A treasure chest in Moscow for all meat lovers

If you are vegetarian or vegan, there is no need to continue reading because this article will be all about meat! Growing up in northern Sweden, a big part of my diet consisted of just that. Mostly of so called wild meat, such as moose and reindeer, that we bought from local hunters. But since I grew up on a farm I also ate a lot of chicken, turkey and lamb. Buying meat in food stores has always been foreign to me so while in Russia I eat very little meat. But nevertheless I am a meat lover for sure and therefore I am thrilled to share with you my latest discovery in Moscow.

Every time I am in Moscow I mourn the loss of not being able to eat moose regularly (I just realized while writing, that for many, I think, that is a very strange sentence…). I have been searching far and wide for it while in Russia but it is hard to get by. But just a few days ago I took a trip to Sokolniki Park to enjoy some long lost sunshine and came across a group of food stands in the centre of the park. What did I find? Well, a company that sells all types of meat from all kinds of animals. We are talking about sausages, salami, pate, basturma, paste, dried meat and much more. I cannot express how excited I was about my discovery. The meat comes from everything from more “normal” meat (at least in my opinion) such as moose, reindeer, deer, horse, lamb, capercaillie, grouse, boar, hare to more exotic ones such as bear, beaver, ostrich and crocodile.

The lady working in the stand was very nice, she explained what the different products were and one was able to try the meat before deciding on what to buy. Being in Russia I just had to try bear, something that is not at all common in Sweden. It was not my cup of tea at all but I am glad to have tried it and I know what I will buy my friends and family for Christmas this year! I ended up buying my moose and also some other products to try. I was surprised by that affordable price for such nice products, around 300-800 rubles depending on the product.

Before I left the lady gave me their card and after a quick search on Google I found that they sell their products in several places across Moscow and they also participate in many of the markets and festivals that are arrange in the city around the year. Browse in on their website to find out where you can find them: https://delikatess-dich.ru/. If you like meat and would like to try something new (for me many of these animals are normal to eat but I know from previous conversations with other students that for many around the world it is not), I highly recommend you to pay them a visit. Maybe you can buy meat from different animals and gather you friends for a testing? Or maybe you can do like me and give your loved ones an out of the ordinary Christmas gift? Maybe you will like it, maybe you won’t but I guarantee you it will be an experience. Which animals are typically eaten in your country? Does these ones seems strange to you or have you already tried them? Let us know in a comment below.  Приятного аппетита!