Smetana Russian sour cream is used in many recipes, from salads to desserts or casserole dishes. For example smetana can be used as:

• As a condiment to various pancakes, including cottage cheese pancakes syrniki or savoury potato pancakes draniki. Also served with dumplings pelmeni or vareniki.

• As a sauce to salads
  

• As a final touch to soups, such as borscht

• As a casserole sauce used in stews – its high content in fat allows smetana not to curdle at higher temperatures unlike similar crème fraîche.

• As a base for cremes or desserts, for example prunes with walnuts

• Mixed with tvorog for breakfast

Smetana is also very popular in Ukrainian, Belarusian and Polish cuisines.

Tvorog is Russian pressed cottage cheese and a great source of protein. It is similar to curd or farmer cheese but somewhat firmer and more dry.

Tvorog is used in many traditional Russian recipes: breakfast pancakes syrniki,  zapekanka – tvorog baked in oven, vareniki – dumplings with sweet stuffing, vatrushka cakes or traditional Easter dish paskha.

It can also be eaten on its own as a healthy snack food and a great start to the day. You can mix it with sour cream, jams, honey, nuts, fruit – anything of your choice.