A while ago Christie asked her readers to share photos of some of the comfort foods they get for their kids. Some of our kids are Israeli through and through. We have two from Ukraine and Russia, three from Armenia, and four for whom Hungary is their “home” country–even if Craig wasn’t born there.
Since there are many many people living here who were born in the former Soviet Union, there are lots of shops catering for them, and we go to those places regularly. The curious thing is more the food we get from Hungary. Literally from Hungary. Most of what’s awesome we can’t find here, so it’s me, who buys the confort food whenever I’m in Hungary. Some of our non-Hungarian kids love it, too, especially the Túró Rudi in the first picture.
This is a dessert that we love! It’s sweet, dry cottage cheese covered in chocolate. There are now several variants with fruit jam and then these Guru’s with caramel or dark chocolate filling. There are several brands, but “Pöttyös” is the original. A while ago it was sold in Utah under the brand name “Dotty”, which is the literal translation of “Pöttyös”. The origin of this very Hungarian candy leads back to the Soviet Union, where a slightly different thing was, and still is produced, that was modified to Hungarian taste. When we can’t get the Hungarian stuff, we sometimes buy the Russian ones, though they are not as good, in my opinion.
Two more things that were still in shape to be photographed are the goulash paste and the Pick salami:
I might add that Pick is anything but kosher! It’s made of pork, and some of my kids won’t eat because of that. but others could live on them indefinitely. The “gulyáskrém” comes it two varieties, hot and mild. This one is mild. We use it for a lot of things, from sandwiches to adding it to an actual goulash.
There are a few more things that will come in the second volume when I’m in Hungary in February and do the actual shopping! Things just don’t survive long enough once I get home to get pictures!
Related posts:
What interesting foods. I didn’t know you could eat dried cottage cheese! LOL
Do the “Dotty’s” taste the same? I wonder if “World Market” carries them?
As far as I heard it was the same stuff except packaged for the US market. No idea if it’s still available, it was sold by a Romanian-Hungarian girl living in SLC, with the target audience being LDS returned missionaries who had served in Hungary. The Russian style version is sold under the name of Buratino, with Buratino (looks like Pinocchio) on the wrapper. It’s usually in the dairy section of the fridges at the Russian shops bioth here and in Hungary. I’ll try to find pictures of it.
Oops, sorry, wrong name, right character. This is what they look like:
Our favourite type of the Russian style goodies has condensed milk:
I think I have seen that before…. possibly in Ukraine?
I saw them in Kiyv, I think. Different name, tho.
Since Kristina was young when we adopted her, she doesn’t remember much of food from Russia, but she still loves soups (of all kinds EXCEPT fish) and especially loves borscht. Katya is non-verbal so who knows but she obviously likes borscht and beets!
And chammomile tea.
Now if we want to talk about what turned into MY comfort food during Kristina’s adoption–it was the special chocolates with HONEY that we could NEVER find else where in Russia or in Russian stores here in the USA. When we describe them people say, “Ah. Yes–that is a special chocolate in the Far East–we don’t carry it as it’s too expensive to ship.” I want some of that Sooooo badly !!!! Haven’t had any for over six years . . .
With Katya it was the pizza with fresh herbs that I grew to love in Kiev and oh my I would love some of that again! Plus tons of Ukrainian chocolate . . . I ate LOTS of comfort food while on this adoption . . . I needed a lot . . .
I wonder if anyone adopting from teh Russian Far-East would be willing to bring you back some of those konfetti? Maybe as a fundraiser? Hm, I’m giving myself ideas.
Do you have any photos of the candies?
What herbs were on those pizzas? Can you make them at home?
I will post about some very specific foods in my next post.
What are konfetti? Perhaps if I had a picture I could look for them here in Russia.
Konfetti are small, individually wrapped chocolate and waffer candies. It would be lovely if you could find that!
I am sure Hope Anne would love you topieces for that! 
Nope, no photo, sadly! They had bears and a beehive on them though! The bears were dressed up as I recall . . . in costume.
I don’t know if I could make the pizza taste the same at home but I do plan to try this summer when there are fresh herbs. The one I loved best had LOADS of fresh parsley and dill.
Ah, that makes it more difficult to search for.
Actually, I will ask at Arbat next time I’m in Budapest. The ladies might know.
Still better, I’ll buy a piece of everything that looks remotely like that and you can pick out which one is most likely…
I’ve looked all over even in Russia on return trip . . . Yoshkar Ola, Moscow (twice in Moscow) and asked people who lived there . . . if you can find it . . . you will be a true Hero!
Will do my best.
Big YUMMY on Hevel’s choices! Túró Rudi is awesome!
@happymom4 : Chocolate with honey? I know several kinds of honey candies, but not choc…sorry
I might write about our comfort foods
Yes, my kids love those “cheesecakes” we call them. We only get them when we commit to taking the ice box to the Russian store.
That is one of our biggest issues with buying the Russian ones. Because they are softer and manufactured differently they melt so easily. Or get crushed. So I stick to Túró Rudi if I can.
We all have our comfort foods. Mine are Chicken Parmigiana, Cheesecake with sour cream topping, and KitKats. Yum!
Oh, I love KitKats. What I really wish I had is the bite sized American style Milky Ways. One of the few things I actually miss from the States. Oh, and BYU creamery chocolate milk!