West African and Russian Cuisine

Hi everyone,

I’m from West Africa and I’d love to introduce a Russian friend to a traditional product from my region: soumbara.

For those who don’t know, soumbara is a condiment made from fermented néré seeds. It has a pretty distinctive smell and a very strong, salty, fermented, umami-rich flavor. In West Africa, we mainly use it to add flavor to sauces, with rice, vegetables, meat, etc.

I’m curious to know, from Russian cuisine lovers: which traditional Russian dish do you think soumbara would pair particularly well with?

I’m looking for a real Russian dish where the combination could be interesting—not just rice or an adapted African dish.

Thanks in advance for your ideas and experiences!

hi there! yum, soumbala—it reminds me of Mali and even Mauritania, where Senegalese people make it. You could try it with blinis to start? 🙂 recipe here https://russieautrement.com/nouvelles/recettes-de-cuisine/recette-de-blini-maison-a-la-russe/

Hi there! I’m not familiar with this spice, but it might (maybe) enhance a traditional Russian soup like borscht, which is beet-based. 😉

Hi there! I’m afraid soumbara and borscht might not pair well, but why not give it a try?! On the other hand, it could work with a Stroganoff? I’d love to be invited! 🙂

Hi there, You could try it with Solyanka: This Russian soup is traditionally sour, salty, and packed with chunks of smoked meats or fish. Soumbara would be perfect in this complex broth to enhance its smoky, robust flavor. Or with Russian dishes based on slow-cooked meat, wild mushrooms, potatoes... Beef Stroganoff, as mentioned above, or "Kotleti" (meatballs). And this too—it looks like rice, but it's kind of brown: Grechka (buckwheat) with broth: It’s the ideal pairing. Russians love eating buckwheat cooked in water or broth. Best regards, Patrick

Yum yum All of this sounds so tempting! We could organize a feast 🙂 somewhere between Africa and Russia...🙂

In Turkey?

Hi there,

I’d actually love to know, from Russian cuisine lovers: which traditional Russian dish do you think would pair particularly well with soumbala?

With soups like fish solyanka or rassolnik https://fr.gw2ru.com/gastronomie/201265-russie-soupes-recettes

Or for marinating shashliks (kebabs)

haha yeah, I don’t know Turkey—this would be the perfect chance! 😊 (haha what a mess we’re making! 😉)

haha, knew you’d reply!!! 😎 yeah, fish and soumbala go great together (little tear thinking about Mali) (oh, that dried white fish from Mali)