I'm Here!

I realize I haven't written in a very, very long time. I also need to write about Moscow and Cairo, which I will do very soon. However, I'm super busy. I did find an old, old blog that I forgot to post... so here it is in case you want to read 2-month old thoughts on food!

January 30, 20:58 (Posted after writing)

I have just met Olga’s boyfriend Vadim. He asked me where I was from and how much Russian I understand, and then I’m pretty sure he said that any Russian is a lot for an American, but he didn’t say it in an unkind way. But then again, I might have misunderstood him and he might have said something entirely different.

Anyhow, seeing the difference in the amount of food that Vadim was served and the amount I was served, I think it is time to describe my experiences with Russian food.

Every student who comes to Russia is bombarded with entirely more food than they can eat. This leads American students to believe that Russians eat much more food than we do, but this gives a rather false impression. From what I can tell from talking to my teachers and fellow students, and seeing what is served at Russian restaurants, Russian host-mothers simply give their American students copious amounts of food because they believe that Americans eat that much – compare the amount of food served at an American restaurant to that of a traditional European-style restaurant.

Nevertheless, it is a sin to waste food in Russia, and students feel a responsibility to gorge themselves on as much food as they can. I have both uttered and heard the words “I eat until I feel sick” many times since I have been here.

The type of food eaten in Russia also contributes to the nausea. Don’t misunderstand me, almost everything I have eaten has been delicious, but Russian food is very rich and very heavy. It seems that there are eggs, cream, or a large quantity of butter in every dish.

Today seems like one of the lighter days so far, but let me describe the menu I have eaten (or at least been served) today:

Breakfast (At home):

Two halves of a sandwich bun, each covered with thick slices of slice-and-eat sausage (like summer sausage) and cheese.

Two eggs mixed with plain macaroni, cooked, salted, and then covered with melted cheese.

A cup of yogurt

Juice and tea

Lunch (At School):

A salad of lettuce, cabbage, onions, and tomatoes

Vegetable-noodle soup (with sour cream)

Bread

Fried Mashed-Potato logs with a mushroom cream sauce (sorry that’s a pretty poor description)

A large cream puff

Water and tea

Dinner (At home)

Borsht (with Sour cream)

3 pieces of Rye bread

A plate full of barley

Roasted chicken thigh

No food so far has really surprised me, but I am surprised by how much food Russians eat with their fingers. I didn’t realize that dessert blini are eaten by hand, and in general it seems that Russians are much more likely to simplify eating my using their fingers. We ate carp last night with our fingers, I have never eaten carp before and it seemed like a pretty good way to avoid the bones, so I whole heartily approved.

I believe Russian hostesses serve unending bowls of food because they’d rather stuff you than see you go hungry. In fact, I’m pretty sure the first time I’ve been allowed to feel hungry since I have been here was today, and I was asked if I wanted to eat at 6 and I chose to wait until later.

The only downside to eating so well is that now I am happy and ready to hibernate and it is only 21:30.