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Taste of Russia (Ep.1) 26:346 Glen, an American foodie, wants to open an authentic Russian restaurant in Florida, but knows nothing about Russian cuisine. He asks his Russian friend Oscar to help unlock its secrets. They begin in the Russian capital, Moscow, by exploring the origins of Russia’s most popular salad, Olivier, and where its French name came from.

Taste of Russia (Episode 2) 26:4426 According to a Russian proverb, war is no excuse for missing lunch. Oscar and Glen travel back in time to learn how Soviet troops cooked and ate during WWII. They join a group of military reenactors in a snowy forest to get close up and personal with a military field kitchen.

Taste of Russia (Episode 3) 26:451 Glen learns to make one of Russia’s most ancient dishes, a fish soup called ukha. It’s essential to use freshly caught fish, but it’s winter, so Oscar and Glen must go ice fishing. As the broth simmers over a fire, Oscar takes Glen for his first taste of a real Russian bathhouse. Relaxed and refreshed, they put the final touches to the soup. But does the taste justify three hours’ preparation?

Taste of Russia (Episode 4) 27:051 Oscar and Glen say NO to rabbit food and eat the rabbit instead. With the help of an experienced chef, the friends make rabbit stew, a traditional hunters’ dish. But first, to honour the spirit of its origins, they practice archery and learn to hunt with falcons and hounds. When the stew is ready, Glen renders his verdict.

Taste of Russia (Episode 5) 26:22 Glen thinks he’s gained weight and wants to make something simple this time. And what could be simpler than pelmeni? The meat-filled dumplings can be found frozen and ready-to-boil in any Russian supermarket. Oscar has other ideas, he says the only good ones are made from scratch. It seems the dish might not be so simple after all!

Taste of Russia (Episode 6) 26:301 Oscar says to truly understand Russian cuisine, reading Tolstoy is a must. He and Glen visit the count’s estate, Yasnaya Polyana to discover what fare was served at the renowned author’s table. After plunging into the spirit of the times, the friends enlist the help of a chef to make two popular 19th-century dishes: forshmak and baked apples.

Taste of Russia (Episode 7) 26:27 Since its invention in the late 19th century, pastila has remained a popular Russian sweet. The most famous brand, Belyovsky Pastila, was even served to European royalty. It and its cousin zephyr are still made in the small medieval town of Belyov. Glen and Oskar visit the factory to learn how to make these appetising apple confections… and have a sneaky taste while no one’s looking.

Taste of Russia (Episode 8) 26:30 Pancakes, known as blini, are Russia’s signature dish. They can be eaten with just about anything, from jam to caviar. To find out how they used to be made, Oscar takes Glen to a village to learn the old secrets of baking blini in a wood-fired oven. Oscar shows off his ninja cooking skills by frying eight at once on an open fire outside. As a reward, the friends sit down to a blini feast.

Taste of Russia (Episode 9) 26:36 Beetroot soup, aka borsch, is one of Russia’s most famous dishes. Oscar and Glen go to a medieval town to make one of the most authentic versions: tsar borsch. This centuries-old recipe includes four kinds of meat and takes six hours to make. While it simmers in a wood-fired oven, the two take on the local Cossacks in an unusual duel before returning to a truly royal meal.

Taste of Russia (Episode 10) 26:301 It’s the battle of BBQs! Glen and Oscar have a cook off to see which style of barbecue is better – Russian or American. After scurrying around Moscow looking for the best meat, Glen throws a ribeye steak on the grill and Oscar works up a sweat making lamb shish kebabs and tandoori chicken. In the end, it’s clear they have very different ideas about how cooked is done.

Taste of Russia (Episode 11) 27:13 Oscar and Glen visit Borodino, the scene of an epic battle between Napoleon and Russian Tsar Alexander I in 1812. After getting into the spirit of the time, the friends face off in a battlefield cooking competition. Oscar makes French onion soup and Glen learns to make a classic Russian army dish: buckwheat kasha with meat.

Taste of Russia (Episode 12) 26:40 Oscar and Glen are in the Caucuses city of Esentuki, which is home to Russia’s largest Greek community. Oscar bumps into a Greek friend who invites them to a “small” family dinner. Not wanting to show up emptyhanded, the friends learn to prepare two classic Greek dishes: Stolen Lamb and Greek Salad. But they are later shocked to see what Greeks consider a “small family gathering.”

Taste of Russia (Episode 13) 26:51 Oscar and Glen go to one of Russia’s premiere spas to take in the Caucuses’ legendary mineral water and treatments. They also check out one of Russia’s best hang gliding sites, where Glen flies like an eagle. After such a healthy and active day, the pair learns to make a “real man’s” meal, but Glen is shocked by what the main ingredient is.

Taste of Russia (Episode 14) 26:50 Oscar and Glen visit one of Russia’s most beautiful places, the Caucasus’ Kabardino-Balkaria region. They learn to prepare grilled sheep’s liver, a traditional Balkar dish. At a local farm, Oscar makes cheese, while Glen tries cutting hay with a scythe. At the end of the day, they sit down to enjoy a great meal, as well as the famous Caucasian hospitality.

Taste of Russia (Episode 15) 27:10 Russia’s huge military-themed Patriot Park is an ideal place to play soldier and learn to make food for ‘real men.’ After comparing US and Russian MREs, Oscar and Glen make the most of the opportunity, checking out a variety of WWII-era military vehicles, and engaging in a fierce bout of laser tag with Soviet guns. Then, they get down to business and make appetisers fit for a real soldier.

Taste of Russia (Episode 16) 25:57 Oscar and Glen’s culinary adventure takes an exotic twist, when they visit an ostrich farm in the heart of Russia.

Taste of Russia (Episode 17) 27:25 Oscar and Glen explore Russia’s cultural capital from above and below, getting a bird’s eye view of St. Petersburg from the roofs and paddling under bridges along the city’s famous canals. The gastronauts also check out some eateries Russian literary giants frequented in the 19th century. Along the way, they try their hand at making classic cabbage soup and a phantasmagorical recipe for homemade ice cream.

Taste of Russia (Episode 18) 26:44 Russia is replete with rivers and lakes, so fish is extremely popular. Oscar and Glen check out Russia’s premiere fish breeding centre before trying their hands at fishing on Lake Ladoga, Europe’s largest. When they return to shore, they learn a couple of methods to cook native fish in the great outdoors. But Glen isn’t really a fish person… Will he like the result?

Taste of Russia (Episode 19) 26:39 Oscar shows Glen how to feed yourself in a Russian forest with the help of his friend, survival expert Dima. After pitching a tent, they make firewood without an axe, start a fire without matches, and purify water without tablets. Of course, battling with the elements works up an appetite. Luckily, the pair comes across one of Russia’s favourite dishes: mushrooms.

Taste of Russia (Episode 20) 27:36 Oscar and Glen find themselves in one of the most picturesque and historical places in Russia, Sergiyev Posad. The pair sets off to gather berries so that they can make a jam. They also visit a local farm, where they pick cucumbers to pickle. They finish their outing by learning how to make a special breakfast dish with berries and oatmeal. Harbouring a childhood hatred of oatmeal, Oscar is sceptical, but the result truly amazes him.

Taste of Russia (Episode 21) 28:04 Oscar and Glen explore Russia’s Republic of Dagestan, from a remote village in the mountains to an ancient citadel by the sea. Besides taking in the historical sites, they find time to make a local version of khinkal, small Caucasian dumplings with meat, as well as an exotic dish made from a fish found only in the Caspian Sea.

Taste of Russia (Episode 22) 28:13 Oscar and Glen visit­­­­­­ a town nestled in the Caucasus Mountains, renowned in ancient times for some of the world’s finest steel weapons and armour. After visiting a local swordsmith, the ‘gastronauts’ try their hands at making a unique Dagestani flatbread before sitting down for a feast including lamb shish kebabs.

Taste of Russia (Episode 23) 27:17 On a bluff overlooking a scenic river near the picturesque hamlet of Tarusa, Oscar mentions to Glen it’s the perfect place to find a duck – and eat one. However, first, they have to shoot it! Luckily, a local gunsmith helps them out, and the pair has great fun running around in the woods playing Rambo. But will the ‘gastronauts’ bag their bird?

Taste of Russia (Episode 24) 27:38 Oscar proposes flying to the town of Naryan-mar beyond the Arctic Circle to make some tasty reindeer dishes, but Glen has had enough of winter and is determined to make something just as exotic closer to Moscow. In the end, the pair agrees to separate and compete to come up with the most extraordinary culinary creation.

Taste of Russia (Episode 25) 28:05 Glen misses his flight to join Oscar beyond the Arctic Circle and decides to use the lost time to sharpen up his cooking skills, but his first attempt at knife-wielding is less than stellar. Meanwhile, Oscar visits a Nenets reindeer herding camp and dives into the world of tundra cuisine – which primarily features reindeer meat and raw frozen fish.

Taste of Russia (Episode 26) 28:021 Oscar and Glen are in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan and Russia’s most multicultural city. They check out the local sights, including the city’s famous kremlin, which holds both a magnificent mosque and an ancient Orthodox cathedral within its walls. They also find time to make some traditional Tatar dishes with the help of an experienced chef.

Taste of Russia (Episode 27) 27:12 Oscar and Glen continue their exploration of Tatarstan at an ethnic museum that recreates a Tatar village from centuries ago. After checking the place out, they prepare some local cuisine with the help of a granny, who keeps shouting at them in Tatar. In the end, the ‘gastronauts’ sit down to a Tatar feast of potato flapjacks, and a big meat and potato pie.

Taste of Russia (Episode 28) 28:12 Oscar and Glen are in the southern Russian city of Sochi, home to pine-covered mountains and palm-lined beaches. The resort town is also ethnically diverse, where people from throughout the Caucasus have made their home. Our ‘gastronauts’ waste no time in exploring their cultures and cuisines, making Georgian, Armenian, and Greek dishes in one day!

Taste of Russia (Episode 29) 27:08 Glen and Oscar continue to explore Russia’s sports capital, Sochi. They begin with some Olympic-class skiing in the mountains and finish with some professional race car driving in the city’s Olympic Park. The ‘gastronauts’ end their active day with two local vitamin-packed specialities: the Sochi Salad and Olympic Champion Smoothie.

Taste of Russia (Episode 30) 26:37 Our ‘gastronauts’ are in Khanty-Mansiysk, the snow capital of Siberia, where Glen undertakes biathlon training and Oscar soaks in a thermal spring, while temperatures hover between -16 and -18°C. Then they learn to eat freeze-dried fish and prepare a bear stew… which is enough to finally drive Glen back to Miami to open his Russian restaurant.