WHAT I ATE IN CRIMEA: Street Food

Here’s a little taste (hehe) of what the food and drink you can grab on the go in Crimea. Not pictured — all the draft beer, wine and kvas (traditional Russian bread-based soft drink) sold by the glass at small stands all throughout town and along the beach. All the cold beer you want, all day long — how much better can a vacation get?

Deep-fried cheburek and pan-fried yantyk are the two versions of the most ubiquitous street food in Crimea. Both dishes are of Tatar origin, and chebureks are very well-known throughout Russia. They are usually filled with ground meat and onions, and sold pre-made. In Crimea, however, they are done on a totally different level. First of all, you choose the filling of the pastry — usually a combination of meat, local Suloogooni cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms and herbs. Then you choose the cooking method and  it is made in front of you. I only discovered the existence of yantyk in Crimea and I prefer it to cheburek hands-down — not only is it objectively healthier, it doesn’t have that greasy aftertaste of anything deep-fried. And I like mine with cheese, meat and tomatoes, and with a little melted butter poured on top. 

The world went mad for shawarma after 2012’s Avengers, but this Tatar wrap has been a popular fast-food in Russia for ages, and was the go-to after-school meal for me and my sister before I moved to the States.  Once again, in Crimea the dish reaches a new height of freshness and flavor (although I had my mind totally blown by a shawarma in Brussels a month later, you will hear all about that). I like my chicken shawarma with all the usual accoutrements: cabbage, tomatoes, cucumber, a little bit of onion, tomato sauce, hot sauce and tangy mayo (though here I went totally mad and added cheese). It’s served in a plastic wrap so it’s a totally easy to take with you to the beach or elsewhere and not get it all over yourself.

A little open-air bakery. The round flat-bread, which is probably most reminiscent of Tandoor bread, is made right in that seafoam-colored oven, alongside some savory pastries, like the meat-stuffed samsa — the Tatar cousin of the Indian samosa.

Did you bring your beer to the beach but forgot the snack to go with it? No problem! Here is a mobile vendor with all the smoked fish you might want! If you’re having doubts about whether this kind of thing is sanitary or even sane, join the club. I never bought any of this stuff, nor any of the — seemingly very popular — mussel skewers sold by other vendors.

Need a non-alcoholic refreshment after all those snacks? Stop by one of the milk shake stands. The shakes are light, airy (many places advertize the “oxygen-infused” kind, whatever that means), and flavored with a variety of syrups, such as pear, black currant or melon. For no explainable reason whatsoever the most popular brand, “Sweet Madam” has dancing strippers on the label. Milkshakes – they’re fun for the whole family and a way to teach sexual objectification of women to even the youngest ones in yours!