6 Types Of Russian Sandwiches Everyone Should Try Once In Their Life

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You're probably familiar with borscht, a sour soup that's served cold and made with dark red beets, but Russia has so many more culinary favorites beyond the famous soup. Fortunately, you don't have to book a plane ticket to try one of these iconic sandwiches. Just head to your local grocery store (or better yet, Russian market) to pick up your ingredients.

Some of these sandwiches are hearty, with ingredients like spicy Russian sausage or fish. Others have a little bit lighter of a feel and can be enjoyed at any time of the day. You can also put your own twist on a Russian classic by switching up your bread or toppings. 

If you want to pair your sandwich with something for a heartier lunch, look no further than a potato salad, but try making it Russian-style for something new. You can also include a small dish of raspberries (Russia is the country that grows the most) or a sweet syrniki, a Slavic sweet pancake you can recreate with cottage cheese. All that's left to do is pick which tasty sandwich you want to try first.

Russian tea sandwiches are the most well-known sandwich from the country, so if you've ever tried a sandwich hailing from Russia, this is probably the one that you came across. They are typically a combination of salty meat, creamy cheese, and mayo, but it's the addition of crunchy cucumbers that brings in that extra bit of texture the sandwiches need.

These traditional sandwiches combine Russian cold cuts with soft cheese and cucumbers on brown bread. Because there aren't a ton of ingredients, each one should be the best quality that you can find. Mild cheeses like havarti work well, but you can also experiment with cheese spread. Put a thin layer over your bread, then build the rest of the sandwich on top.

These are as delicious for breakfast as they are for lunch or as a snack. You can make a larger sandwich with more generous toppings if you want something to fuel up or stick with a single layer of each ingredient for a lighter option.

Packed lunches aren't a big thing in Russia, where many people bring leftovers instead of cold items like sandwiches. That doesn't mean that a great sandwich can't hit the right mark when you want something a little lighter to eat. 

A sausage and mayo sandwich may sound pretty simple, but like with other Russian sandwiches, high-quality ingredients are key when it comes to building a Russian-style sausage and mayo sammie. It's especially important to get sausage with plenty of spices for maximum flavor. Your mayo should also be high-quality, so consider a brand like Duke's, which is the mayo brand considered the best among chefs. You can always get inventive and add fresh basil to your mayonnaise for a different kind of flavor.

Many Russians love to slather mayo on sandwiches. When paired with hearty sausage (kielbasa is a great choice), it's a lunchtime staple. Just cook fresh Polish sausage to use in smoky mustardy kielbasa pasta, and set some aside to put on your lunchtime sandwich the next day. If you really want to get inventive, you can add other toppings, but to keep things simple, stick with flavorful sausage and rich mayonnaise. 

It seems like almost every culinary style has its own take on ham sandwiches. In Russia, gammon is the highlight when put on a sandwich. Each region use to have its own version, with many recipes have been passed down for generations. Over the years, however, many have become less popular or been phased out of production. The exception is gammon from the Tambov region, appropriately named Tambov gammon. 

This specialty cured and smoked ham is a popular option for sandwiches. It can pair with just about any topping that works with cold cuts, including all kinds of cheeses, tomatoes, lettuce, and more. For a true Russian-style sandwich, make sure to use dark bread, like rye, and plenty of mayo.

The murky origins of the iconic Reuben sandwich trace the sandwich that incorporates Russian dressing back to either New York or Nebraska (depending on which version you believe). However, using great ham like Tambov gammon is the perfect way to upgrade and make the best Reuben sandwich at home.

This Russian salmon sandwich is a great option for those who want smoked salmon. Murmansk salmon specifically comes from this particular region in Russia. Most of the commercially-available salmon are farmed and salmon production is a big industry in this part of Russia. It brings a saltiness to the sandwiches that is hard to beat.

You can put pieces of the salmon on rye bread with creamy spreadable cheese. Like other Russian-style sandwiches, cucumber can add some nice crunch, but a pickled version adds a little bit of tang as well.

You can keep things traditional and use a hearty brown bread, but don't hesitate to put your own spin on this sandwich. One restaurant serves it on potato-based waffles instead of bread. Pickled pink turnips with raspberry vinegar are a traditional Middle Eastern food that can be used like a condiment, and some chefs add it to Murmansk salmon sandwiches for a briny and tangy bite. Anything that lets the saltiness of the fish shine through will work very well.

The first time that you see a sprat buterbrodi sandwich, there's definitely one ingredient that stands out from the others. Sprats are a small oily fish similar to sardines that bring a briny but rich flavor to dishes. In this traditional Russian sandwich, smoked sprats that come in tins are most often used. If you can't find sprats, sardines will bring a similar flavor to your sandwich.

This open-faced sandwich is often served as an appetizer. It combines pickled red onion, mayo, parsley, herb salad, egg, and smoked sprats on brown bread. Start the prep by pickling onions in red wine and vinegar. Making your own is a great way to customize with different spices as well as salt and pepper. The other key element here is buttered bread. Dark, hearty bread like rye or pumpernickel works great, but you can change up your bread to try something new. 

Parsley mayo brings both herby flavor and creamy texture to the sandwich. An herb salad has fresh dill, parsley, and chives for even bolder flavor. Some versions also include hard boiled eggs on top. There are a lot of bold tastes on this sandwich, but it's the combination that really brings it all together.

Caviar sounds like an indulgent ingredient, but it appears often on top of simple sandwiches in Russia. Butter, mayo, or crème fraîche add a little creaminess to the salty roe.

Beluga caviar from Beluga sturgeon may be the top notch option, but it comes from endangered fish, so it's not the most sustainable (or affordable) choice. Red salmon roe is a great alternative that brings a similar texture and taste to your sandwich. 

You don't need a lot of caviar, since it has a strong flavor. In fact, the worst caviar mistake you can make is putting too much on your piece of bread or toast so that it overwhelms the other ingredients. Instead, put just a little bit on top of your creamy ingredients to bring in that briny taste.

You can use traditional rye or brown bread, but anything that's crusty and hearty will work well with the bold flavor of caviar. For something different, try a small pancake called a blini in Russia. You can enjoy the combo with crème fraîche on New Year's as a fun and luxurious treat.