Bizarre Russian Foods

[peacetraveler22]

Remember my post about the Ukrainian market? I wrote there that I love food and my position hasn't changed. In America, we're getting ready to enter the most delicious time of year. We'll celebrate Christmas in less than two weeks. For my family, this means big gatherings and feasts. I can't really say I love Russian food. During my visits I tried some local cuisine, but didn't like most of it. I'm a very picky eater, not liking fish, seafood or a lot of meat. Recently on a popular U.S. website there was an article entitled "17 Bizarre Foods Every Russian Grew Up With." Maybe you'll find it amusing. I picked the most interesting dishes from the list and I've tasted a lot of the items. For me, the most disgusting delicacies are all the food molds stuffed with meats, herring and other treats. Like this photo, where the dish is called "herring under fur coat." :)

1. Olivye salad. I tasted this last New Year's eve. I don't like mayonnaise, so I can't eat it. I never put dressing on anything, or even ketchup, mustard or other condiments. I eat most things plain.



2. Salo. I think this is now more closely associated with Ukraine. I tasted it in Kyiv - ah, chewy fat! Not to my liking. I eat a lot of chicken and steak and all fat must be trimmed. I know some people enjoy this part of the meat but it gags me.



3. Kvas. You can easily find this in America, but the taste is too strong for me. During my recent trip to Russia, I tasted birch beer for the first time. Delicious and lighter!



4. Kompot. This drink I really like! I've had it in several Russian cafes, including Cafe Mu-Mu where I tasted it for the first time. Similar to American fruit punch, but more tasty with the real fruit thrown in.



5. Varenyky. Is this common in modern day Russia? I remember it being the national dish in Ukraine, available everywhere with a wide variety of stuffing like meat, potatoes and sweet fruits.



6. Kishka. Never tasted it and there's too much meat involved!! I doubt I would like it. Maybe I'll be brave next time and take a bite.



7. Blini w/Caviar. I can't eat it though I tried during a New Year's eve celebration last year with a Russian family. Too salty, and I don't like the strong fishy taste.



8. Kholodets. This is the most interesting dish! I remember at the holidays seeing all kinds of creative molds made out of swans, birds, animals, etc. Very strange and funny. :) During Valentine's Day, maybe they produce heart shaped molds? I also ate a version of this at Cafe Mu-Mu and didn't like it. The jelly texture is odd and the minced meat wasn't very good quality.



9. Herring, mayo and pickle sandwich. When we were completely drunk at the seedy St. Petersburg vodka bar, the guys tried to get me to eat this as a snack. I refused and ate cheese and crackers instead. This thick brown bread would have been much better to soak up the poison!! Perhaps this is why I needed help walking home at the end of the night! :) Pickles - I hate this food more than any other!



10. No words for this photo! :))



11. In Russia, I'm completely addicted to the sweets and candies. This is my favorite. Each time I visit, my host always has a bunch in the refrigerator and I eat these bars daily. Delicious!



What's your favorite national dish?

Also, I wonder whether it's interesting to readers if I write about how an average American family celebrates Thanksgiving and Christmas? I can take photos and write about my family celebrations if it's an interesting topic? What do you think? Vote below please.

Comments

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Blini w/grated cheese - this sounds tasty! I would like it. I didn't know the history of the salad, thanks. Salted herring can easily be found in specialty shops in America. There are Russian stores in most major cities that will sell all these foods. Such stores aren't in Canada?

[moebiuscat.livejournal.com]

Yes, some Russian stores have it, but there are none in my neighborhood. Polish supermarket has one good variety but sold as whole herrings, so I need to gut and clean it, which nobody in my family likes. I meant it's not easy to find, but possible of course. Easy if you live in a Russian neighborhood, but I try to keep as far from those as possible. I prefer to selectively enjoy elements of Russian culture I like, without the multiple things that I dislike.

I like neighbors that smile and say "hi!" :-) I think a "fake American smile" is so much better than honest Russian rudeness. I'm prepared to sacrifice frequent herring consumption for not living in a gloomy Russian community... I will probably get some angry comments for this, but it's a free country :-) Many like living in a Russian neighborhood, so everyone chooses what he likes, nobody's forcing people where to live. So this is a strictly "IMHO" kind of comment...

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

"I like neighbors that smile and say "hi!" :-) I think a "fake American smile" is so much better than honest Russian rudeness." On this point, I agree!! However, I think most American smiles are genuine. At least mine is. If I don't want to say hi or smile at someone, I don't do it. I feel no obligation to smile simply because I'm American. This is a misperception about my country. It's a very open society, people commonly approach and speak to strangers, etc. But you already know this. :)

[moebiuscat.livejournal.com]

Sure, there is a reason I put it in quotes... I do think that smiles are genuine, and most Russians just don't get it. They are genuine in a sense that they show at the least a general willingness to be well-disposed and polite to you. What more can you expect from a stranger? Russians usually smile only when they feel a genuine emotion towards something, that's why they mostly don't get smiles from strangers. That's one reason I feel very gloomy mood in a Russian neighborhood - I remember when I was looking where to rent my first apartment in Toronto - everybody was very concentrated, sad faces, no smiles. Rude attitudes. And then I saw some smiley faces on some scary criminal-looking noisy Russian guys on a BMW, in Adidas sport clothes, lots of golden chains... I thought "No, thank you very much. I'll look somewhere else". Well, it was 13 years ago... Maybe things got better since...

[qi-tronic.livejournal.com]

"
I will probably get some angry comments for this
"
Not from me :)
To be in a Russian community is not the same as to be in Russia.
I once was invited to a "Russian" party through this site
www. russianseattle. com
But they started to talk about some specific Jewish things which I did not understand so I got a feeling that I do not belong there. :)

Also I grew up in Moscow where there are World-class events and, like in England, no one know their neighbours until directly introduced to them.
But communities are more like villages where everybody know each other and there are envy, gossips, very local news, etc.

[notabler.livejournal.com]

Blini =pancakes and I can buy them almost at any supermarket in UK and at many coffee-shops. With chocolate, jam and cream, they are mostly sweet here. In Russia are different varieties - sweet and savory. I never ate them with caviar, but with mince meat is nice, my husband loves them. I hated salo but could eat it frozen and then very thin sliced on piece of brown bread. Pickled (in Russia more popular fermented) food is very healthy, I have read an article on Dr.Mercola eg http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/29/sandor-katz-on-fermented-foods.aspx, particularly sauerkraut, it has some healing qualities for stomach ulcers and guts.