People who happened to live in the USSR remember those times with nostalgia. Soviet families celebrated many holidays in the family circle. Along with the TV, which showed films that have become a legend of Russian cinema, salads and other snacks were indispensable attributes of New Year's gatherings. Unfortunately, modern housewives do not cook many of them for any holiday. And in vain... What dishes from the Soviet New Year's table have been forgotten today and are not perceived as festive?
1. Aspic
Soviet women willingly prepared jelly for the festive feast. Yes, today there are also lovers of this cold appetizer. However, few people consider aspic a dish worthy of a festive table. Today, women tend to surprise guests with dishes that have non-Russian names (for example, julienne, "Caesar", etc.).
On Russian tables you can see a variety of European, Oriental and even Japanese cuisine. But jelly was ruthlessly forgotten. Categorically and the opinion of nutritionists regarding this dish. Like, jelly is too heavy food for the human body. But the Soviet people were crazy about jelly, so this appetizer was held in high esteem at Soviet feasts. The dish was eaten not only on the day of the holiday, but also ate the rest the next day.
The jelly was prepared according to all the rules. For him, high-quality meat was purchased, which, even in conditions of total shortage, Soviet citizens managed to get for the holiday from familiar butchers. Bones and cartilage (which are also needed to make jelly) were bought at grocery stores. The difference between Soviet jelly and Russian jelly is that gelatin was not required for its preparation. The jelly hardened without the presence of this component due to the use of parts of the carcass containing collagen.
It is worth noting that for Soviet housewives it was important not only what quality of meat to use for cooking jelly, but also culinary subtleties that would seem to us not requiring attention. So, if two housewives (or more) in the same kitchen were busy with festive dishes, then hot fires could break out between them. disputes over whether to cut meat for jelly or tear into small pieces, whether to add garlic to a snack or not him. Often, culinary discussions touched on the issues of decorating aspic. So, the housewives could not come to a unanimous opinion on how best to cut the boiled carrots for this dish - in the usual circles or still asterisks.
The finished appetizer was delicious seasoned with horseradish and mustard. And this taste is incomparable with those aspics prepared according to modern recipes.
2. Sandwiches with sprats
Soviet people loved sprat sandwiches so much that this appetizer was on the holiday menu of almost every family. You could buy canned fish at the grocery store. They were produced in a tin, inside which they floated in a large amount of oil.
Today, sprat sandwiches are considered a modest budget snack. Because they are not seen on the festive tables. Many are simply embarrassed to serve sandwiches with sprats. This treat is too cheap these days, when black or red caviar flaunts at feasts, as well as various canapes. But in the USSR, the presence of sprats on the festive table was considered a sign of the material well-being of the family. The product was made from Baltic sprat, which was quite scarce and expensive by Soviet standards - 1 ruble 80 kopecks.
Even people with a modest income tried to get this smoked fish delicacy. Of course, a tin can with sprats was not placed in front of the guests. It already looked unethical then. The housewives carefully put the sprats on a plate and decorated evenly cut slices of rye bread with them. In addition to fish, the components of these sandwiches could be pickled cucumbers (quite often home-made) and thin onion rings.
3. mushroom caviar
Even Soviet citizens liked to eat sandwiches with caviar on holidays. Of course, black and red caviar was beyond the reach of the majority of the population of the USSR. Only very wealthy families could afford these products. But the common people did not lose heart and found an affordable replacement for red and black caviar. So mushroom caviar began to appear on the festive tables. Its main components were not only mushrooms, but also eggplant and zucchini.
This appetizer was very profitable, because it could not be saved. The hostesses generously flavored slices of bread with a thick layer of freshly prepared or store-bought caviar. But what about today? Nowadays, few people would think of buying mushroom caviar for a festive feast. He will tell the truth: in our country, this snack has long ceased to be associated with the holiday. On the contrary, mushroom caviar is perceived as a simple dish, designed at best for a modest breakfast.
4. canned crab salad
Crab salad is often included in the holiday menu today. However, in the USSR, this dish was prepared not from crab sticks (as it is today), but from canned crabs. The last ones were stocked up long before the onset of a special occasion, since it was not a perishable product. In addition, canned food had a completely natural composition, without the addition of synthetic components.
The crab salad was ready quickly. Even a novice hostess could handle it.
The dish consisted of the following ingredients:
• canned crabs;
• boiled potatoes;
• carrot;
• fresh tomatoes;
• fresh cucumbers;
• canned green peas;
• beans (optional);
• cheese (optional).
All components of the dish were cut into cubes, with the exception of tomatoes (they were cut into circles). Separately, it is worth mentioning the presentation of this culinary creation. To decorate it, the hostesses cut a green salad and put it in a salad bowl in a slide. The components of the dish were not mixed (as is usually done), but each was placed separately around a hill of green salad. They looked like small bouquets (each in a different color). In the center of the hill, cubes of canned crabs (without juice) were laid out on chopped leaves. The salad was dressed just before serving. Oil, table vinegar and canned crab juice were used for dressing. The crabs themselves were dressed with mayonnaise.
5. Cod salad with mayonnaise
This salad in the era of the USSR belonged to the festive dishes. It is believed that this dish appeared in Soviet restaurants under the name "Northern". The salad was served to visitors in beautiful vases. The appetizer could be recognized not only by taste, but also by the layers in which the ingredients were placed. The dish looked so delicious.
In general, it is worth noting that cod was in great demand by Soviet consumers. This product was willingly bought both in canned and frozen form. Soviet housewives liked to use cod when preparing festive dishes. Today, for some reason, holiday feasts for the most part do without this dish.
In fact, the classic cod salad recipe involves the use of frozen fish. However, in conditions of shortage, Soviet housewives adapted to use a more affordable version of this product, namely, canned cod liver. The festive dish also consisted of celery, apple, cucumber and radish. Mayonnaise was used for dressing. The salad turned out to be very delicate and refined in taste, and it looked very beautiful on the table. We can only be surprised that this culinary masterpiece has been unfairly forgotten.
6. herring salad
Well, what a festive table without the legend of domestic cooking - salad "herring under a fur coat." This is one of those dishes whose popularity has not diminished over the years. To this day, it is cooked and eaten willingly for any reason. But another option, more lightweight, for some reason was forgotten. It's about herring salad. It, of course, does not contain such a large number of ingredients as in Fur Coat, but it is no less tasty. In addition, this appetizer is prepared quite quickly. Boiled potatoes, pickles, onions and an apple are added to the fish. The dressing, which is prepared from vegetable oil, mustard and table vinegar, gives a special piquancy to the salad.
Believe me, this appetizer is worthy of a festive table! Its delicate taste is not inferior to modern dishes that have become fashionable to cook today.
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7. bean salad
Maybe other people associate the Soviet holiday table with Olivier, Mimosa or herring under a fur coat, but now I remember my favorite Vinaigrette salad. In general, in the USSR there were many dishes that included beans. Vinaigrette has survived to this day among salads. But here's another bean salad, which Soviet housewives prepared, including on holidays, today you can hardly see at feasts.
This dish was prepared much easier and faster than a vinaigrette. Chopped celery leaves, lettuce and carrots were added to the boiled beans. For dressing, a sauce of mustard, sugar and table vinegar was used. It turned out very tasty and satisfying.
Soviet housewives would undoubtedly envy the "arsenal" that we have today. We can afford a wide variety of products that are offered by supermarkets and grocery stores filled with edible goods. We do not need to think about what dish to cook - just open a culinary website and choose from thousands of recipes what you like. However, the ingenuity and skill of women who lived in the USSR are worthy of preparing their culinary masterpieces today.
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/051221/61461/