered with onions, mushrooms, dill, and spices, then finished in a sour cream sauce. It’s traditionally served alongside draniki or thin yeast crepes for dipping, making the two dishes a natural pairing at Belarusian tables. A related dish, vereshchaka, uses short ribs and sausage stewed in water or rye beer with flour, sour cream, and onion, and is served the same way.
Babka
Babka — meaning “grandma” — is essentially a larger, baked version of draniki, made from grated potato dressed with fried bacon, onion, and meat, then baked until crisp on the outside and soft within. It’s typically served with sour cream and milk, and like most potato dishes in Belarusian cooking, comes in regional variations depending on the household.
Kolduny
Kolduny are potato dumplings, often stuffed with meat, and represent one of the many ways potatoes take center stage in Belarusian cooking beyond the pancake format. They sit alongside kletski (dumplings) and pyzy as part of the broader family of potato-based dishes that have anchored the national diet for centuries.
Kholodnik
Kholodnik is a cold beetroot soup, refreshing during Belarus’s hot summer months, and typically served with a side of mashed potato. Its counterpart, borshch, is the hot beetroot soup version and shares deep roots with the broader Eastern European culinary tradition, though Belarusian versions carry their own regional character.
Zhur (Jur)
Zhur, sometimes spelled jur, is a distinctive soup built on an oatmeal-based stock that gives it a specific jelly-like texture and a mildly sour taste. It comes in several variations — Lenten, milk-based, and meat versions — and is traditionally prepared before the start of Lent, tying the dish to the country’s religious calendar as much as its everyday cuisine.
Nalisniki
Nalisniki are Belarusian crepes, most traditionally filled with cottage cheese, though other fillings are common as well. They’re often baked briefly after being filled and rolled, giving them a slightly different texture than a standard pan-fried crepe, and they remain a well-loved comfort food passed down through family recipes.
Salo
Salo, salted pork lard, has a long history in Belarusian cooking as a preserved meat product, dating back to a time when meat itself was reserved mostly for festive occasions and prepared as salted or sun-dried delicacies. It’s commonly served thinly sliced, often alongside rye bread, and pairs naturally with draniki as a simple, hearty topping.
Pyachysta
Pyachysta is one of the oldest Belarusian meat dishes, traditionally made from a large piece of mutton baked whole in the oven. Unlike more standardized dishes like draniki, there’s no single fixed modern recipe for pyachysta, and it reflects an older style of Belarusian cooking built around roasting substantial cuts of meat for special occasions.
Kletski
Kletski are traditional Belarusian dumplings, most often made with a potato or flour-based dough, and served either as a standalone dish or as an accompaniment to heartier meat stews like machanka. They’re part of the same broader potato-and-dough tradition that produced draniki, kolduny, and babka, underscoring just how central the potato remains across nearly every category of Belarusian cooking.
Join The Discussion
Have you tried Belarusian food, whether during a visit to the region or by cooking a recipe at home? Share your experience with draniki, machanka, or any of the other dishes here — what surprised you, or which one you’d recommend trying first. If you’re planning to cook Belarusian food yourself or want tips on tracking down authentic recipes, feel free to ask questions — there’s a good chance someone here has hands-on experience with this cuisine.
