Two Verbs for Cooking
Russian splits cooking by method, and the split is not optional — there is no general verb you can fall back on.
| verb | method | typical object |
|---|---|---|
| варить | in water | суп, каша, картофель |
| жарить | in fat, in a pan | мясо, рыба, курица |
Готовить, which you already know, is the umbrella word — to prepare food generally, and also to prepare anything else.
Мама *варит суп. — Mum is making soup. Мама жарит рыбу.* — Mum is frying fish.
| Mum is cooking soup in the kitchen. | Мама варит суп на кухне. |
The Adjective From Жарить
Жареный — fried — is built straight off жарить and behaves like any ordinary adjective: жареная курица, жареный картофель.
| Fried chicken is very tasty. | Жареная курица очень вкусная. |
Three Dishes Worth Knowing By Name
| dish | what it is |
|---|---|
| борщ | beetroot soup, the red one |
| щи | cabbage soup — plural only, like scissors |
| каша | cooked grain, the standard breakfast |
Щи has no singular at all. You cannot say один щи; it is always plural.
| Shchi and borscht are soups. | Щи и борщ — это супы. |
Tastes
You already have сладкий and вкусный. Add the two that complete the everyday set:
горький — bitter. кислый — sour.
Горький is also a common metaphor — горькая правда, the bitter truth.
| A lemon is very sour. | Лимон очень кислый. |
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