Varenye

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Varenye is a traditional dessert consisting of various fruits and berries cooked together with sugar. The ingredients should not lose their shape, dissolve, or overcook in order for varenye to be properly prepared. Originally, varenye was cooked with honey before 1801 because Russia didn't produce its own sugar, and imported sugar was too expensive. Today, varenye is traditionally served at Russian tea parties, and the most popular varieties are prepared with strawberries, apricots, blueberries, and cherries. There are also some exotic varieties made with dandelion, tangerine, and rose petals. It can be consumed on its own, used as a topping for pancakes, or as a filling for various cookies and pies. Varenye is so popular that it was even one of the favorite desserts of some Russian tsars, Catherine II, and Ivan the Terrible.