Lent is the strictest and longest of all fasts. Dietary restrictions apply to all animal products. However, during the fast, there are two exemptions for fish and one time for fish eggs.
Lent cuisine
It is not for nothing that Great Lent is popularly called strict. Through significant restrictions, believers cleanse the body and pacify the spirit. The fast lasts 7 weeks, each of which is dedicated to the memory of one of the saints of the Russian Orthodox Church. The most severe week is the last one before Easter. It is called Holy Week. This week the fasting people undergo the most significant hardships, receive communion and repent of their sins.
Throughout Lent, so-called short food is prohibited, that is, animal products, including meat, sausages, fish, seafood, white bread, pastries, mayonnaise, eggs, dairy products and strong alcohol. The list of products permitted for consumption includes fruits, vegetables, dried fruits, sauerkraut, pickles and marinades, mushrooms, legumes, nuts, cereals in water without oil, jelly, fruit drinks, fruit drinks, tea, kvass.
Monday, Wednesday and Friday are dry days, when it is allowed to eat only raw food. You can not even fill food with vegetable oil. And on Tuesday and Thursday, food is allowed boiled, baked and stewed, but also not seasoned with oil. On weekends, indulgences are made for vegetable oil and grape wine.
All of the above rules refer to the canons of church rules. However, there are also exceptions. Small children, pregnant and lactating women, and elderly believers are exempted from fasting. People suffering from certain diseases, especially those related to the gastrointestinal tract, should consult with a priest, who will decide on possible indulgences or refusal to fast.
Fish caviar in the days of Great Lent
Although fish and fish products are on the list of prohibited foods, there are some exceptions for this food category. For example, it is allowed to eat fish on the days of church holidays - on the Annunciation and on the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem or Palm Sunday, as it is commonly called. As for fish caviar, it is allowed only on Lazarev Saturday. On this day, the church remembers how Lazarus was raised from the dead. And fish caviar is a symbol of the holiday, as it represents the continuation of life. Permitted consumption of red and black caviar, as well as caviar of commercial fish - pollock, capelin, cod, herring, pink salmon.
Taking advantage of the indulgence, you can pamper yourself with various caviar dishes: pasta salad, avocado and red caviar; pickled caviar with boiled potatoes and onions, etc. And if you boil thick semolina porridge and mix it with finely chopped onions and pounded fish caviar, you get a simple and delicious pate. It can be spread on brown bread by placing a slice of tomato on top. For a person who restricts himself during Lent to the fullest extent, such a sandwich will become a real feast.
