World Cup food: Russia vs Saudi Arabia

The football World Cup kicks off on Thursday with the match between Russia and Saudi Arabia. Admittedly, this is what Google told me because I couldn’t care less about football. Food, on the other hand, is a different story. So let’s put the two cuisines side by side. Who wins?

Eleven dishes each in the lineup: some snacks up front, traditional heavyweights in midfield and some sweet treats in defense.

Russia

1. Blini with caviar and smoked salmon
Football and Russia come together in this somewhat ostentatious, quasi-chic amuse-bouche. Did someone say new money?

2. Golubtsi
These cabbage rolls are filled with millet, rice or buckwheat groats. They are also stuffed with minced (pork) meat and vegetables such as carrot and onion.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOAfgYJAYfz/?tagged=golubtsi

3. Russian salad
It may have a reputation as an ordinary working-class favorite, but when the mix of meat, potatoes, vegetables, pickles and mayonnaise is prepared with love and care, it’s a guaranteed star player. Tip: for the ultimate Russian salad, use a slightly fresher, tarter apple.

4. Rye bread chips
Secretly, this snack has Danish roots, but snacks have transfer windows too, and the Russians welcomed this Dane with open arms. The bread is cut into pieces and fried in oil. Add a beer and you’re a tsar.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTjxpx8g24w/?utm_source=ig_embed

5. Okroshka
A traditional cold soup made with cucumber, radish, minced meat or sausage, boiled eggs, boiled potatoes and kvass—a fermented drink made from rye bread.

6. Selyodka Pod Shuboy
Thought it couldn’t get more Russian than blini? Think again. The literal translation of this dish is “herring under a fur coat.” Whether you build a little tower or serve it on a platter, it comes down to salted herring covered with potatoes, carrots, beetroot, eggs and mayonnaise.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BONCwSOjxZL/?tagged=dressedherring

7. Borscht
You may know this classic: beautifully red beetroot soup with beef and a dollop of sour cream. Just like okroshka, Russians prefer to make the broth with kvass.

8. Pelmeni
Originating in cold Siberia, these dumplings filled with a half-beef, half-pork mixture warm every Russian up. If they don’t, the potato-dumpling variation Klotski will.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj4eEnJgp_Q/?tagged=pelmeni

9. Piroshki
Piroshki come in many shapes and sizes: baked, fried, filled with roasted onions and cheese or minced meat, mushrooms and rice. Anything goes. Not surprising, since they’re true global citizens—from Japan to the Balkans, everyone knows a version of this versatile dish.

10. Syrniki/Tvorozhniki
Made with quark or cottage cheese and sweetened with vanilla sugar and raisins, these fluffy little pancake balls are eaten both in the morning and in the evening.

11. Plyushka
The Russians like things simple and straightforward: bread with melted sugar. Sometimes you don’t need much to score.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRjbUM-gpgY/?utm_source=ig_embed

Saudi Arabia

1. Yughmish
Small puff-pastry parcels filled with juicy meat—not too heavy on the stomach, but spicy enough to get off to a fiery start.

2. Mutabbaq
This folded cross between a pancake and flatbread, filled with minced meat, eggs, parsley, tomato, onion and jalapeños, came over from Yemen. Perfect for sharing. Take one for the team!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BaYhAhVHmYg/?tagged=mutabbaq

3. Samboosa
The samosa is as international as the World Cup itself. Saudis eat it with cheese, vegetables or minced meat.

4. Shawarma
Just as the Russians have their Russian salad, the Saudis—along with virtually every other Arab country—have shawarma. Do we really still need to explain why this is simply heavenly?

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKQ3Y_mAeRb/?tagged=saudishawarma

5. Nkhaat Pane
Feeling adventurous? Fried lamb brains are a delicacy in this kingdom. But perhaps you’d rather feed them to your opponent.

6. Camel burgers
The youngster of the team, for two reasons: 1. it’s a relatively new dish, and 2. “hashi” is used, which means baby camel. It should produce juicy, easily digestible meat with a mild flavor.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BR3fxw0BVWH/?taken-by=hashiburger

7. Kabsa
Few things scream #fitgirl as loudly as chicken with rice. As it happens, that’s exactly what the Saudis excel at. Traditional Al Kabsa is made with cardamom, saffron, cinnamon, lime, nutmeg and raisins.

8. Margoog
Is this lamb stew with vegetables and a sort of whole-wheat pasta sheets a little too spicy for you? Have it with the yogurt drink Laban and you’re all set.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTW7DrJBoQQ/?tagged=margoog

9. Kleeja
The Saudis’ national cookie: Kleeja, or cardamom biscuits.

10. Luqaimat
These fried doughnut balls are a festive snack in many Arab countries. Covered in date syrup or honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds, they’re a safe bet for a sugar rush.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bjzd29_HV4K/?tagged=luqaimat

11. Ma’amoul
A cookie made from scratch? Well, at least from shortbread, filled with pistachios, dates and—if you really have something to celebrate—figs.

Final score

Difficult! Taste is certainly debatable, and with a preference for chicken, dates and coriander, you might think it’s a done deal. But, honestly, Russia comes out surprisingly strong. Golubtsi? Oh YES! Pelmeni? Bring it on! And if those tvorozhniki are easier to make than to spell, they have a new fan in me.

Saudi Arabia started incredibly strong, but lost me at the fried lamb brains and (baby) camel burgers. However, it’s the ma’amoul that, in my opinion, ultimately bring them victory. Because yes: dates.