Chapter 1816: Authentic Russian Cuisine
Xiao Peng has lived in Europe for so long that he's accustomed to complaining about the British. In Europe, the British are synonymous with "taste problems" and "dark cuisine."
These Europeans definitely have no experience of living in Russia. Russian food can basically make people start to doubt their lives after taking the first bite.
How terrible is the food here? I remember when Xiao Peng watched a program where foreigners living in Daxia got together to talk, a British guy complained that he lived in Russia for three months and lost six kilograms...
What kind of food can the British really not stand? It all comes down to one word: extreme!
Russia also had difficulties in the past, especially in the Arctic region. Basically all food had to be transported from outside. By the time it arrived here, almost nothing was fresh. They used all kinds of extreme flavors to cover up the staleness of the ingredients, which resulted in the current unified characteristics of Russian cuisine.
The five words "sour, sweet, salty, oily and cold" can basically summarize the taste of Russian food.
For example, pickled cucumbers can be found everywhere in Russia. When people in China hear about this dish, they will definitely feel disdainful. We also have cucumbers here, such as pickled cucumbers and mixed cucumbers. How can we not tolerate Russian pickled cucumbers?
Why is it that Russia forbids Kashin from bringing pickles? One bite of the pickles here is truly life-threatening: incredibly sour, incredibly salty, and bitter! Don't say the Daxia people can eat anything. Ask any of our compatriots who have been to Russia: how many can handle the pickles there?
The people here are obsessed with salt: they just dip their bread in salt and eat it! They are very used to eating bread this way, one bite of salt and one sip of vodka.
Norilsk's fishing industry is quite developed, after all, there are rivers nearby. However, after eating the smoked and salted fish made by Zasosova, Xiao Peng collapsed. His tongue was numb from eating it! As a result, Terekin and the others gave thumbs-up while eating.
It would be fine if it was simply sour and salty, but the most important thing is that it is greasy. They eat butter salo, which is butter sprinkled with salt, pepper, etc., frozen into large white blocks of oil, and then sliced and eaten with black bread. The feeling is indescribable, the whole mouth is slippery, and it feels like a mouthful of tofu pudding.
But tofu pudding is not that greasy!
Moreover, they were afraid that there was not enough oil, so they spread butter on it when eating. This bite was really greasy to the extreme!
Of course, we have to mention their mayonnaise. They eat mayonnaise on everything, whether it is cold dishes, aspic, soup or dessert, they all spread a thick layer of mayonnaise on it.
Just how sweet are Russian desserts? Buy some Russian chocolate online and see for yourself. And if you ever bring back chocolate as a gift from Russia, your friendship might be over before you even finish it.
Zasosova's herring salad perfectly illustrates the sweetness of the local food: the herring is soaked in lard and then smothered with various vegetables, forming a layer cake. Then, it's sprinkled with chopped green onions, garlic, dill, and a whole bottle of sweet mayonnaise! What a bizarre flavor! The fishy smell of the herring, the spicy taste of the garlic and green onions, and the sweetness of the mayonnaise...
So scary!
Now Xiao Peng even misses the mashed potatoes he ate at the Clover... He almost vomited when he ate the beef stew with potatoes, but he could still swallow it. What about these things?
Xiao Peng just wanted to scream for help!
With so much food to eat, Xiao Peng could only chew on the boiled eggs.
"Xiao, don't just eat the eggs!" said Terekin.
Xiao Peng pointed to the plate on the table and said, "Give me a sausage."
Red sausage with eggs, oh, just make do with it.
Suo Xishiya handed the sausage to Xiao Peng, and a boy nearby said, "Hey, Suo Xishiya is giving herself to Xiao!"
Xiao Peng didn't understand what it meant at first, but then he figured it out: "Sozishya" means "sausage" in Russian. Russian surnames have many strange meanings, such as Zasosova, which means "hickey."
Suo Xishiya blushed after hearing this and started arguing with the young man who was talking. Xiao Peng noticed that these young people had a close relationship, like brothers and sisters. He suddenly remembered what Terekin had said just now, so he asked, "Terekin, what did you mean by the miners' family compound you mentioned just now?"
After hearing Xiao Peng's question, Suo Xishiya and others fell silent and looked at Terekin.
Terekin took a sip of vodka and said, "Look at the smog and pollution in Norilsk. How could the people living here not be affected? The average life expectancy here is over a decade shorter than that of the Russian population. Lung disease, indigestion, cancer, allergies, cardiovascular aging, blood diseases... these are all common ailments here. The cancer rate in Norilsk is more than double that of the rest of Russia! And what about the miners working in the mining areas? Many of them die young, leaving behind children, and the institutions that care for these children are called 'Miners' Family Homes'."
After hearing this, Xiao Peng suddenly realized, isn't this an orphanage?
Then Terekin continued, "It's different from an orphanage. The children there are all paid. They receive a basic salary from the Nickel Group and receive education at the Nickel Group's school. After graduation, they can choose to work for the Nickel Group or directly receive a sum of money to settle down on their own. It can be considered a benefit for the deceased employees."
Xiao Peng frowned and asked, "Are both parents dead? Is it so dangerous to work here?"
Suo Xishiya answered this question: "I have never seen my father."
The boy who had just been playing with her said directly: "I have never seen my mother."
Zasosova said, "You must have seen your mother, but you were still ignorant at that time."
"We have the lowest marriage rate in Russia and the highest birth rate in Russia," Terekin explained.
Xiao Peng didn't understand: "What does this mean?"
Terekin laughed and said, "Did you say 'Mechanica'?"
"How do you spell it?" Xiao Peng was stunned. He had never heard of such a word in Russian.
After Terekin spelled it out, Xiao Peng suddenly understood: "Of course, the German academic journal "Mechanical Engineering" has a good impact factor."
After hearing Xiao Peng's answer, it was Terekin's turn to be depressed: "What academic journal? What impact factor?"
Xiao Peng blinked and looked at Terekin, feeling like they were talking at cross purposes.
Terekin answered: "The 'Mechanica' we are talking about is our monthly cocktail party!"
Zasosova said, "There's also a name called 'Real Disco', a large social event. I'll take you there and you'll see."
Xiao Peng suddenly realized what was going on. He was about to speak when a boy named Sakharov suddenly said, "Did you forget something?"
Everyone looked at him in confusion, but Sakharov said, "Tomorrow is Shrovetide!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
