Tatar Pies

While in Kazan for a week and a half, I've been exploring Tatar food again. Tatar food includes elements of Russian and Central Asian cuisine, as well as unique regional dishes.

One of my favorite aspects of Tatar food are the many pastries. I've already written about gubadiya, which is a pie filled with rice, kort (a curd cheese), and raisins. I've also written about kystybyy, which are like tortillas filled with potatoes. In addition, there are pastries filled with chicken and rice and other assorted elements.

For an American, however, one of the most exciting elements of Tatar cuisine is that there are pastries that look like American pies! The slice above is from a pie made with dried lemons, apricots, and prunes. The tartness of the lemons mixes with the sweetness of the apricots and prunes for a sharp but sweet dessert. Delicious! There are also pies made with sour cream (and sometimes cranberries) that look and even taste somewhat like cheesecake.

Khurma

Today I want to write about a fruit that is popular in this part of the world but difficult to find in most parts of the United States. Khurma (persimmon) is easy to find and regularly eaten here in Russia, but many Americans have never tasted it.


According to Wikipedia, the English word "persimmon" comes from Powhatan, an Algonquian language related to Blackfoot, Cree, and Mohican, and means "dry fruit." Unfortunately, I do not know the origin of the Russian word "khurma," but I know that in Uzbek the word is very similar -- "xurmo."


"Dry fruit" is a good way to describe persimmon. It is a very dense, stiff fruit that looks a little like a tomato on the outside but is not at all as soft and watery as a tomato on the inside. In fact, you might say it is even dry, hense the Powhatan word. Being dry is not a common quality for fruits, so this makes the taste unusual. The consistancy is more like a potato than like most fruit, and the flavor is very sweet but in a dry way -- like dry red wine almost.


If you eat persimmon when it is too ripe or too unripe, it has a way of coating your mouth with a strange film. However, if it is eaten when perfectly ripe, it has a pleasant, rich, and deep flavor. Below is a picture of how I eat mine -- cut into slices. Dried persimmons are also fairly common worldwide, and some cultures such as Korean and Japanese make fruit punch using persimmons. Here in Russia -- as far as I can tell -- it is most popular just to eat persimmon raw like I do.

Flavored Milk

A reader of the blog, Irina, mentioned that when she was last in Russia, she noticed the phenomenon of "flavored milk." I decided to take a look and taste some if I could find it. I did not find a huge selection but did see two different brands of flavored milk for sale at the grocery story: Chudo (which is a popular maker of flavored yogurts) and Neo/Mazhitel.

Both brands sell small boxes of flavored milk that come with straws, probably aimed at children and perhaps adults on the go. I decided to try to Neo/Mazhitel version because it came in more original flavors. The Chudo brand came in predictable flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, while Neo/Mazhitel sold a peach/passionfruit version.

I tasted the peach/passionfruit version and found that it tasted like juice with a little milk in it. It was much thinner than I expected and much less milky. The box promotes the product as "vitamins, milk, juice." This seems to be a pretty good description of the taste, although in that case, I would change the order to "juice, milk, vitamins." It tastes like sweet peach/passionfruit juice with a little milk flavor and a vague sense that you might be getting some Vitamin C by drinking it. Healthier or more tasty than regular milk? I think I will stick with unflavored milk and have my juice on the side! Nonetheless, an interesting product.