Exploring Russia. Yessentuki City Market

[SergeySud]

Last month I visited the North Caucasus. In 8 days I took a lot of photographic material. In the following messages, I will share albums with photos from different places and towns of Stavropol Krai.

First album is from the Yessentuki City Market.

Yessentuki is city in Stavropol Krai, Russia, located at the base of the Caucasus Mountains. The population is approximately 100,000. Yessentuki is considered as the cultural capital of Russia's Greek population.

You can see the prices in Rubles (₽) in photos. For today ₽1=¢1.5 ($1=₽66). It's means, for example, that 1 kilogram of raspberries costs $2.3.

Churchkhela is a traditional Georgian candle-shaped candy. The main ingredients are grape must, nuts and flour. Almonds, walnuts, hazelnut and chocolate and sometimes raisins are threaded onto a string, dipped in thickened grape or fruit juices and dried in the shape of a sausage. Churchkhela are popular in several countries besides Georgia, such as Iran, Armenia, Cyprus, Greece, Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey.

 Enjoy Yessentuki City Market Album

I'll be happy to share it with some fellows @KlaudiyaG, @helga19, @YK1001, @ErmesT, @KarenVChin

[ErmesT]

Thank you for the post @SergeySud, I love city street markets, and your photos are beautiful.

I love this one

and the bread, and the fruits, and .... everything

Thank you

Ermes

[SergeySud]

Hi @ErmesT,

During the Second World War, the city was occupied by German troops. You can see the legacy of the war is a German helmet on the photo. Also in the foreground you can see a samovar and a coal iron.

[KarenVChin]

@SergeySud, as I get older, I love going to farmers markets like this.  I can smell all your fruit photos! Freshly picked summer fruit and berries are the best!.

Cheers,

Karen

[KlaudiyaG]

Thank you so much @SergeySud for tagging me and for sharing this very colourful album full of fruits!

If I have to be honest the thing that really impressed me was the Churchkhelas. It's the first time that I hear and see this type of candy. Can it be found everywhere in Russia or only in this particular region?

[helga19]

Thanks @SergeySud

It is lovely photos! The fruit market looks so delicious!)

Best wishes,

[MashaPS]

Hi @SergeySud, 

Thank you for this photo that brings me back to my childhood!

I remember going with my grandparents to a market like this in Grozny selling some of their self-produced tomatoes and peaches. But, frankly speaking I have never try or seen Churchkhela.

Apart of that Caucasus is a great area to explore. Do you know that climate there is pretty much similar to Bulgaria's?

I am looking forward to your next post from your trip.

[SergeySud]

Hi @MashaPS, @KlaudiyaG

Most Russians have never try or seen Churchkhela. It's popular only in a few small southern regions.

Churchkhela

Is a kind of dried fruit jelly with whole nuts or dried fruits inside.

Another tasty story, but before get vegans away from your PC screen. :^)

In Yessentuki, at a private party, I tasted a local soup - Shulyum (Шулюм).

Shulyum. It's a hot mutton broth.

It's a simple hot broth with a lot of mutton or lamb. But sometimes it's cooked from slaughter-warm (fresh) pork or beef.

Usually the soup is prepared as a hangover remedy treatment,

on the second day after a party. In my case it was on the second day of the wedding party.

[KlaudiyaG]

Very interesting @SergeySud! I just checked the recepie for Churchkhela, it's pretty easy to make, but it's definitely time consuming. If I ever have some free time, I'll try to make some.

By the way Шулюм looks absolutely delicious! This is definitely my type of soup. 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing.

[MashaPS]

Hey @SergeySud,

Thanks for tagging me to this delicious looking Шулюм. I haven't tried it. Nor my grandmother has ever cooked such to me, nor as a hangover remedy.

By the way here in Bulgaria where I live a hangover treat is Шкембе чорба (Shkembe chorba). It's prepared from well boiled beef or lamb tripe, milk and some spices. 

Source: Wikipedia