Russian Ice Cream – a Taste of Childhood
Ice cream conjures memories of childhood for people all over the world, and for this reason, it’s one of the most timeless childhood treats! Not only does ice cream taste sweet and refreshing and come in a variety of exciting flavors, it also reminds us of family, friends and carefree summers we spent as children. Arguably Russian ice creams hold even more nostalgic significance, and today we’re indulging in a blog post all about them!
Many of the classic Russian ice creams we know and love today were brought into mass production under Soviet rule. The GOST (Soviet food standards agency) ensured that only high-grade cream and milk was used for these delicious sweet treats, understanding that the success of the nation needed to be translated through the quality of goods supplied to the people. If you’ve never tried Russian Ice-Creams then consider the following a checklist for you to explore this Summer…
Stakanchik – Stananchik is the benchmark standard Russian ice cream. It consists of a cup-shaped wafer filled with vanilla or fruit flavored ice cream or sorbet and is sometimes sold topped with a layer of sweet milk chocolate. Although simple, this ice cream was one of the most popular in Soviet Russia, and has recently staged a comeback in major Russian cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg, where ice cream kiosks now feature this blast from the past once again!
Eskimo – Eskimos consisted of vanilla ice cream covered in a chocolate shell and were sold on a stick. The idea was that the stick would stop the vanilla and chocolate mess from ending up all over your hands. A classic beachside favorite, this ice cream was one of the most popular summer treats for decades in Russia.
Briket – The Briket was simply a serving of single flavored ice cream that came wrapped in paper, aptly named due to being the shape of a brick. Simple, cheap, yet surprisingly tasty and satisfying, this treat was a classic dessert for young children at home after dinner and even on occasion after a cooked school meal.
Sakharniy Rojok – Sakharniy Rojok was the original Cornetto, with a crisp, waffle-like cone and packed full of delicious ice cream, sauces and crunchy toppings like nuts, dried berries, and wafer bits. However, since the fall of the USSR western brands have tended to outsell the Sakharniy Rojok, making it more difficult to find and for many people simply a fond memory from their childhood.
Lakomka – A latecomer to the party, Lakomka burst onto the Russian ice cream scene in the mid-1970’s. It quickly established itself as a favorite amongst Muscovites, who would even brave eating this chocolate covered ice cream roll in the cold winter months! The upgraded version, known as the Shelkunchik, consisted of a Lakomka rolled in a thick layer of crushed honey glazed nuts. Yuuuuuummy!
Russian ice cream earned itself a reputation for quality thanks to the strict GOST rules, which ensured only the best quality ice cream was sold to Russian citizens. What was your favorite childhood treat? Share your stories with us via social media!