I would like to share with you some of my favourite staples.
If you have not moved to a different country before, you will be quite surprised at how depended we can be on our preferred food staples, these are things that we learn over time, or maybe it was what our mothers always bought that has now become staples in our homes, either way it is something that makes us feel more confirmable in our environment.
Coming to a new country and not being even able to speak the language can be frustrating, then on top of it all you can't even find something as standard as bread or milk.
It took me weeks, if not months, to find the staples that I liked, and to make your adjustment easier I thought I should share with you what I like in my home.
This white bread is great for sandwiches, and can be found at your local "магазин" (shop), however I have noted that the ones in the supermarket that looks the same, does not taste the same.
Ps. bread does not last for days... it is said that there are no preservatives included in the bread.
There are various milk products available, however not everything on offer is cow's milk and
the picture of a cow on a product can be quite misleading : )
There are all kinds of fermented milk products including kefir, and also types of milk, like goat and camel etc. available in the shops. Our favourite fresh milk is made by Food Master "Moloko", the bottle milk (shown on the right) is another great fresh-milk option. You do get long-life milk, which it is much easier to spot as it comes in the standard box packaging that we all know across the world.
Looking for yogurt
There are also various yoghurts available. My favourite drinking yogurt is Danone (which I can't seem to find as regularly as before), Bio Balance and Food Master's Bio C as seen below.
T
ubs of yogurt (йогурт)
are also available. Note that tvorog (творог) is a type of curt/cottage cheese which is very popular in this region and come in various forms like the great dessert on the far right, pictured below with the other yogurt products.
Unlike the supermarket in other parts of the world, I can't understand their display system (and I truly wonder if they have a system). Products are mixed together in the display areas sometimes under brand names and other times under product types, but most of the time it just looks like it is placed wherever there is a space available. It is therefore advisable that you know the Russian names of products that you want, so that you do not buy the incorrect items (a dictionary will do). However, if you are adventurous like me, it can be an interesting way of learning and trying out new things : )
