A traditional peasant or merchant's dinner consisted of just two dishes: soup and a main course. Fresh white cheese and various kinds of cold meats (usually smoked) were available, however, at least on holidays. Since wheat does not grow well in a cold and wet climate, Belarusians were always fond of a kind of somewhat sour rye bread, and the most traditional hard drink, the local vodka or harelka, was distilled primarily from a rye malt. The main vegetables were cabbage (often made into sauerkraut) and beets , while turnips , swedes , parsnip and carrots both stewed and boiled (with the addition of a small amount of milk) were somewhat less popular. The word soup was not known in Belarus until the 18th century when the nobility borrowed it from German, but soup as a type of dish clearly existed centuries earlier. Meat was in rather scarce supply for most people, and was primarily eaten only on the main Christian holidays. Kalduny, small boiled dumplings related to Russian pelmeni and Italian ravioli , were produced in endless combinations of dough, filling and sauce. The main dairy products include a kind of fresh white cheese and sour cream, which is widely used both in cooking and as a garnish. Belarusian cuisine owes much to Jewish cooking. The potato became so common in 19th century – there are some 300+dishes recorded in Belarus – that it came to be considered the core of the national cuisine. Historically, Belarusians had little access to seafood, and this is still evident in the cuisine. Side dishes are usually boiled, fried or mashed potatoes, buckwheat kasha, rice or pasta .
