What products never actually existed in the USSR

We would often hear from our parents or grandparents about how well they lived during the Soviet Union. They would tell us how cheap and accessible everything was, and that there was always work and even housing available.

However, the reality was quite different. For some reason, it is still not customary to talk about the significant disadvantages of living in the USSR. For example, the fact that certain food products never actually existed in the USSR. FoodOboz will tell you about them.

Groceries

Coffee, tea, canned food, spices, and preserves were associated with something fantastic in the USSR. People had to collect herbs in the summer to enjoy delicious drinks in the winter. Instead of coffee, people also used chopped chicory or barley.

There were no spices in the USSR either. Buying black pepper was considered a real stroke of luck. Even salt and sugar were sold in the form of large blocks due to improper storage, which had to be crushed by hand with a hammer to pound meat.

Chocolate

Soviet stores sold sweets that resembled chocolate, but only in appearance. None of them contained the main ingredient of chocolate, cocoa. When you tasted this dessert, you had to nibble on it, because it didn't melt the way real chocolate should.

Seafood

Only those Soviet citizens who lived in port cities could see squid and shrimp. The only product that somehow resembled sea food was krill meat. This is a canned small crustacean used for salads and quick meals. This product cannot be considered gourmet.

Cheese.

Of course, there was cheese in the USSR, but its quality did not reach the standards of other countries. The consistency, smell, and taste of the Soviet product did not make you want to eat it.

Wine and beer

What was sold in the Soviet Union as "wine" was not really wine. To taste truly natural wine, you had to go to Georgia, Moldova, or Crimea. But even those drinks were very far from today's standards.

Beer was available in only a few varieties. But its taste was very bad. People did not drink beer for pleasure, but only to get drunk faster.

Fruits and vegetables

The unpleasant smell of rotten fruit has always been associated with the store where it was sold. The only products that could be bought in a vegetable store were sprouted potatoes, rotten onions, carrots, and beets. Soviet farmers really knew how to grow good vegetables and fruits, but the state did not know how to preserve them. Therefore, they ended up in the store as they were.

Semi-finished products

In Soviet Union stores, you could only find frozen dumplings. However, due to improper cooking technology and improper storage conditions, they were sold in one large piece.

To taste this dish, one had to carefully separate one dumpling from another without damaging the dough. This was not always possible, and the consumption of semi-finished products was quite high.