能砸核桃、砸砖头……俄罗斯大列巴为啥这么硬？

图源：视觉中国

正宗的俄罗斯列巴则要纯朴得多，用料很简单：面粉、酵母、水、盐。

Most Russian rye breads are made from rye sourdough starters, which gives them that tangy flavor, and dark rye or pumpernickel (whole grain rye) flour, which gives both the typical flavor and the dark color. They tend to be dense and chewy because the protein in rye is not as strong as the gluten in wheat flour.

You can serve Russian black bread with butter, cheese, or any other topping you like.

It has a rich flavor to it, so many people prefer to eat it with as few additions as possible. It is excellent when served with pasta, soup, or any meat you choose.

In times of trouble, Russian black bread has literally meant the difference between starvation and life itself. During the Nazi siege of Leningrad, residents ate black bread with hardly little else for almost three and a half years – and survived. In times of plenty and celebration, Russian black bread is a symbol of wealth and health.

Under the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Russia agriculture cooperation has been strengthened.

In the past 10 years, the compound annual growth rate of Chinese imports of agricultural products from Russia was 10.7 percent, which is higher than the growth rate of overall bilateral trade, according to the China Chamber of Commerce of Import & Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce & Animal By-Products, or CFNA.

Products such as meat, soybean and wheat have the potential to grow in terms of bilateral trade, industry insiders said.

Although imports of Russian beef products to China started relatively later compared with other countries such as Australia, Brazil, and Argentina, China has become the largest market for Russian beef products.

Russian beef first entered the Chinese market in 2021, and by 2022, Russia’s beef exports to China increased by 235.7 percent. As Brazil, Argentina and Australia are seeing a decrease in their export volume of beef, there will be an increase in China-Russia meat trade volume in the next five years.

Apart from meat trade, the Sino-Russian soybean industry trade is also growing rapidly.

China imports around 100 million tons of soybeans every year, mostly genetically modified, or GM, varieties from the Americas, which can only be used for making edible oil and animal feed.

“Soybeans from Russia are of non-GM variety, and they can be used for human consumption,” said Cao Derong, chairman of the CFNA, noting the huge demand for non-GM soybeans in the Chinese market.