Delicious riding: what to try in food tours all over Russia
During these New Year holidays, gastronomic tours that provide an opportunity to visit the sights and taste local dishes are recommended to go to the Caucasus, to Tatarstan, famous for its distinctive national cuisine. But do not forget about Central Russia. So, in the New Year's capital of Russia in 2026, Ryazan, tourists are offered to try kalinnik, a pastry made from a mixture of rye, wheat and cherry flour with jam filling. And the largest selection of baking types is offered in the Tula region. Where and what is worth trying in Russia — in the material of Izvestia.
Where to go to eat
This winter, the Caucasus may become one of the most striking gastronomic destinations in Russia, as well as before, the Association of Gastronomic Tourism of Russia told Izvestia.
"In Dagestan, tourists are attracted by Avar, Lezgian, Kumyk cuisines, urbech pasta, chudu tortillas, mutton and mountain cheeses," they noted. "In North Ossetia, there are pies with various fillings, traditional meat dishes and local drinks."
In winter, these regions are especially good, the association noted: fewer tourists, rich feasts, homemade cuisine and a strong connection of food with traditions and hospitality.
The OneTwoTrip travel planning service also recommended going to Dagestan.
"In addition to the classics in the form of barbecue, there are regional peculiarities here. For example, Dagestani khinkal are pieces of boiled dough served with meat and broth, and they come in different shapes. — Dagestan is also guaranteed to surprise coffee lovers: coffee shops are found here even in remote settlements, and the quality of the drink is excellent. Be sure to try makhachkalino or raf with urbech — this thick paste of ground seeds or nuts gives drinks an interesting taste and texture."
And the Association of Gastronomic Tourism advised to go to Tatarstan.
—Kazan and its surrounding regions are an excellent option for a comfortable food tour," said Andrey Paramonov, President of the association. — Tatar cuisine is very "winter": echpochmak (triangular pie with meat, onions and potatoes. — Ed.), kystyby (flatbread with porridge or mashed potatoes. — Ed.), rich soups, for example, tokmach, sweets like chak-chak.
In addition, the region has a "well-developed restaurant scene," interesting museums dedicated to national cuisine, and culinary workshops.
OneTwoTrip also recalled the famous chak-chak and sweet pyramids of talkysh kaleve.
"Among the more satisfying dishes, you should definitely order shurpa, a hearty thick soup with meat, at the cafe, and from more exotic dishes, you should taste kazylyk (smoked sausage made from horse meat) and koumiss (fermented milk drink made from mare's milk)," the service noted.
Authentic local products can also be found in the Russian North — fish, game, berries, mushrooms, and traditional preparations. The Association of Gastronomic Tourism, in particular, recalled Vologda butter, Karelian pastries, Pomeranian fish soup and venison dishes.
"New Year's holidays here can be combined with studying ethnography and northern landscapes," they noted.
In addition, the Kaliningrad region was named among the promising food destinations.
— These are Baltic fish, smoked meats, craft cheeses, local desserts, restaurants with reinterpretation of Prussian and Baltic cuisine, — Andrey Paramonov listed. — In winter, the region is especially atmospheric, and the gastronomy here is perfectly combined with leisurely walks and a cultural program.
And in the travel planning service, speaking of Karelia, they recommended that after walking through the streets of Petrozavodsk or visiting the Ruskeala marble quarry, they order lohikato, a hearty trout soup with cream, at local restaurants.
"For the second, it's worth trying something from game — moose, venison and bear meat. And the famous wickets are perfect for tea — rye pies with a variety of sweet fillings, for example, with cranberries," they advised.
What to eat in the center of the country and the Far East
Avito Travel and the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) have chosen their destinations for gastronomic experiences. They were advised to go to the Ivanovo, Tyumen, Sakhalin, Tula and Murmansk regions, as well as to Mordovia. These are six "discovery regions" in 2025, which are highlighted in the ASI's "I'll Drive through Russia!" program for the development of the gastronomic industry.
In 2024, Russians went to the Sakhalin Region mainly for seafood. Crabs, scallops, sea urchins, trepangs, and oysters are cooked there with almost no seasonings.
"The contrast is created by bright wild plants, kimchi, herbs and roots, which add temperament and character to the dishes. Gastronomic adventures here are often connected with natural ones. Tourists can go for oysters to Busse Bay, where the sea goes so far that the shells lie on the sand, or enjoy fish soup from a fresh catch," noted ASI and Avito Voyages.
In the Tyumen region, the local mineral water is slightly brackish, and in this region it has become the basis for natural drinks and lemonades, drinks, fruit drinks, and infusions. In coffee shops and pastry shops, you can try the Tyumen Carpet dessert: it is made from craft chocolate and northern berries, decorated with ornaments similar to traditional carpets. In the villages near Ishim, pies with pine nuts and lingonberries are baked, and sbiten is boiled on wild rose hips. And in Tobolsk, you can try fish soup with "oil" — black sauce.
In Mordovia, the local cuisine preserves Finno-Ugric traditions. Travelers, for example, are advised to try pachat — fluffy, yeast pancakes with a crispy crust, as well as open shanezhki pies and perepechi. The pose is also recommended — a drink made from rye malt and flour with a slight sourness and bread flavor.
And cod and northern shrimps have become the gastronomic hallmark of the Murmansk region. They are baked in cream, smoked, steamed, added to soups and snacks.
"Pomeranian cuisine is one of the most important layers of the local heritage. Simple, restrained, it is based on fish, seafood, wild plants and berries and inspires modern chefs: in the restaurants of the region you can try dishes where cod is next to venison, cloudberry and sorrel sauce," the experts noted.
On a trip to the Ivanovo region, it is worth stopping in Kineshma — tourists are advised to try Kineshma pie with fish and rice. In the village of Parskoye, you should try kalachi, and in the city of Shuya — monastery bread.
In the Tula region, you can go to a tea party with local gingerbread cookies, which have been baked for more than 300 years, Belevskaya pastille, Venevsky and Odoyevsky loaves and bagels.
Taste and cultural context
Gastronomic festivals have made a significant contribution to the growing popularity of these six discovery regions. For example, during the Taste of the Arctic festival in the Murmansk Region at the end of March, 58% more apartments were booked than a year earlier, and 158% more suburban properties.
In Mordovia, the most notable events of 2025 were the Kurgan Festivals, held in Ruzaevka on August 30, and the KSHI Big City Menu in Saransk (May 30 – September 15). In the Sakhalin region, tourists were attracted by the "NaVazhny Fest" (February 17 – March 2), in the Tyumen region — "Siberia tastes good" (September 12 – November 8), in the Tula region — "Levshinsky dinners" (January 2-12).
The Tutu travel service advised spending the New Year holidays in food tours in different cities of Central Russia. For example, in Ryazan — this year it has been designated the New Year's capital of the country.
"You can combine the celebration with gastronomic discoveries: try the local dessert kalinnik — pie with viburnum. On New Year's holidays, they offer a version of a kalinnik with a fir flavor," they noted.
In Kolomna, a food tour can be combined with visiting museums: there is, for example, a pastille museum and a kalacha museum in the city. It's worth going to Kostroma to buy cheese, and there, at the cheese museum, you can taste a variety of cheese varieties. In Suzdal, also a popular winter tourism city, cucumbers are used to make jam, marmalade, marshmallows, raff and even chocolate. And mead will help you keep warm here.
The trend of gastronomic travel in recent years is not "formal" cuisine, but locality, seasonality and lively impressions: markets, farms, home feasts, master classes, noted Andrey Paramonov.
— Now the focus is on hyperlocality. Tourists increasingly want not just to taste local food, but to understand its origin — from the farm to the table. This means visiting farms, markets, participating in ingredient collections and tours of production facilities," he said.
In addition, the expert noted, travelers strive for a deep cultural connection through food — the study of historical recipes, forgotten fermentation techniques, culinary traditions of indigenous peoples and regional communities. This is a trend towards authenticity and preservation of cultural culinary heritage.
Gastronomic map of the regions
Rospatent, which maintains a gastronomic map of regional brands, recalled that 23 new points appeared on it last year. So, at the beginning of 2025, the map had information about more than 200 food and beverages from different parts of the country.
For example, in January, Tyumen Vodka was registered, and in March three more regional brands were added: Michurinsky Cheese from the Tambov Region, Irbit Milk from the Sverdlovsk Region, and Tarkhanskaya-4 mineral water from Tatarstan.
In April, a geographical indication was registered — "Zavitinsky honey" from the Amur region. In June — "Kopor tea", which is made in the Leningrad region from a perennial plant — narrow-leaved cypress. Copor tea began to be produced in large quantities in the 18th century during the reign of Catherine II.
At the same time, the Pechora Gingerbread appeared on the map, a business card of the Pskov region. It is a confection of various shapes with a relief pattern with fruit and berry jam made from local varieties of apples and berries or natural chocolate. Bogorodskoye butter from the Belgorod region (its history dates back to the beginning of the 19th century) and Tsarevokokshaysky ham were also registered — it is named after the ancient name of the capital of Mari El Tsarevokokshaysk (now it is Yoshkar-Ola).
In July, two geographical indications were registered — "Bogucharsky seeds" from the Voronezh region and "Karelian marmalade". And in August — Karelian Ivan Tea and Belorechensk Egg (Irkutsk region). In autumn, Mordovian vodka and the first regional brand of the Saratov region, sunflower oil Saratovskoye, and Belevskaya meringue from the Tula region appeared.
"The Tula region has the largest number of regional brands associated with confectionery and other dessert products," Rospatent recalled.
In addition, in autumn, Tambov Potato received the status of a geographical indication (it has a high content of ascorbic acid, keratin and amino acids). Its own gastrobrand appeared in new territories — Lugansk Ice Cream.
In November 2025, "Karachaevsky ayran", "Shchuchansky cheese" (from the village of Shchuchye, Voronezh region), as well as "Karelian pastille" were registered.
And in December, the Pskov Snail brand appeared. A baked culinary dish is made from the grape snail, which lives in the region: the fillet is cooked in a shell, supplemented with a creamy spicy sauce and cooked in the oven.
In addition, right on New Year's Eve, the first regional brand of the Khabarovsk Territory appeared — "Chumikanskaya caviar", which is extracted from the spawning grounds of wild Pacific salmon in the Tuguro-Chumikansky district. But the Krasnodar Territory, the champion of regional brands, completed the 2025 gastrofestival — Yeisk Balsam was added to the gastronomic map.
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