Lacto-fermented cucumbers and mushrooms in a brine perfumed with dill, garlic, and horseradish. Crunchy, tangy, alive: the homemade preserve that lasts through winter.

Why this dish? In an economy of shortages and rationing — exactly the context described in Pugacheva's file — every Soviet family filled dozens of jars in autumn to last the winter. These fermented pickles were the universal zakuska, on every table, from kommunalki to artists' buffets.

When autumn came, my dear, the whole family got to it: we filled jars as if winter would last a thousand years — and in our place, it did! Cucumbers, wild mushrooms, a head of garlic, horseradish, dill umbels, and salted water on top. We let time do its work in the dark cellar. That's the real Soviet luxury: opening a jar in February and crunching on the summer we had put aside.

How it was made : Lacto-fermentation with coarse salt (not vinegar) is the traditional Russian method, predating refrigeration. Currant, oak, or horseradish leaves provided tannins that kept vegetables crunchy. Every household had its recipe and technique, passed from babushka to babushka.

The contemporary twist : Serve cucumbers sliced on the bias with a drizzle of oil and dill, as a small plate for a contemporary vodka bar.

Alla Pugacheva · Charactorium