Food in Russia

One of the many things I love about traveling is tasting different food. It is part of the experience, and is possible for those on a budget to those who aren't. Tastes might be different or foods might be different according to budget, but whatever path you chose is always an experience. Just don't east McDonald's or Burger King. Unless you have a spam burger or something very, very, unique to the menu I guess.

Here are some few items, which are easily available at grocery markets, that I tried during my stay in Moscow:

ряженка (ryazhenka)- This is by far one of my favourite things that I had while in Russia. It is baked cultured milk (I haven't found an equivalent product in the USA), but it tastes like the perfect kind of yogurt for me. It tastes ever so mildly sweet from the caramelization of the milk, but it's a perfect balance. It is pourable/drinkable, and some Russians like to add a teaspoon or two of sugar to a small cup of ryazhenka. You can purchase ryazhenka's with different fat content (like with milk), but I found the 2.5% fat content to be just perfect.

Кефи́р (kefir)- This is another yoghurt-type drink. It tastes like drinkable sour cream to me, but I add a teaspoon or two of sugar to a small cup. The color is pretty white, and it's consistency is like a pourable yoghurt. The sourness of this drink comes from the fermentation of milk. This drink actually originated from the north Caucasus region of Russia, originally being fermented in leather pouches. This isn't done anymore, but now I wonder about the taste coming from the leaather.

Квас (kvass)- This drink can be found in the supermarket in plastic liter bottles, or out in the street in small stands. If you have the choice, get them from the stands. It tastes better. I can't say that the taste is phenomenal, but it is a unique taste. Its best consumed slowly while having a good chat with a friend. It is Russia's version of non-alcoholic beer (or you could even call it Russian root beer). Although some kvass can actually contain trace amounts of alcohol, it is rather insignificant. This photo is of some kvass we got in a nicer part of town, but I actually found that the kvass we got from Red Square tasted better. I can't say what makes it taste better, so one day if you ever get the chance- taste it yourself. I assume that for beer drinkers, it will be an easy taste to acquire to drink kvass. Kvass is also an ingredient used when making the cold summer time soup  окрошка (okroshka).

Икра́ ('ikra'... or caviar!)- This small jar of small red caviar already is prepared with butter than other ingredients. Last time I had caviar was actually in the united states because a family friend of my Boyfriend's came over from Russia bearing gifts of small tins of red and black caviar. My first experience wasn't all too tasty. The red sturgeon caviar were large, oily, balls, which Boyfriend's mom prepared a buttered piece of bread, placing a tablespoon of caviar on top. The sensation of them popping all over the inside of my mouth is all too strange, and the saltiness also added to this. I couldn't take another bite, but at the same time I couldn't say that it was disgusting. It was just... different. Taste and sensation. But this little jar of 'ikra' goodness was a better experience. The 'ikra' was smaller, so the popping was of no bother, and all the ingredients mixed into this little batter made the saltiness just another part of the ingredient list. All I did was slab it on a slice or piece of bread and it was good to go!

Confections from Tomsk- Although these little candies aren't probably widely available in any supermarket outside of the city of Tomsk in Russia, I had the opportunity to have a taste of these "Tomskaya" sweets. The center is a like a mix between mousse and marshmallow, and not to sweet. It is covered by a thin milk chocolate shell. It is a perfect balance of sweetness between the two because neither ingredient is too sweet on the tongue. I wish I could have brought a box with me home, but it would have hung out in my luggage for an additional 2 months before arriving back to California. I didn't want to bring home old confections, so all I can do it hope that one day I can get my hands on this to share.

Behind Domo you can see a bag of what seems to be sliced bread. It is more or less that, but it is sliced, dry, sweet bread. I didn't have too much of this, I think I ended up having the last piece in the bag that had probably been hanging out for a while. It was a bit stale at that point, but it still maintained some sweetness. If I had gotten a new bag, I could imaging myself adding a fruit marmalade spread to a slice and making it even better.

Тархун (tarhun)- One day I saw this drink on a menu at a coffee shop called Shokoladnica (Шоколадница ... they are everywhere in St. Petersburg and Moscow, I bet they are elsewhere, too). I asked Ilya- a cousin of Boyrfriend's- what it was, it was hard to gather what he was trying to describe. Later during my stay, I came across this drink again, but in a vending machine this time. I decided to get it- might as well try it anyway. I had no idea what to expect really, which is always an exciting and strange sensation when it is about to hit your tongue. I tasted a hint of sweet licorice first, then a hint of citrus (but just a hint). It was a different taste for sure, and I liked it. After hitting up google for more information on this drink, I came to know that it is actually a tarragon flavoured drink! Never knew a beverage came out of such herb. This is traditionally a Georgian drink (no, not the state of Georgia in the US- remember that they have sweet tea!; I am talking about the country of Georgia located south of Russia, on the eastern side of the Black Sea) that was typically dyed green. It was actually created by a pharmacist in 1887. 

I wish I could list all of the amazing little treats- food and sweets alike- that I came across while on my small trek in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but those are the highlights, at least for now.