Good Lifestyle

Nowadays, sudden guests are a rarity, but in the youth of our parents it was a common thing. Then there were no smartphones, and not every apartment had a stationary phone, so relatives or friends often came without a preliminary invitation. The owners had to be always ready for such meetings that it was not easy in the conditions of a shortage of goods in the USSR. What was the secret of the hospitality of the Soviet housewives?

Bread is the head of everything. Therefore, there were always reserves in the bread, which were purchased regularly, since almost all dishes were served with bread. In anticipation of guests on the shelves of a pantry or a basement, there were homemade canned food. The housewives pickled, quarrels and salted vegetables, as well as mushrooms. In the winter, jam and fruit and berries were surely cooked. In the USSR, homemade canning was truly a mass phenomenon.

In the kitchen there were also always stocks of potatoes, onions and carrots. And in the closet stood glass jars with fragrant home -made punnies. Although the guests rarely came empty-handed, the “minibar” gradually decreased.

Chicken eggs were always stored in the tray, usually there were at least a dozen of them, since the reserves were constantly replenished. On occasion, scrambled eggs were immediately prepared from them. Boiled eggs were added to a sandwich sandwich or tomato. Salo - -another favorite that is always present in the kitchen of Soviet housewives, whether in fresh, salty or boiled form. To prepare a delicious snack, it was only necessary to cut it and serve on a plate with black bread and feathers of green onions.

In the freezer, frozen dumplings with potatoes and dumplings were stored, which mother and grandmother carefully sculpted for the future, then to quickly feed the uninvited guests.

In a secluded place, you could see a jar with sprats, green peas and condensed milk. But, as a rule, scarce products were not used for ordinary feasts. They were protected for holidays.

Guests were often treated with homemade pastries. Fands and cookies were prepared for them. Formally, they entered only a cup of tea, but almost always everything ended with a magnificent feast.

Few people remember that in the Soviet Union there was a chain of stores called "Cooking", where you could buy ready -made vegetables for Vinhegog or Olivier, as well as cakes for tea. The “House kitchen” service for busy housewives was very convenient, although it was available only in large cities. Here they sold borsch, cutlets, soup and other dishes, indistinguishable from home.

Of course, the then feasts were not as luxurious as today. All ordinary citizens in the USSR lived equally modestly, but always joyfully met unexpected guests.