Slavic cuisine refers collectively to the cooking traditions of Slavic-speaking peoples across Eastern and Central Europe, including Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, Czech, and South Slavic cooking. It centers on grains and bread, especially rye, fermented and pickled foods such as sauerkraut, dairy staples like sour cream and fresh cheese, and slow-cooked meat dishes such as borscht, pelmeni, and pirozhki. These cuisines share core ingredients and techniques but vary by country: Russian cooking leans on rye bread and sour cream, while South Slavic cooking shows more Mediterranean and Ottoman influence.