From a zoogeographical perspective, lake trout are quite rare. They are native only to the northern parts of North America, principally Canada but also Alaska and, to some extent, the northeastern United States.

Lake trout have a body shape similar to that of trout and salmon. They generally have small, light, irregular shaped spots on a silvery-to-dark background; but color can vary considerably at different seasons and between populations. Lake trout are the largest of the charrs, the record weighing almost 46.3 kg (102 lb). Lake trout are dependent on cold, oxygen-rich waters. They are pelagic during the period of summer stratification in dimictic lakes, often living at depths of 20–60 m (60–200 ft).

You can find authentic Russian Lake Trout on many Russian Restaurants in Los Angeles.

Salmonids have a relatively primitive appearance among the teleost fish, with the pelvic fins being placed far back, and an adipose fin towards the rear of the back. They are slender fish, with rounded scales and a forked tail. Their mouths contain a single row of sharp teeth. Although the smallest species is just 13 centimetres (5.1 in) long as an adult, most are much larger, and the largest can reach 2 metres (6.6 ft).

All salmonids spawn in fresh water, but in many cases, the fish spend most of their life at sea, returning to the rivers only to reproduce. Current salmonids arose from three lineages: whitefish (Coregoninae), graylings (Thymallinae), and the char, trout and salmons (Salmoninae). Generally, it is accepted that all three lineages share a suite of derived traits indicating a monophyletic group.

The Salmonidae (and Salmoniformes) are divided into three subfamilies and around ten genera. Coregoninae, Thymallinae and Salmoninae.

You can find authentic Russian Salmonidae on many Russian Restaurants in Los Angeles.

The word trout is also used as part of the name of some non-salmonid fish such as Cynoscion nebulosus, the spotted seatrout or speckled trout. The name trout is commonly used for some species in three of the seven genera in the subfamily Salmoninae: Salmo, Atlantic species; Oncorhynchus, Pacific species; and Salvelinus, which includes fish also sometimes called char or charr.

Trout that live in different environments can have dramatically different colorations and patterns. Mostly, these colors and patterns form as camouflage, based on the surroundings, and will change as the fish moves to different habitats. Trout in, or newly returned from the sea, can look very silvery, while the same “genetic” fish living in a small stream or in an alpine lake could have pronounced markings and more vivid coloration. It is virtually impossible to define a particular color pattern as belonging to a specific breed; however, in general, wild fish are claimed to have more vivid colors and patterns.

Trout are usually found in cool (50–60 °F, 10–16 °C), clear streams and lakes, although many of the species have anadromous strains as well. Young trout are referred to as troutlet or troutling or fry. They are distributed naturally throughout North America, northern Asia and Europe. Trout generally feed on other fish, and soft bodied aquatic invertebrates, such as flies, mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies, mollusks and dragonflies. In lakes, various species of zooplankton often form a large part of the diet.

You can find authentic Russian Trout on many Russian Restaurants in Los Angeles.

Salmon is a popular food. Classified as an “oily fish”, salmon is considered to be healthy due to the fish’s high protein, high Omega-3 fatty acids, and high vitamin D content. Salmon is also a source of cholesterol, with a range of 23–214 mg/100g depending on the species. According to reports in the journal Science, however, farmed salmon may contain high levels of dioxins. PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) levels may be up to eight times higher in farmed salmon than in wild salmon. Omega-3 content may also be lower than in wild caught specimens, and in a different proportion to what is found naturally.

Salmon flesh is generally orange to red, although there are some examples of white fleshed wild salmon. The natural colour of salmon results from carotenoid pigments, largely astaxanthin but also canthaxanthin, in the flesh. Wild salmon get these carotenoids from eating krill and other tiny shellfish.

Canned salmon in the U.S. is usually wild Pacific catch, though some farmed salmon is available in canned form. Traditional canned salmon includes some skin (which is harmless) and bone (which adds calcium). Skinless and boneless canned salmon is also available.

You can find authentic Russian Salmon on many Russian Restaurants in Los Angeles.

A full botvinya consists of three parts:
1.    The soup.
2.    Boiled “red” (most prized) fish (salmon, sturgeon, or stellate sturgeon), that is served separately from soup.
3.    Crushed ice, served on a separate platter or cup.

The name of the soup comes from the Russian word botva, which means “leafy tops of root vegetables”, and the ingredients are in line with the name: leafy tops of young beet, beetroots, oxalate sorrel, green onions, dill, cucumbers, and two types of kvass, then some mustard, lemon juice, and horseradish as spices.

It is eaten as the first course or right after a hot soup, before the second course as an appetizer. It is eaten using two spoons and a fork: the fork is used to eat the fish, the first spoon to sip the soup and the second spoon to put ice into the soup, so it stays cold for a long time. Botvin’ya is eaten with fresh rye bread.

You can find authentic Russian Botvinya on many Russian Restaurants in Los Angeles.

Kefir comes from two Persian words- “kef” (foam) and “shir” (milk).

Kefir grains are a combination of bacteria and yeasts in a matrix of proteins, lipids, and sugars. This symbiotic matrix forms “grains” that resemble cauliflower. Many different bacteria and yeasts are found in the kefir grains, which are a complex and highly variable community of micro-organisms termed probiotics.

Kefir has antimutagenic and antioxidant properties, and can possibly be used to prevent mutagenic and oxidative damage in the human body. One can change the nutrient content by simply fermenting for shorter or longer periods. Both stages have different health benefits. For instance, kefir over-ripened (which increases the sour taste) significantly increases folic acid content. Kefir also aids in lactose digestion as a catalyst, making it more suitable than other dairy products for those who are lactose intolerant. The kefiran in kefir has been shown to suppress an increase in blood pressure and reduce serum cholesterol levels in rats.

While some drink kefir straight, some find it too sour on its own and prefer to add fruits, honey, maple syrup, vanilla, agave nectar, or other flavors or sweeteners. Frozen bananas, strawberries, blueberries or other fruits can be mixed with kefir in a blender to make a smoothie.

Kefir is one of the main ingredients in Lithuanian cold beet soup šaltibarščiai (Polish chłodnik), commonly known as cold borscht. Other variations of kefir soups and foods prepared with kefir are popular across the former Soviet Union and Poland.

You can find authentic Russian Kefir on many Russian Restaurants in Los Angeles.

Originally a French product, it is available in many countries. It is traditional to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia.

Crème fraiche is produced by a process similar to that of sour cream, with the exception that no ingredients are added. Each processing step requires attention to maintain high viscosity. It can be made at home by adding a small amount of cultured buttermilk or sour cream to heavy cream, and allowing it to stand for several hours at room temperature until the bacterial cultures act on the cream.

Crème fraiche was originally produced in Normandy, a geographical region along the coast of France south of the English Channel. The crème fraiche from a defined area around the town of Isigny-sur-Mer in the Calvados department of Normandy is still highly regarded. However, it is now produced in many other parts of France, with large quantities coming from the major dairy regions of Britanny, Poitou-Charente, Lorraine and Champagne-Ardenne.

Crème fraiche is particularly useful in finishing sauces in French cooking because it does not curdle. However, “light” crème fraiche with a low fat content curdles when heated. Crème fraiche is a substitute for sour cream.

You can find authentic Russian Crème Fraiche on many Russian Restaurants in Los Angeles.

Sour cream, made out of cream, contains from 12 to 16 percent butterfat (about 14 grams per 4 ounce serving), and gets its characteristic tang from the lactic acid created by the bacteria. Commercially produced sour cream often contains additional thickening agents such as gelatin, rennin, guar and carrageen, as well as acids to artificially sour the product.

Used primarily in the cuisines of Europe and North America, sour cream is often used as a condiment. It is a traditional topping for baked potatoes, added cold along with chopped fresh chives. It is used as the base for some creamy salad dressings and can also be used in baking, added to the mix for cakes, cookies, American-style biscuits, doughnuts and scones. It can be eaten as a dessert, with fruits or berries and sugar topping. In Central America, crema, a variation of sour cream, is a staple ingredient of a full breakfast. Sour cream can also provide the base for various forms of dip used for dipping potato chips or crackers, such as onion dip. It is one of the main ingredients used in Beef Stroganoff. Sour cream flavoring can also be found in snack foods such as Pringles, to which onion flavor has also been added.

You can find authentic Russian Sour Cream on many Russian Restaurants in Los Angeles.

Smetana is widely used in many Eastern European cuisines, in appetizers, main courses, soups and desserts, for example, blended into local soups, vegetable and meat dishes, Cole Slaw, served with Pelmeni, dumplings, Pierogi or as a filling in savoury pancakes. Smetana can be blended to a Liptauer-like cheese spread with local cottage cheeses, onions, paprika and other spices, eaten with bread. It is often used in cooking, as it is high enough in fat not to curdle at higher temperatures. It is used in the preparation of meat or vegetable stews and casseroles, or other dishes that require a long cooking time in the oven. Smetana doesn’t melt in the oven and it doesn’t soak the whole dish like crème fraîche. Hungarian cooks use it as an ingredient in sauces like paprikas and in recipes such as ham-filled crepes (palacsinta).

Smetana is also widely used in Finnish cooking, smetana being more commonly used in Karelia and Ingria. In Ukrainian and Russian cuisine, sour cream is often added to borscht and other soups, and is used as a condiment for dumplings like vareniki and pelmeni.

You can find authentic Russian Smetana on many Russian Restaurants in Los Angeles.

There are mainly three different kinds of solyanka, with the main ingredient being either meat, fish or mushrooms. All of them contain pickled cucumbers with brine, and often cabbage, salty mushrooms, smetana (sour cream) and dill. The soup is prepared by cooking the cucumbers with brine before adding the other ingredients of the broth.

For meat solyanka, ingredients like beef, ham, sausages, chicken breasts, and cabbage, together with salty mushrooms, cucumber pickles, tomatoes, onions, olives, capers, allspice, parsley, and dill are all cut fine and mingled with cream in a pot. The broth is added, and all shortly heated in the stove, without boiling.

Fish solyanka is prepared similarly, but soup vegetables are cooked with the broth. The meat is replaced with fish, like sturgeon and salmon, and freshwater crayfish. Finally, some lemon juice is added to the soup.

For mushroom solyanka, cut cabbage is heated in butter together with vinegar, tomatoes, and cucumber pickles, with little brine. Separately, mushrooms and onions are heated, and grated lemon skin is added. Cabbage and mushrooms are put in layers, breadcrumbs and butter added, and all shortly baked.

Solyanka is also popular in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR – East Germany), where it is commonly found in restaurants and available in canned form in grocery stores

You can find authentic Russian Solyanka on many Russian Restaurants in Los Angeles.