Holodets (холодец)--it's one of two Russian foods that Americans very frequently dislike. I've heard horror stories about it, actually. The other food is salo (seasoned lard), and, because I like salo, I wasn't too hesitant to chow down when my host family offered me holodets for breakfast Sunday morning.

What is holodets? You know those jello creations that have carrots, fruit, or some other food-like substance entombed in jello? Holodets is sort of like that. Except the food-like substance is meat, and the jello is concentrated meat broth that has been allowed to become gelatinous. To make holodets, you take a large quantity of meat--usually several different kinds (we had pig and duck)--and boil it with carrots, onions, and spices for many hours. This softens and cooks the meat, freeing it from the bones, and it makes a strong broth, which you further boil down until it becomes thick. You then put the cooked meat into a pan, pour the broth over it, and put the whole creation into the fridge overnight. The broth thickens into a clear jello-ish concoction that encases the meat.

I think the hardest thing to get past is the texture, and that's probably why Americans typically shy away from this Russian dish. We like all sorts of slimy jello creations, but I guess the idea of jellied meat is off-putting. I had to give myself a little pep talk, but it turns out I actually really the stuff. And why not? It's everything a man could want--meat with meat jello. Think of the protein! And it's probably actually fairly healthy; boiling separates fat from the meat, and all the ingredients are simple and healthy. Add a little Russian mustard and you're set. Приятного аппетита, as the Russians would say.