What Russian goods foreign merchants were ready to buy for fabulous sums

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

Some goods from Russia cost a lot of money. And these are far from the products or resources that immediately come to mind. There were products that cost 20 times more expensive than red caviar, and were highly valued by Europeans. The state introduced a monopoly on many goods, because the revenues were huge, and the treasury did not want to share with anyone.

From alder and oak to dirty sheep's wool

For several centuries, one of the main products of export in Russia was potash, extracted from the ash of trees and plants. Alder and oak were most often used, burning them into ash, which was then dissolved in water and stirred until a kind of dough was obtained. They coated the remaining logs with it, piled them into heaps (the so-called buds). After that, the tower was set on fire, and the molten ash was collected in coolies from birch bark. The most ancient potash was obtained by burning wormwood.

Wormwood potash, made from grass from clean meadows, was widely used in Russia in the 15-16th centuries as a special additive for honey gingerbread dough. It was added in micro doses, giving the finished product a unique taste.

In Russia, this substance was produced in sufficient volume already in the 15th century, and from the 17th century potash began to be widely supplied to Western Europe. Exports rose from 800 tons per year in the 17th century to 18,000 tons in the early 20th century. In the West, Russian potash made from leaves and stems of sunflower, as well as wastes from sugar beet production, was in special demand in the West. This product was of excellent quality, which is why it was bought in large quantities. Such potash was used in glass making and soap making, as well as in cooking. True, it was not Russian cuisine, but Central Asian cuisine. Here potash was used in the production of drawn dough, and in particular such delicacies as Dungan noodles.

The production of potash required a lot of people, the work was hard, from spring to autumn the workers lived in dugouts near the fields where potash was produced. There were even the so-called potash penal servitude, for example, according to legend, such a penal servitude was in the village of Achka, Sergachevsky district.

In the 20th century, the quality of potash deteriorated significantly: dirty sheep's wool and hairstyles, old bedding for sheep made of straw, that is, raw materials that can hardly be called hygienic, were used. It was almost impossible to find out what exactly the potash was made of, so they almost stopped using it for culinary purposes.

Venetian mirror in exchange for a laxative

Rhubarb - almost everyone knows this plant. Many make delicious soups from it, and some even make jam. But not everyone knows that in the Middle Ages, rhubarb was equated in price to furs, and it was forbidden to trade it privately on pain of death. The state held a monopoly on the trade in this plant.

Why is the herbaceous perennial plant so honored? The explanation is simple: Russian cuisine was hearty and quite heavy, the pies alone were worth what! By the 19th century, in every home, you could find a bag or box with a fine yellowish powder - rhubarb was used as a powerful laxative after a hearty meal. Both the inhabitants of Russia themselves and foreigners, who appreciated the effectiveness of this miracle cure, took herbal medicine.

Peter I ordered the highest quality rhubarb to be used for profitable international wholesale trade. In 1711, a list of goods that belonged to the treasury was published, and rhubarb took an honorable tenth place there. By the way, having conceded only three points to caviar. The unique properties of the medicinal root were appreciated abroad. In 16th century France, its cost was five times that of saffron. And the Venetian merchants, preferring Russian rhubarb, offered stunning mirrors, crystal, weapons and fabrics for it. In many St. Petersburg palaces of that time, luxurious Venetian mirrors are still hanging, which were acquired in exchange for ordinary rhubarb.

What is more expensive - glue or caviar?

Another commodity in Russia in the 16-17 centuries, the right to export of which was owned by the treasury, was the karluk. This interesting word means nothing more than fish glue. The substance was obtained from the swim bladder of sturgeon fish. Sturgeon, beluga and stellate sturgeon were found in abundance in the country's water bodies, which made it possible to export karlu in large volumes. Of course, fish glue was also made in other countries. However, the Russian product broke all popularity records.

What was this glue for? This substance can be safely called a culinary delight. A small amount of karluk, dissolved in hot water, allowed chefs to make a wide variety of desserts: marmalade and jelly, jelly and soufflé, and quickly and easily. The addition of karluk made it possible to improve the quality of culinary products. They were perfectly stored, did not deform and did not collapse during transportation, they pleased with a bright surface and an excellent appearance. Fish glue was an expensive proposition, costing twenty times the price of gourmet black caviar. It is known that the Russian Karluk was used by Queen Victoria's personal chef to prepare delicious dishes. Moreover, he criticized Italian shops for selling counterfeits.

Fish glue was also used in an area such as brewing, with its help, the drink was clarified.

Fluffy gold

In the Middle Ages, Europe bought furs in huge quantities. Particularly popular were Russian furs, obtained mainly in the Novgorod Republic. In the 16th century, when Novgorod had already become part of the Moscow state, at least half a million squirrel skins left for Europe.

It seems that this is a lot, but there was even a so-called "fur deficit". It is not surprising, because expensive fur was used mainly by noble people, and they were not shy in their desires. For example, in order to sew a costume for the English King Henry IV, tailors used 12 thousand squirrel skins.

Many historians write that the development and subsequent colonization of Siberia began precisely because of the need for the export of furs. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the fur industry had a pronounced corruption character. Armed detachments were created to wean the finished furs, a "fur" tribute was imposed, and duties were taken in furs. Furs from all over Siberia were transported to the Tobolsk Kremlin, and after being checked and evaluated, they were sent to the Moscow Kremlin. A huge sum for those times - no less than one hundred thousand rubles - annually came to the treasury from the sale of skins for export. Only by the end of the 18th century the situation changed, and grain took the first place.

But foreigners did not like everything domestic, and vice versa. For example, some Russian dishes shock foreign people, they naturally cannot eat it.