Yum that no longer exists: Products from the USSR that are not produced these days

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

People who lived during the Soviet era often remember "how it was." Something was bad, like a shortage. But there were also wonderful moments. And most often they speak with love about some food products that cannot be found today. Read about a kind of chocolate currency, about a festive stew and jelly, which children happily gnawed instead of chips.

"Bird's Milk" sweets - a special currency and green "Tarhun", which was replaced by Cola

The famous "Bird's Milk" sweets appeared in the Soviet Union in 1968, after the Minister of the Food Industry Zotov visited the Czech Republic. There he tasted these delicious sweets and decided that they should be produced at home as well. A competition was held, the winner of which was confectioner Anna Chulkova, who lives in Vladivostok. The production was mastered by many confectionery factories and the wonderful delicacy began to be sold in stores. But buying "Bird's Milk" was not so easy. It was a kind of sweet currency that was equated with a bottle of scarce alcohol.

A box with such chocolates was a wonderful gift for a doctor or teacher, or another needed person. Of course, people themselves ate these sweets, but not so often. Today, sweets with this name also exist, but they taste very different from those that were produced in the USSR. There is little demand for them.

The symbol of Soviet carbonated drinks was the incredibly fragrant "Tarhun", which has an emerald color and natural ingredients. When Pepsi Cola appeared on store shelves, queues lined up behind it, and no one paid attention to the usual "Tarhun". Gradually, its production came to naught. When the producers realized what they had done, it was too late. In the zero years of the 20th century, analogues of the drink began to appear, but it was not possible to repeat the unique taste. The customers did not like the large amount of flavoring and coloring additives.

Birch sap in a glass jar and kvass from a barrel

Kvass has always been considered a national drink and was produced in large volumes. In 1985 alone, 55 million decaliters were produced. There were special factories where kvass wort was made, after thickening it was distributed to the breweries of the country. There it was diluted with water, put in yeast and sugar, and left to ferment. No pasteurization was carried out, that is, after-fermentation was natural. Kvass, which was poured into huge barrels, had a fortress of 1.2%. There was always a line of people who wanted to drink fresh kvask or pour it into a can to take home to such bottling shops on wheels.

In the nineties of the 20th century, the production of kvass dropped dramatically, and chemistry was added to the product. It was not possible to achieve the same taste as in the Soviet Union. The barrels were removed, the kvass was poured into plastic. Since it was now sold through retail outlets and stored for a long time, it was decided to carry out pasteurization and use preservatives. Wonderful aromatic kvass in a huge mug for 6 kopecks disappeared forever. However, not only him.

Today people very often look for natural juices in large glass jars. In Soviet times, no one paid attention to them. For example, birch sap has always been available, but not popular. And in vain. In those days, foreign stickers and exotic fruits were in the price. When in the 21st century people remembered about natural juices, the technologies had already been changed and there was no return to them. Today, concentrates are produced from berries and fruits and are diluted with water. Manufacturers claim that the taste remains unchanged, but those who have managed to taste real juices only grin. Today, real birch sap can be obtained only in the forest, and then, if you know the technology.

Kissel in briquettes, which was gnawed by children and stew, from which they made a festive dish

Kissel also belongs to traditional Russian dishes. However, in Soviet times, it underwent significant changes and became a drink. At home, they practically did not cook it, and most often they bought jelly briquettes in stores. This semi-finished product appeared thanks to the army, since the food industry was focused on supplying it. However, the drink became widespread in canteens at factories, schools, kindergartens. The cooking method was very simple: grind the briquette, add water and cook. About twenty minutes and you're done. The children, of course, did not do this. They just took pressed jelly and gnawed on it instead of chips. It was very cheap, even cheaper than your favorite ice cream. Over time, fruit and berry extracts began to be replaced by flavorings and the jelly lost its charm.

Stew is another legendary product. It appeared in Russia at the end of the 19th century, but became especially widespread during the First World War. Further, the popularity only grew. The canning factories in the USSR worked perfectly. The stew was often used to prepare family meals as well as in canteens. There was even a kind of festive dish: a jar of good stew had to be poured into coarsely chopped potatoes, mixed and simmered over low heat for about 30-40 minutes. It was incredibly tasty and nutritious. Today, some housewives are trying to cook stew according to Soviet recipes, but nothing happens. Too many additives, preservatives, flavor enhancers, and other unnecessary items.

Sausage Doctor's and Moscow's before frauds with the composition

In the USSR, there was a story about a man who saw at least 200 varieties of sausage in a grocery store in the West. Yes, it was a symbol of abundance under capitalism. In the country, on the shelves, one could find certain types of boiled sausage and sometimes cervelat. Today everything has changed, supermarkets have almost everything. But the very popular Soviet sausage "Moskovskaya" has disappeared. No, of course, the name remains, but the taste is not at all the same. The older generation argues that modern versions of boiled sausage are not at all as tasty as they were under socialism. It is difficult to explain this, because 50 years ago, not only meat, but also skins were part of Moskovskaya, maybe the manufacturer is missing some important point?

The same thing happened with the famous "Doctor". The original recipe for production was developed in the 30s of the XX century. It was planned to use this product in hospitals and sanatoriums. Actually, that's why it is called that. The composition provided for 70% pork, 25% beef, 3% chicken eggs, 2% milk. At first it was, but in the sixties, fraud began. They stopped using selected meat, added leather and cartilage, then began to put flour, though not more than 2%. In fact, the taste of the sausage depended entirely on how the management of the meat processing plant felt about it. But it’s true, the sausage was delicious.

Real Ice Cream and Condensed Milk: Before There Was Palm Oil

But the biggest nostalgia is Soviet ice cream. Undoubtedly, everything tastes better in childhood, but not everything is so simple. In the USSR, any large city could boast of its own cold storage facility. There were real leaders, for example, Moscow and Leningrad. The guests tried to buy a sugar tube, a popsicle in chocolate glaze with nuts, a Chestnut ice cream for 28 kopecks, and so on. The ice cream was high quality and delicious. GOST 117-41 was never violated, only natural milk was used. No palm oil or additives for you. This explains everything.

And condensed milk? Blue and blue cans are a real symbol of the USSR. Almost everyone made boiled condensed milk, and it was a real delicacy. Yes, and today you can buy condensed milk in cans, and some manufacturers are even trying to copy the Soviet packaging. But if you have never even tried a real Soviet product, then look at the composition. Instead of vegetable fats, palm oil is often used, artificial vanillin, a flavoring agent, and a preservative are added. What taste can we talk about here, alas.

The real deficit was sold in the USSR in specialized stores. But not for everyone. Such as the "Beryozka" store, where only a select few or foreigners literally got to.