Our groups involvement with the sense of taste primarily occurred during the first visit to Brighton Beach. The initial trip was characterized by weather conditions that were particularly uncomfortable and unpleasant due to the cold and strong winds. Nevertheless, we choose to treat ourselves to the ethnic Eastern European foods of Brighton during this trip. After exploring Brighton Beach Avenue and its neighborhood, as well as surveying the beach itself, our minds were completely preoccupied with pleasing our appetites. Subsequently, I lead our group into several Russian markets and cafés in the pursuit of preferably warm key food items.
First up was my personal favorite: Pirashki. Pirashki are fried dough buns that are typically filled with meat, potatoes, cabbage, or egg. One bite will immediately bring the concept of “homemade” to mind. The vendor who sold us these foods was conveniently set up in an extension of a food store, making it almost impossible to pass it by. The relatively inexpensive price of $1.50 allowed us to sample each kind except egg which was unavailable. This delicacy will immediately warm you up, which was exactly what our group needed on that frigid winter afternoon.
Our next stop was a grocery store called “A Taste of Russia.” Here we bought the majority of our meal. From the salad bar we purchased a small container of Olivier Salad. This filling salad contains boiled potatoes and carrots, bologna, green peas, cucumbers, eggs, and a mayonnaise dressing to give it a creamy texture. The salad is representative of the very yummy fatty characteristics of many Russian foods. In addition, this salad is popular in many other European countries, as well as Mongolia, Iran, Israel, and parts of Latin America. Next we purchased several meat patties called kotleti. Although there are many variations to the recipe, the general recipe calls for some sort of meat such as ground turkey or beef, breadcrumbs, onions, egg, and garlic. Kotleti, also referred to as “Mom’s Russian Hamburgers,” have quite a history in Russia particularly during the era of the Soviet Union. This was the primary meat dish of the USSR that could either be bought cheaply (not as tasty) or made easily from scratch. Our final purchase from “A Taste of Russia” was actually not a distinctly Russian food. As the name implies, Napoleon, is a flaky French pastry filled with a vanilla custard. In addition to France the dessert has many delicious variations in countries ranging from Russia to Japan to Australia. Many foods that are popular to Russia culture clearly transcend the boundaries of country.
One final component was missing in our meal: a beverage. We searched three additional stores for the fruity soft drink called Mors. The Russian manufactured drink was relatively expensive in comparison to the other foods we purchased, approximately $3.75 for a liter. We settled on two different flavors whortleberry and mixed berry (a combination of cranberries, blueberries, and blackberries). This drink is very popular in Scandinavian countries of Finland, Norway, and Sweden.
Unfortunately, our location for eating all of this food was less than ideal. We were limited to the open benches or chess-tables located under gazebos along the beach. We chose to eat in the gazebo which seemed to offer some protection from the relentless wind. We were forced to eat in a hurry as our hands and faces were becoming more and more numb by the minute. Nevertheless, the group enjoyed each of the foods. We also unanimously agreed that the experience could have been appreciated better under more favorable weather conditions.
In our second trip to Brighton we had minimal exposure to food. During this trip, however, we were able to explore more of the Coney Island boardwalk. Here we saw many fast food places such as Nathans, providing a unique American addition to the foods of the community. Asad, Robin, and Abraham happily enjoyed a portion of cotton candy from one of the vendors.
Although taste is an experience that is customarily associated with food, our group was able to experience this sense through the environment in addition to foodstuff. There was one location in particular that brought a bad taste to my mouth. The air on the Brighton Beach Station platform had an acrid, pungent taste. This sensation was reminiscent for me of the human pollution common to nearly all New York City subway stations.
~Mark
