Macaroni – option for the poor? Not necessarily!
“Russian Durum” publishes an essay by a Russian blogger Svetlana Grishutkina, who shares her “relationships” with pasta over a quarter of a century.
Last October, news’ headers were flashing the statement by the Minister of Labor and Employment of the Saratov Region, Natalya Sokolova, that the poor, mostly pensioneers, could easily live on “macaroons” and veggies, so “that $50 is quite enough for minimal physiological needs “. “You will become younger, more beautiful and slimmer! Macaroni are always the same! ”She argued.
The minister was fired, the passions subsided quietly. Yet the sober feeling remained.
The association of two concepts – “macaroni” and “poverty” – turned out to be a very stable stereotype for Russians. And why is there to be surprised? Can you name such a historical period when the majority of the population of our country lived in prosperity? Perhaps you should not go deep into history and politics – we certainly cannot influence this. But we can improve our life and preserve our own health.
My sons, whose childhood took place in the 90s, can be said to have been whipped up on instant noodles. Well, still on cereals and potatoes. Many people can reproach me, they say, this is wrong, as it is possible … You can, if it is a question of survival. We bought gray macaroni for weight, which was carried almost on outstretched hands, very carefully, so that they would not break. We used the stopwatch to cook the same weighed gray noodles, otherwise it instantly turned to porridge. But, I remember it well, the price for such a noodles at one time, though not long, was even lower than the price of wheat that we bought for chickens.
Now we remember the 90s rarely, according to documentaries. The children grew up and, when I came to visit them, they treated lasagna bolognese made from sheets of Italian pasta.
I don’t grab the cheapest packs of pasta from the shelves for a long time. Out of curiosity, they began to acquire them from the middle price segment, and under stock – from premium, where only solid wheat reigns supreme. And, as they say, immediately felt the difference. This difference is especially noticeable on the noodles when filling the broth. You can just eat, but you can eat with pleasure: the broth remains clear, amber noodles (vermichelli) – one to one, slip into your mouth …
Now on our kitchen shelf lined up in packs with different types of pasta. Routine cooking has become an endless tasting game. Every time something new turns out. The only hing that remais unchanged is the good mood!