Probably a tad off-topic,
But I would invite Ian's ideas of what the food was like there?
Mike, I certainly did not starve and during the two weeks I spent there I put on weight! There was a huge amount of protein but I can’t say whether this is a normal diet or due to the fact that we we’re on a semi-government sponsored trip.
The food was very ordinary in the main – lots of dried fatty sausage (coarse salami and blood sausage), smoked salmon and large, sticky, orange salmon eggs. Eggs were always hard boiled and there was always tomatoes and cucumber. Cabbage soup was very common and tasty. I never had any fresh bread – it was always tired and dry, and sweet – likewise the cheese, a cheddar like clone. Meat was most often fried in breadcrumbs a la Vienna Schnitzel. Potatoes and rice were served. The seafood we had in Magadan was superb!
And so to drink… Tea was far more popular than I had imagined – more so than coffee amongst the locals. My emergency stash of the stuff never got touched. “London Blend” the label declared with a fine picture of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben* on the box deep in darkest Siberia.
But liquids also hosted the dark side of the force… I expected Russian vodka to taste better somehow but I have to confess that the first few shots did not. After that I ascribe any improvement in flavour to the paralysis of my taste buds. The toast is an institution and undertaken with solemn formality akin to more ancient times – toasting your host, your colleagues, the mission, the State and of course Mother Russia – and any other country whose nationals were present. We had the UK, USA, Oz and Mongolia on our trip. You were expected to slam the first shot of the evening down in one but here’s the inside tip – you can sip the subsequent ones with no loss of face or offence to your host –
it is strongly recommended that you do this. That is my safety statement in this post.
The toasts went on all evening and I never recall the vodka running out…………….
The beer was very good and Baltika is recommended to those who imbibe.
Magadan Oblast (State) is a beautiful part of the world outside of the towns and would be on the worlds tourist maps were there more infrastructure. To those of an adventurous spirit I would recommend a visit. I would love to go back.
And finally to get back on topic, I never observed anyone cooking on electricity – always on gas.
*Just a postscript to say that Big Ben is actually the name of the bell that dongs the hour. The building is technically St Stevens Clock Tower – but not many realise this.
