Zakuski are Russian appetizers: small cold dishes laid out on the table before the meal and eaten a bite at a time between toasts. The word means "little bites", and the table is famously generous: pickles, herring, salads, rye bread, and very often a dish of pickled mushrooms. A bowl of pickled black shimeji, drained and dressed with thin onion rings and dill, fits right in: small clusters of brown caps, savory and tender in apple cider vinegar.
Below: the mushrooms on a zakuski table and which jar to open, the classic zakuski dishes, how to set a table at home, a simple menu for eight, and answers to the questions people ask.
Mushrooms on the zakuski table
Pickled mushrooms are one of the classic zakuski, next to pickled cucumbers, beets and sauerkraut. They are usually served the simple way: drained, with thin rings of raw onion, chopped dill and a little sunflower oil over the top. With a slice of rye bread and a cold drink, it is the bite people come back to all evening.
Golden Grove makes five pickled mushrooms, and each has a place on the table:
- Black shimeji: small clusters of brown caps, the closest of the five in looks to the little forest mushrooms of a family table. Savory and tender.
- Crimini: whole caps with garlic and thyme, firm enough to pick up with a fork in one go.
- King oyster: thick, meaty coins with truffle oil in the jar. Put them near the smoked fish and caviar.
- White shimeji: lighter and brighter, good stirred into a potato salad or served with butter and bread.
- Shiitake: the most savory of the five, with tamari in the brine, for a table that likes strong flavors.
For a table of six to eight, one jar of black shimeji and one of crimini give you two bowls that look and taste different. A Build Your Variety Pack lets you choose the jars in one order and keep the rest for the next gathering.
"I was mostly worried they would be mushy, but the texture is actually really nice and firm. The black shimeji has been great in salads."
— Evan B., Golden Grove customer
Classic zakuski dishes
Pickles
Brined or pickled cucumbers are the classic bite after a toast. Pickled tomatoes, sauerkraut with a little oil and pickled beets sit beside them, and pickled mushrooms finish the row.
Herring
Salted herring cut into pieces and covered with raw onion rings and oil, often with boiled potatoes and dill. For a party, it becomes "herring under a fur coat": layers of herring, potato, carrot, beet and mayonnaise.
Olivier salad
The holiday potato salad, with diced potato, carrot, peas, pickles, egg and ham or chicken, bound with mayonnaise. Some families stir in chopped pickled mushrooms.
Vinegret
A bright beet salad with potato, carrot, sauerkraut or pickles and oil. Its color is half the point.
Smoked and cured fish
Smoked salmon, sprats and other smoked fish, laid on buttered bread or served with lemon.
Caviar
Red salmon roe on buttered bread or small blini is the festive version. A coin of pickled king oyster beside it makes a good contrast.
Cured meats
Thinly sliced cured sausage, ham or tongue, with sharp mustard or horseradish.
Stuffed eggs
Hard-boiled eggs filled with yolk, mayonnaise and herbs, or topped with roe.
Rye bread and butter
Dense dark rye, sliced thin, with good butter. It holds everything else together.
How to set a zakuski table
- Lay everything out first. Zakuski are usually on the table when guests are called to sit down, rather than set out as a separate buffet.
- Use many small dishes. Little bowls and plates, close together, so everyone can reach a few things.
- Balance the flavors. Something pickled, something fishy, something creamy, something rich, and plenty of bread.
- Drain the jars. Let pickled mushrooms and cucumbers sit in a sieve for a few minutes so the brine doesn't flood the plates, then dress the mushrooms with onion, dill and oil.
- Chill the drinks. Traditionally that means ice-cold vodka, with a bite after each toast. Set out sparkling water or a berry drink like mors for anyone who isn't drinking.
- Make ahead. Salads taste better made the morning of, herring can be dressed a few hours ahead, and the jars only need opening.
A simple zakuski menu for eight
- Pickled black shimeji and pickled crimini, one jar each, dressed with onion, dill and oil
- Pickled cucumbers or tomatoes
- Salted herring with onion rings and boiled potatoes
- Olivier salad
- Vinegret
- Smoked salmon on buttered rye
- Stuffed eggs
- Thinly sliced cured sausage with mustard
- A loaf of dark rye bread and butter
Zakuski questions
What does zakuski mean?
Little bites. Say it za-KOOS-kee. Zakuski (singular zakuska) are the cold appetizers and snacks served before a Russian meal or alongside drinks.
Are zakuski a meal on their own?
They can be. Traditionally they come before the main meal, but a generous zakuski table is often enough for an evening.
What is eaten with vodka in Russia?
Salty, sharp bites: pickled cucumbers, pickled mushrooms, herring, sauerkraut, and rye bread.
What are pickled mushrooms called in Russian?
Marinovannye griby. Salted mushrooms, a different preserve made without vinegar, are solenye griby.
Which pickled mushroom is best for zakuski?
Black shimeji for the look of a classic mushroom bowl, crimini for firm whole caps, and king oyster to sit beside the caviar and smoked fish.
The short version
Zakuski are small cold dishes on the table before the meal: pickles, herring, salads, fish, rye bread and a bowl of pickled mushrooms. Open a jar of pickled black shimeji, dress it with onion, dill and oil, and you have the bite that goes with every toast. For more spreads, see our charcuterie board shopping list and how to build an antipasto platter.