One of the national past times in Russia and its eating an ice cream. It is not only eating ice cream that is unusual in Russia, it’s the fact that Russians like they eat ice cream in the middle of winter.
It could be twenty below zero, however, Russians will be eating ice cream. Further, Russians are not eating ice cream in cafes, but rather walking around on the street in Moscow or the city of saint Petersburg with ice cream in their hands and a smile on their face.
The best ice cream in town is family hole in the wall kiosks with plastic spoons and to go cartons and eaten on the street in the middle of winter in Russia.
I know where this tradition of ice cream in winter on the street in Russia got started.
Russian word for ice cream
The Russian word for ice cream is мороженное. This is pronounced maroshenoye.
There are over 300 to commercial Russian ice cream producers in Russia. However, of course there are many more small producers, mom and pop shops.
I think the best buy screen in Russia is found in this small privately owned Ice cream shops. Not one of the large 300 producers. The most recent trend in Russian ice cream is large international companies that we have in the west are trying to penetrate the Russian ice cream market.
Russian specific Ice cream
The strategies that Russian ice cream producers have is offering traditional flavors. However, if you want to succeed in Russia you have to offer something that is uniquely Russian. Therefore you have ice cream that has the colors of the Russian flag for example. Or Russian named after a historic monuments in Russia. Or something very unusual like birch tree flavored ice cream because birch is very common in the Russian forest. You need something that is specific to the country of Russia for it to appeal to the Russians because they are very nationalistic and proud of their country. This is in addition to the traditional flavors.
The basic ingredient in ice cream is milk, actually milk and cream. Of course you add other things like rock salt, sugar, vanilla, and ice, however, a the primary taste comes from the milk.
Other quality of the milk will determined the flavor of the ice cream. One of the good things about eastern European ice cream is, Slavic countries have very good dairy farming. I think most milk comes from local farms. Most of these are organic. My wife’s parents have a very farm. Well it is not really a dairy farm, they just have their own milk. This organic home grown milk is the best and many small ice cream makers only use this.
Another component of the taste of Russian ice cream comes from the natural ingredients which they flavor it from.
Where do I recommend to buy ice cream in Russia? Like I wrote in family owned shops. However if you are in Moscow one place I do recommend is the Pushkin cafe, it is a little more up scale. Go downstairs it use to be an old chemist. The menus are written in old Russian.
Let me know what you think about my post on Russian ice cream and if you have ever tasted real authentic мороженное in the winter.
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