Real Market (it's the name, not a fantasy)

I know I've shown you a lot of photos of street vendors, including street meat and typical babushkas selling green onions and apples. Well, I don't want to give you the wrong impression but yes, this is the traditional way that  products were dispersed to the masses, with locally sourced meat and produce being the norm, and people supporting each other by buying from people they know. Well now, there's a new wind blowing... and it's not smelling so great.

I personally admire this locally reinforced supply chain. I believe that the least amount of distance that food has to travel from when it was living until it gets to your plate, the healthier it is; at the very least, the fresher it is. The American food supply chain is very complex and developed. In Russia, they are simply learning how they should create a supply chain, and it's taking over. Reports 10 years ago still showed that at least 50% of consumed food was locally sourced. A few months ago at Russia's 9th Annual Food & Beverage Forum, the key issues still showed a confusion with the current legislation and international supply chain possibilities with program highlights that appear to be focused on wine tastings and other gluttonous events for attendees seemingly on par with Russian business activities. All I am trying to say is that the powers-that-be are still jockeying for position in the real money-maker in Russia, the food supply chain, but the race hasn't been decided yet, and this still leaves us with an opportunity to walk down the street and buy some real food that was grown on a real farm by real people, before big business has put the little guy completely out of business. All that real food contains real sustenance for humans, and I certainly feel healthier when I eat food I've cooked with ingredients I buy this way.

I didn't mean to get up on my soap box, but people often ask me, why Russia, Chad? One of the biggest reasons is because I feel I can explore real food here, where I think it's impossible to do that back in California, even attending farmer's markets there which have become another marketing ploy in my eyes.

With all that said, I want to introduce you to Saratov's most popular hypermarket, Real. It's pronounced [Ree AL] (as in Al Bundy). Real is a sign of things to come. It is the local hypermarket that does so much volume in sales, they can operate on tighter profit margins, and supply fresher goods due to high turn-over. This of course seduces the local customers away from the street markets where prices are higher and quality can be questionable.

All of the food we buy isn't off a street, or in a communal Rinok (market). To be honest, buying food in Real makes me feel safer, although I know that the food is more likely to be genetically modified and processed in conditions that are less likely to be palatable. Real also has many other products than just food. Similar to a Walmart, we can buy a flat-screen television, an inexpensive winter coat, and the latest CD or DVD all at the same place. I have purchased some common kitchen items here while shopping for food.

Usually Real has some kind of promotion going on. For every 240 (around $9) rubles you spend, you get a sticker. It's similar to the old blue books of early days. you collect XX number of tickets and you can turn them in for a new knife, or a piece of jewelry, or something equally eye-catching. I have to admit, I found myself passing up the opportunity to buy some things we needed simply because I knew I could get stickers for the same 1000 ruble purchase at Real, and Veronika would soon have that beautiful new necklace she has her eye on. The point is, they are coming on strong with every marketing strategy and sales pitch that has long ago become cliche' in America.

As expected, the Vodka aisle is long and distinguished. The vodka competition keeps it cheap. A good quality vodka can be purchased here for around $10 a liter. I just bought a couple bottles of good quality Russian vodkas that I'll be bringing back to California as gifts for very reasonable prices.

By the way, the crappy American-made vodka Popov is imported and at least 3 times as expensive as the smooth local varieties.

Since I was here near the alcohol, I thought it might be interesting to show you these great bottles of brandy that I have seen on sale for the last several months. Apparently they are from Armenia, but the bottles are definitely hand-crafted, as I can see each one is unique and different from the next. Yeah I think those are pigs... or maybe they are bunnies, or some kind of hybrid. I get the feeling that by the time you finish the bottle, it will become clear.

My favorite part about Real is fresh bread. They still don't have any sour dough, but they do make French baguettes that  are fresh every couple of hours. I usually go by the bakery right before we are ready to leave and there's usually a fresh batch, still warm and soft waiting for me.

I just had to post this picture because this guy in the military fatigues was complaining to me that I am not allowed to take pictures. I'm such a terrorist. however, it is worth mentioning, there is no freedom like we have in America. There is no supreme court decision that says if it's in public, there is no invasion of privacy (Gritzke vs. Girls Gone Wild). (That one is for you Brenda, thanks for reading.) In Russia, a person or business can tell you not to take photos and they have that right. So basically, I keep my camera under my coat until I need to take a snapshot, especially in big businesses like this where they are expecting spies all the time. When my mother came to visit, she was taking photos in McDonald's and an employee rushed her to tell her to stop taking pictures. Of course my mother doesn't know Russian so she wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but it's a common occurrence, people seem to be afraid of random photography, perhaps a carry-over of the cold war. In any case, enjoy these pictures, I risked life and limb and perhaps exile to a Siberian gulag to bring you these photos from deep inside Real market in Saratov.

Inside the market is a hot deli counter. usually it only consists of cardboard pizza slices and rotisserie chicken parts. But they do have sandwiches which consist of a slice of meat and a slice of cheese with a piece of lettuce and tomato on a kaiser roll.

Sandwiches have not been very popular, and I can't find them anywhere else. I usually buy one of those French baguettes I was talking about and make a super sandwich of my own.

Chickens usually aren't individually packaged, however they are very fresh. We bought a chicken today that was just brought out of the box. That's where chickens come from these days, right? 80 rubles a kilo is currently $1.29 a pound. That's a really good price, we went back just 2 days later and  it was 89 rubles per kilo, and still considered a good price. I couldn't help but remember the 69 cents a pound I paid in California on sale about a week before I came to Russia. Well, these aren't California chickens, I don't have to worry about them tasting funny.

Of course Russian chickens lay Russian eggs, funny how that works. I will say that eggs taste better here... they actually have flavor. A nice, rich, fresh, clean flavor. I haven't made any hollandaise sauce yet, but it's definitely on my list. Remember the eggs I bought on the street a few days ago for 36 rubles ($1.27) for 10? Well, as you can see, they deal in bulk here at Real, but they aren't any cheaper. I will stick to the local farm-laid eggs.

Meat products are also in no shortage. This isn't the great famine that a lot of Americans associate Russia with. Perhaps this paradigm came from the Siege of Leningrad in World War II, but as far as I can see, no Russians are starving and this new food supply chain is supplying more Russians with more products in more places than ever before.

You will notice the beef shanks in the back of this picture for 189 rubles per kilo ($3.04 Lb.). I bought 2 of these for osso bucco which Veronika has been telling me she loves almost as much as she loves me, so I had to make some. Watch for tomorrow's recipe.

Pork has equally mysterious cuts, although I can buy baby back ribs and pork chops frequently at a good price. Apparently meat with bone attached is usually much cheaper than meat without bone because Russians feel they are getting ripped off paying for bone. Sounds fine to me. Hopefully it will take them many more years to understand that the bone means more flavors.

Real has a very extensive fish aisle. They do have some fresh fish, usually salmon that has been freshly cut into steaks and fillets. They even have a tank that has living fish, mostly fresh water, river fish or some flown in from further away. I keep wanting to take one of these containers of clams home to make some clam chowder with, but I guess I am still secretly hoping I will find fresh, living clams somewhere. I guess I should realize that's not going to happen anytime soon.

We approach the vegetable section and I can get packaged cilantro and dill and parsley, but not much more than that in the way of fresh herbs. I'm grateful for the 3 I can get since I use them often, and the flavor is usually great. Those 3 simple herbs can really add depth to so many recipes.

I love to make salads. Not Russian salads, but I mean vegetable salads, with iceberg lettuce as the main bulk of the salad. 59 rubles for a small, light head (you usually want to find heads that seem heavy for their size) means over $2.00 for a head of lettuce. I still buy it, but use it sparingly. Super sandwiches, home cheeseburgers, and the occasional vegetable salad. I still love my Ranch dressing on salads, so watch for that recipe soon.

Fruits and vegetables are really plentiful. The problem is watching the prices. I have had to pay $3 a pound for leeks before I realized it.

Oranges, lemons, apples, cabbage, and carrots are all very plentiful. I can usually find specialized vegetables at Real too. I call them specialized because you need a small personal loan to buy any of them. Avocados, asparagus, and leeks all top the list as the most expensive vegetables I have ever wished I could have. I mean nearly $8 for a small bunch of asparagus. Still, no artichokes, that's mostly a California crop, but you can buy marinated artichoke hearts in a small jar for about $30. I am glad to see these vegetables actually in Real, it means that as they become more popular, they will come down to a reasonable price. I just hope that it's not only me that will be buying them to increase their popularity.

One of the differences in procedure is that when you take your fruits or vegetables, it is up to you to weigh them and put a price on the bag. In America, each check-out cashier also has a scale that weighs fruit and vegetables. Even Real doesn't have that. You need to bag your fruits or vegetables, take them to this centrally located station of touch-screen scales and enter the product, which then automatically spits out a price tag for what you have. It's painless enough, but I have to wonder how many times people price the cheap tomatoes when they actually have the expensive ones in the bag.

On the other side of the produce department is a wall of dry products you can bag and weigh according to the amount you want. These are dried cereals that people eat as snacks. There is dozens of them to choose from, I assume with varying flavors. I haven't tried them yet, I don't quite see the attraction.

Fistashki (pistachios) and other nuts are quite popular in Russia, especially to eat with beer. There is even many products that are simply called "eat with beer". These unsalted, raw cashews are priced at $8.19 per pound. I guess drunk people don't notice the price.

The frozen food aisle has many bins of various products. I hope I will never be tested on what they actually are. It appears that anything can be breaded and frozen, then sold to the general public. I would guess that back in California, an open-air bin like this would never pass health codes, especially without at least a sneeze-guard, but here I think people actually buy this stuff. Hey, I can't be too critical, if I didn't know how to cook, this might be an attractive option. I think it's the Russian version of a TV dinner.

Russian salads are both enigmatic and enticing to me. It seems that Russians can make salad out of almost everything, and they do. Most look extremely tasty, but I have to remember that salad doesn't always mean vegetables. The most popular Russian salad, especially for New Year's Day is Olivie salad. It's a potato based salad with corn, peas, and bologna in a mayonnaise base. At Real they sell every kind of salad that you can imagine, and again, since there is high turnover, the price is reasonable and the freshness is obvious.

I have to admit, I don't recognize what all the salads are that they are selling, but there is always a long line at the counter where these salads are sold. I think I should be more adventurous and take a few of these home to test.

This was a big shocker. Bacon. Well, sort-of. This is not a cured or smoked meat at all like we are accustomed to in America when we buy bacon, however it does look like pork belly that is thick cut to resemble bacon. Maybe they don't have it right yet, but it looks like they are heading in the right direction. As soon as Russians get the taste for real bacon, there's no looking back. I've been seriously considering opening a bacon and a peanut butter shop. (no, not together you freak, hmm... maybe.) There are certainly specific American flavors that I can't wait until they become more available here. I must say, that Real has been the place I have seen some of these firsts. The prosciutto and salami pictured here was exactly 3 slices of prosciutto and 8 slices of salami priced at $7.93. Like I said, these specialty flavors are still extremely expensive, but it is encouraging that they are starting to enter the marketplace. As they gain popularity, they will surely come down in price.

Konfetti. Sweets. All Russians I know live on them. Sweets are more popular than air. One of my friends who is a size zero swears that she will not eat any food all day just so she can eat a sweet cake or candy. 

I don't know if that would be possible for me, but I do know that almost every street has a bakery or shop selling sweet cakes and amazing looking confections. So of course, Real should be no different. There is a huge variety of cakes and sweet things to eat here. I normally pass them up, but it was definitely worth a picture.

When checking-out in Real, and most stores, you are left to bag your own groceries. There is no boy struggling through a Summer job between his junior and senior year in high school. There is no retired man looking to stay busy. You buy your grocery bags and pack your own groceries into them. Yeah, that's right, you have to pay for your own bags. Actually, I think it's a pretty good idea. If we paid for grocery bags back in California, there would probably be less waste and more people using reusable bags. Save the environment, every little bit helps. 

Real has quite a few mini-businesses in the front. Everything from sushi to books can be bought here. I have even been known to buy a piece of jewelry in these little shops in the front of the mega-hypermarket. In any case, it's smart. There is even a simple guy standing in a cardboard booth near the front door selling coffee as you go out to (or come in from) the frequently freezing temperatures outside.

I don't know what you've been thinking, but I do know that when I first started traveling to Russia 16 years ago, I had some pretty strong paradigms of my own. Many of them did prove to be true, but I will say with all certainty, that today's Russia is much more progressive than I ever thought before. I can only imagine what Americans think about Russia that still remember President Reagan's speech asking president Gorbachev to "...tear down that wall". Well my friends, today there is no wall, and Russia is running into the future. I wonder what the next decade will bring. While I wait for it, I am glad that stores like Real are starting to spread across Russia because with the ingredients I can find here, I can create more of the delicious American Flavors.