Food Court

Well, I know you've all been wondering, 'where are all the food shots? All of her travel photos are always food shots.' Here they are, the multiple forms of food access in Russia. Even now, in November, you can still find some outdoor sellers--most bigger stalls are selling for vegetable dealers, as are the guys in the above photo. However, there are still some baboushka (older women) selling items from their garden. This woman had potatoes, cabbage, garlic, horseradish and carrots yet, plus some of that tomato/horseradish puree that I spoke of earlier in conjunction with banya. This is generally how the baboushka sell. They set up a box and put two to five items on it and replenish from the bags by their side as items sell. However, as it is winter, most individual sellers are kind of out of luck, and most larger sellers have moved indoors....

While Russia is full of standard grocery markets and supermarkets (I've already mentioned MosMart, right?), there are also many, many indoor small booth markets. These remain shopping experiences where you ask the clerk to reach for and gather your items, and then you pay separately (often) at the kacca (western alphabet, cashier) before receiving them. Next to our dorm, there's a multi-booth market where we often will get last minute items, or desperately needed milk, fruit or sour cream.

Everything is sold by weight, not only fruit and veg, but also meat and most fish. What this means is that you can get the meat cut to order everywhere, although prepackaged amounts are available if you like. Most Russians prefer to order by weight, so if you look behind the counter here, you can see where the meat is being cut at the dorm market.

Frozen food, too, is sold by weight, so tends not to be prepackaged in these kinds of outlets--or in most of the supermarkets for that matter. Instead, it is stored in big containers in freezer cases, so you can select how many you want. Most of the food here is some variation on ground meat (either as patties, filling, in breading) or fish (either as patties, filling, in breading). There are also many different kinds of palmini (western alphabet spelling, sort of like Russian ravioli) and frozen pastas as well. Most breads are not frozen, however, and are also available at a bakery shop in the same area.

Of course so are many other things. At these kinds of indoor booth markets, you can get clothing, housewares, DVDs, electronics, toys and magazines and alcohol.

Like most northern climates, the Russian diet is heavy on meats and fish, especially because both can easily be frozen. However, the emphasis on 'fresh' meat and 'fresh' fish can't be overstated. Very often, you can see the meat being cut from the half or quarter cow as you buy. At a tent market in town, we saw this tree stump which was used as a chopping block. Many Americans may be quesy at the thought, but it was perfectly acceptable to Russian consumers. In fact, they could verify the freshness of the meat by seeing it being cut right there...

Also, fish is either frozen whole, or still swimming. I was mostly surprised by the size of the fresh fish, they're really really big! In the display case is a lot of fileted and dried fish (next to the tank) and farther down (not pictured) the many, many frozen whole fish. Lots of shrimp and seafood are also frozen and available by weight of the number of your choosing.

The pigs' feet however (the yellow bits up on the counter) while fresh, have been smoked and have a set price...



These kind of butcher sales are generally connected to one of the collective farms. Very often, booths are rented by the collective farm so they can include direct sales to customers, as well as sell on the general market. Here in Udmurtia people are proud of their local production and like to support it when they can. These "local farms" though are not to be confused with small scale agriculture. Almost all poultry and hog production is confinement, and beef mostly feedlot. It's kind of eerie driving around seeing vast hayfields but almost no animals...but it's the same eerieness present in areas of the US...

Local collective farms are involved in processing too, not just cutting. Farms grind, season and smoke their own sausages and hams, and clean and freeze poultry. At a similar market not far from the campus, they are very overt about "local food" proudly displaying a sign signifying that this is an Udmurt product from Udmurt farms. They sell cheese, butter, milk, cream, smetana (again western alphabet, sour cream) and 'curds' which is kind of a really buttery cottage cheese. Very popular...

Of course, you can also shop for furniture. What makes this little booth store unique (besides being next to the bakery) is that all furniture is made to order. Many Russian flats are very, very small (the "Kruschev flat") so most furniture won't fit. Marina Maletova (interpreter Marina) was explaining to me that to have furniture custom-made here is not expensive, and in fact most people order furniture this way.

Here, they have some floor models to show what they can do, but also a huge rack of fabric samples, and a big book of wood samples inside as well.

In addition, there are several services--shoemakers and repairers, plumbers, electricians...

Oh, but I mustn't forget the bakeries! Russian bakeries are known for savory and sweet pies, and many elaborate kinds of meringue creations.

There is a a fish symbol on top of these savory pies, and in the ice cream cones is a kind of meringue, which also comprises most of the other items in the case. The desserts are very pretty and very wonderful....Russian drink a LOT of tea, so like to have good sweets to go with it. There is no shortage of options!

If the choice is to eat out, most Russians will go to a "cafeteria" which is basically that--a display of already cooked food, which is microwaved to order. The cafeterias are generally good, and very inexpensive. Most salads contain a generous amount of mayonaise--in fact if you ask for salad dressing in Russia you will get mayonnaise. (There are 25 different kinds of mayonnaise in the supermarket, but that's a picture for another day....)

If you have a bit more money (thanks to the American taxpayers, for example), you can go to one of the local coffeehouses or cafes. These are actually quite upscale in presentation, even if still generally affordable. Menus tend to be European influenced, but often have some Russian staples. Just about anything wrapped in pastry or a blini is bound to be good, like this shrimp here....I've also discovered it's smartest to order "greek" salad in order to avoid the ubiquitous mayonnaise. Also, the fresh feta is absolutely amazing.

This grape leaf is covering also an amazingly tasty eggplant concoction...and the lettuce leaf is not only unique but a deep and abiding treat. It's very difficult to find greens in the stores--some lettuce is sold with the roots still attached, perhaps so you can grow your own? I wasn't able to make that work however...

This celery soup was a surprise when served. This isn't a bread bowl, but rather is a big old turnip or rutabaga or something...Food quiz! I just know it's some sort of root vegetable, but would appreciate any authoritative identification--use the comment button!

To finish, a great cup of coffee. All my time on the train has offered me lots of opportunity to take advantage of the great tea and coffee service that comes when you ride 'koupe', although I had been missing the fabled russian glass service until just the other day on the way to Kazan. Very pretty, and even rare in Russia these days...