Eat like a Stalker: How to Prep Canned Soviet Spam | Tushonka

[@thatguy9347]

Love how food in stalker can look just as horrifying as the mutants

[@clausroquefort9545]

they put more effort into the soles of shoes than the insides of the cans

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

Makes you wonder what the source of their meat is…

[@CharlesTaylor-o9p]

That's because it's made out of dead mutants... 😉

[@HacksawsHobbyBunker]

I have been wanting to sample tushonka for some time, between my hours spent in The Zone, and this excellent review, I now have a sidequest to go get some. Cheers!

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

Stay safe out there! Glad you liked the video! :)

[@diemervdberg7661]

I usually use the cheap versions for meat in soups or stews. It adds some savoriness and if it is a worse quality of meat, you don't really notice it. The combination of tushonka and grechana sound great actually because i'm a buckwheat lover :D I usually prepare it the rice way: add a finger tip (usually 1cm) of water above the level of buckwheat, bring to a boil and boil for 10 mins.

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

The soup idea is pretty clever, a can of this and a couple packs of instant noodles would probably make a pretty solid meal for a student. But yea, buckwheat is so common to mix with tushonka that it comes pre-added to a lot of varieties of the stuff :)

[@009013M3]

Cheaper meats usually have less intramuscular fat and more connective tissue. The former doesn't matter if you're stewing it, and the latter actually significantly improves a soup. I would go as far as to argue that "worse" quality meats may actually in many cases be better for soup. Case in point, gristly joint cuts, trotters, knobs of bone, even pure tendon. All wonderful for soup.

[@SgtRocko]

It's strong, so the soup has to be VERY hearty. In the USSR, my mum would mix Tuschonka in with Gretschke rarely - she said the Buckwheat was already meaty tasting and after standing on queues for hours for a tin of Tuschonka (and having to buy 2-3 tins of Seaweed salad per tin of Tuschonka to be ALLOWED to buy it) meant Tuschonka with Gretschke was only for VERY special occasions. Americans don't know what they're missing not eating Buckwheat (heck, Koreans make FANTASTIC Buckwheat noodles that I highly recommend!)

[@SamwiseOutdoors]

If one were to consume this canned comestible in a Soviet-era van, you may in fact be partaking in Tushanka in a Buhanka. I'll be here all night. Try the veal and be sure to tip your waitress.

[@SamwiseOutdoors]

Of course, I misspelled Tushonka. Goddamn it.

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

*rimshot* I actually enjoyed your joke, so it’s all good :D

[@SamwiseOutdoors]

Also too, "Lovecraftian" is the best possible descriptor for that tongue texture. I found it horrifying, and I would happily shove a sweet little old lady in front of a freight train for a plateful of tacos de lenguas.

[@jeromethiel4323]

So it sounds like Tushonka is a bargain bin Dinty Moore beef stew. And i love me some Dinty Moore beef stew. And oddly enough, it was the German experience in Stalingrad that taught us that fat and protein are far more important than just calories. Which is why military rations of today (from the countries that care about their troops), are very carefully designed to keep you alive and healthy in "robust" conditions.

[@WhatWouldVillainsDo]

I don't think people understand how important that fat is. Not having it is like running a 2 cycle engine without oil. It will run but it will be slowly destroyed without it. You need specific types of fat as well, you don't want stuff that when slightly cold looks like candle wax. The fat from around a pork chop is good and the fat from a nice chuck roast is maybe the best. I've been a butcher and have studied nutrition most my life so I like to think I know what I'm talking about.

[@WhatWouldVillainsDo]

O I forgot we're I read this, think it was about the mongle invasion of Europe and one of the main reasons was that the eastern Europeans primarily had a diet extremely heavy in grains having extremely poor teeth, arterial health and lower muscle mass compared to the Mongols who ate pretty much every animal they could get their hands on.

[@natp3450]

I remember my parents canning a lot of pork meat when I was a kid, they didn't have a freezer then and it was the best way to preserve meat for a long time.

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

I might make a follow up video where I actually make my own! :)

[@natp3450]

@ that would be awesome 🙌😄

[@brentongersbach]

I like that high praise in canned Eastern European stew is "I could eat this."

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

Haha comfortably calling something “edible” is sometimes a win! But the first can was legit really good, I totally didn’t expect it.

[@MrNikArt]

Cold tushonka is my guilty pleasure. Have it with a piece of white bread with a crunchy crust and it's something so good you can't believe it.

[@natp3450]

Oh .. yes! It’s so good! Reminds me my childhood

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

The Alan can was so good. I actually ate it cold with the bread I got for the video, I wouldn’t even call it a guilty pleasure! :D

[@Keranu]

This guy reminds me of dads from the 1980s. Very pleasant.

[@SlavicCelery]

I'm sorry the tongue texture hit wrong. That stuff can be the texture of a really good roast beef. Even the pork tongue options. But if it's done poorly, it's not fun for anyone.

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

It was a bit of a surprise, because I usually enjoy tongue, but this one was just... strange. But I won't let it dissuade me from trying a new tongue dish the next time I have the opportunity! :)

[@bruceyawen6160]

In germany we have something called "Frühstückswurst" ("Breakfastsausage") which is basically the exact same - even with the aforementioned fat cap. However its basically only eaten by older people and even there less and less so. I however love it on grey bread, with a big slice of pickled cucumber 😋

[@taylorsmith8059]

Lol, great video buddy! I can't imagine you've ate that much tongue. Thanks for taking one for the team in the name of Eastern block cuisine

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

Haha, doin' what I can with what I got! :D

[@christiankirkenes5922]

I moved to Eastern Europe, This is everywhere. Moose, Deer, Boar, Beaver, Beef, Pork and they have a smooth paste version that I also really like, spread on bread with some cheese. Stuff's delicious

[@thevintagerecipeblog]

Now hold on a minute, I was born in '74 and I love Spam, or any kind of tinned meat really. I grew up with my grandfather making something out of a can, Spam, corned beef, corned beef hash, Vienna sausages fried in butter. Having lived through the Great depression he was a big breakfast for dinner kind of guy.

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

Fried spam, corned beef hash, a country ham biscuit, eggs, and grits is the true breakfast of champions! :D

[@jamessell4490]

Finding Soviet style in the US is at best difficult if not impossible. You can buy Keystone Beef but it definitely needs bay leaf added to it when heated up. A bit more fat would also be welcome but it is pretty close and rather enjoyable.

[@maurimela4390]

The bay leaf is the game changer 😂

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

You can find it in most Eastern European grocery stores, but your suggestion sounds like a solid stand in!

[@Portland2006]

Really depends on where in the US you are. In the Pacific NW, major cities have lots of well stocked Eastern European stores. I use them for all my pickles and herring needs. I'd imagine the northern East Coast and places in the Midwest with large Eastern European populations are even better.

[@jamessell4490]

@Portland2006 unfortunately living in windy Wyoming choices are rather limited and any European grocery shopping will require a special trip out of state to Colorado. Will have to stock up next trip to the city.(Denver)

[@madaxe606]

"Lovecraftian texture' is nothing I've ever heard used in relation to cuisine... but it's sublime, and I'm stealing it. :)

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

Haha, use it responsibly! :D Glad you liked the video :)

[@Yegorific]

Canned food in the Russian Empire, and later in the USSR, was primarily an outgrowth of military rations. It's shelf-stable for years at a time, and can safely be eaten cold if stored correctly. SPAM was also a military ration circa WWI, in the USA. Service men got a taste for it, or at least a familiarity with it, and brought it home like PB and J. The USSR actually requested Tushonka from the USA and British Commonwealth nations like Canada, not because the soldiers didn't like spam, but because Spam was considered too lean by Soviet nutritional experts. SPAM is made from pork butt, which is shoulder meat; fairly tough and undesirable. American pigs are also not bred for fat, but only meat production. Not so with Soviet pigs. Soviet, and especially Ukrainian pigs are bred for salo, or fatback, which is used for cooking, as a condiment, and as a snack while drinking. When not a cooking fat, the fatback is cured in salt and spices, and sliced thinly. SPAM was actually supplied in small quantities to the USSR, probably to make up the shortfall of Tushonka or for civilian use. Soviet soldiers did appreciate SPAM, and prized it highly when they got it. But they also appreciated Tushonka, with it's roughly 50/50 meat-to-fat breakdown and simpler, less salty, flavour profile. A good tushonka also contains solid chunks of meat, with the texture usually produced by slow-cookers or low-and-slow BBQ. Which can be reassuring, if you think your canned meat might contain mysterious substitutions or additives. Due to it's reletively high content of animal fat, Tushonka is best eaten hot. It's commonly used in soups or stews or served with a side of potatoes or boiled grain like rice or buckwheat, but at a pinch you can simply spread it on bread (dark rye, not Texas Toast) for a make-shift sandwich. Or eat it directly out of the can, cold, like the videogame. You can obviously make your own Tushonka, with whatever meat you like, even fish. And you can season it how you like. Commercially produced Tushonka is usually beef or pork or a mix of the two, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and perhaps a bay leaf.

[@hailexiao2770]

The "SPAM is too lean" opinion is really interesting to me, because my Chinese American family always liked it for its fattiness compared to its even leaner East Asian versions. We were a frugal bunch when I was growing up, but we didn't mind paying a 20% premium for the real thing.

[@amerislav7627]

I was born after 1964 and I LOVE it!

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

Haha me too! I actually love spam, but I know a lot of people who hate it :)

[@SgtRocko]

At least where we lived in the USSR in the late 60s/all through the 70s, mixing Tuschonka with Buckwheat was a once or twice a month thing. MAINLY we had it in Makaroni Po Flotski - Navy Macaroni. We buy REAL Tuschonka now, but it's horribly expensive here in the USA, so for day-to-day meals we'll get the tinned Roast Beef most stores carry. It's not as tasty, but add some spice and it's totally almost similar lol

[@peerpede-p.]

I just love this channel, Ruskii food inlaid with humor..

[@jeromethiel4323]

It's rare that you see buckwheat used in American cooking, which is a shame i think. There's nothing wrong with buckwheat. It's great in stews and soups. My mother used to make an excellent beef and vegetable stew that was thickened with buckwheat.

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

Yea, it totally been lost from the American diet. I have a full video on buckwheat if you are interested, it goes over how it could be "updated" for more modern palates :) Thanks for the support!

[@MrPh30]

I worked in a fish and seafood / vegan restaurant for few years . We used a lot of buckwheat , in soups stews, burgers , rawfood bars , desserts and lot more . Soaked it , drained , washed it , food dehydrator machine ( mushroom drier ) then ready to use . It was fun to use and learn how to use that . And red beets , dry them in the dehydrator but first so the juice won’t get bleak when used in some ways I learnt . Or run them through the grinder with the borscht spices and then dehydrate in burger patties . Then instant soup or stew it can be used as . But digression about the beets . B

[@kirbyculp3449]

Kasha Varsnikas with split pea soup.

[@Yeong-ua]

Buckwheat is considered to be really healthy food, so I've been fed it all my childhood. Not sure it helped with health part, but as an adult I absolutely hate it

[@SgtRocko]

Jewish homes we eat it a LOT. Kascha Varnischkes - it's Gretschke with onions, mushrooms, and bowtie pasta. We have it a lot - though of COURSE we go to our local Russian grocery stores because the Kosher stuff in American supermarkets is GREAT but like 4x the price.

[@davidarnett1665]

Do you have a recipe for the home made version you mentioned?

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

Several people have asked so I might do a follow up video. But I will find a local “expert” who can walk me through it since it seems to be a bit more complex than a typical dish. So keep your eyes peeled for a future video :)

[@davidarnett1665]

@@TheKitchenCosmonautThat would be fantastic. I love your channel! Thanks for all you do.

[@dish_of_delight]

Thanks for shareing🎉🎉🎉❤

[@The7humpwump]

You eating that tongue looked like the surstromming challenge

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

It was a struggle. Ironically, I thought I would love it and thought the footage of me smugly eating it would be entertaining. However, once I smelled it I knew I was in trouble…

[@barman_ua]

Special respect for 114-th Tactical Aviation Brigade banner. Glory to Ukraine!

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

Keeping our skies clear of invader garbage! Героям слава!

[@karilang9377]

​@Slava Ukraine TheKitchenCosmonaut

[@Kohyoti]

Excellent combat ration. Not unlike salt pork, pemmican. Extremely energy dense.

[@AH6man]

Anyone got a usa link to the alan brand?

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

Someone else commented along the same lines, all I can offer is their website: alan.ua/contacts/ The contact under "ВІДДІЛ ЕКСПОРТУ" Would be the best to email and ask if they have distributors near you. Feel free to mention the video, maybe we can collaborate officially! :D

[@spiffinz]

Sooo... any issues with the liquidy one reported?

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

NO! Usually people dogpile comments on the strangest things, but when I actually really need an answer it's totally silent. Hopefully I will find out soon! :)

[@spiffinz]

@@TheKitchenCosmonautsituation where can't tell if it's totally fine it just got roasted in the sun or that's a jar of complete botulism LOL

[@spiffinz]

Sardines hot mustard onions pate sandwich sounds GOOD right now

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

I can get behind that! :D

[@survivalistboards]

What kind of knife?

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

In the game, it’s an M9. I used a Ka-Bar in the video

[@survivalistboards]

@@TheKitchenCosmonaut Thank you, but which k-bar from what company?

[@TeamCGS2005]

Why did you add the buckwheat to the Riga Gold and not to any of the others?

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

I wanted to sample them with different methods of preparation: cold, just heated, and "properly" served with fried onions and a carby element. I honestly thought that the Riga can was going to be the best out of the three so I figured I would use that, I was actually pleasantly surprised that the Alan can was really, really good. :)

[@couchcamperTM]

thushonka is hard to beat.

[@AlpineTheHusky]

Canned meat is incredible. Expensive, but DAMN IS IT GOOD

[@crakkbone]

I’m a canned fish guy, but I always loved a little SPAM fried up.

[@mrhappyfoot]

I'd like a recipe to make this and store it in jars

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

I might make a video in the future how to do this at home! Hope you enjoyed the video :)

[@kirbyculp3449]

Good idea.

[@j.c.bernardo7967]

The Riga Gold one reminded me of a chunkier version of corned beef from the Philippines.

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

That’s actually a pretty good comparison! Corned beef hash is a great comparison, but the tushonka has much less salt and a lot more fat, but they’re quite similar so, good eye! :)

[@Voiceoftheghost]

Did microwaving ruin the texture of the tongue by cooking it in the good ol' microwave fashion?

[@an.opossum]

Can't you make makaroni po flotski with this too?

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

I think that you would typically make that with farsh/ground meat, but I think it probably would taste similar. Just add pasta instead of buckwheat to your sauteed onions and tushonka. :)

[@OlagGan]

:In a can or in a pan. I do not like Tushonka Sam I am. From Dr Seuss' Russian Classic Cat in the Ushanka"

[@AndrewTubbiolo]

Are bug-out bags a thing in Ukraine? I would imagine if there's any place that might need them on a wide scale, it's there. Best of luck to you all. Slava Ukraini!

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

Well, most the people who needed to bug-out, already did :) But nearly every home has water, canned food, candles, battery packs, and documents stored somewhere away from exterior walls. So, yea I’d say every home and apartment has some “Just in case” stockpile. Героям слава!

[@AndrewTubbiolo]

@@TheKitchenCosmonaut Non Trump voter here. Hope the USA doesn't screw over Ukraine. You guys are in a lot of American's thoughts including my own. Good luck this year and fare well.

[@crakkbone]

@@AndrewTubbiolowatch out saying that! As a Canadian I can confirm: People on the internet are NUTS.

[@AndrewTubbiolo]

@ I say it without reservation. It's part of my first and second amendment rights.

[@crakkbone]

@@AndrewTubbiolo yea I was joking… Jesus Christ. sEcOnD aMeNdMeN whatever.

[@jimmysbro-ju5pl]

I was actually able to find two different russian markets here in houston tx where I could find some tushonka. I was actually expecting it to taste like canned corned beef with more liquid. It's more like the cans of roast beef in beef broth that you can get from walmart. I also managed to find cans of beef, pork, and chicken pashtet. Very hearty snack I must say.

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

The pashtet is great on black bread with some thinly sliced onions! Glad someone actually went out and tried, and liked, it!

[@jimmysbro-ju5pl]

@@TheKitchenCosmonaut i found that if you mix tushonka with a can of mixed vegetables and tomato paste, it makes a filling soup.

[@brettr6895]

I've looked into buying the alan brand tushonka but it looks like there isn't a way to get it shipped directly to the U.S. unless there was a kind soul that would be willing to ship it here.

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

I looked on their website, just go here: alan.ua/contacts/ Email the contact under "ВІДДІЛ ЕКСПОРТУ" and they might be able to give you more info :) Mention the video if you want, maybe I can partner with them :D

[@brettr6895]

@TheKitchenCosmonaut thanks!

[@Kbrusky15]

Its crazy to see an American ad for "supplying Nikolai" because not even five years later that'd come off as traitorous. 😅

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

What's even crazier is that this was an ad from Purina Mills, as in the pet food manufacturer. So this food that eventually became a staple of an entire region was made, in part, by a US animal feed company during WW2. But I didn't want to be too disparaging in the video and it would have been a bit too off topic :D

[@Deluxedracula]

Who else here is like, Oh I recognize that from SteveMRE kinda!

[@Portland2006]

Didn't like SPAM! Now we finally know why the Soviet Union failed.

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

Hear, hear!

[@akira2196]

Tushonka is popular in many Russian MREs according to Crazy Russian Hacker (Taras Kul)

[@p1xxyyy]

9:40 a little correction: eastern europeans wouldnt commonly mix in anything with buckwheat, as it is something like a bread in this instance, and also you can % it as you wish

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

I'm not sure why you think that, but it's incredibly common to mix with buckwheat. In fact, the can in the thumbnail (with a cartoon pig and buckwheat shown behind it) is pre-mixed with buckwheat. Other than just eating it alone or with onions, it is the most common way to eat it.

[@DOOM_A-O]

I thought Buckwheat was "kasha" (kawa on cans ive seen) or something. ( I dont speak anything but English and elementary Spanish so I could be wrong). That tongue looked horrific, looked like parasites coming out of it, I guess it was just the taste buds (oh god my stomach just turned D: )

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

Good question! Kasha (каша) actually means "porridge" in many slavic languages (Russian, Ukrainian, etc) and it is often mistranslated as "buckwheat" which is actually gretchka (гречка). So while you can make kasha from buckwheat (same as you can with oats, corn, rice, etc) it just comes from a misunderstanding that kinda stuck for a lot of people in English. I have video on buckwheat that explains it in more detail if you are curious! Also yes, the lingual papillae or cilia, or whatever its called, was super gross (I think its from the back of the tongue) and was possibly just an unlucky single bite but I was unwilling to try for round two :D

[@DOOM_A-O]

@@TheKitchenCosmonaut Thanks for the great answer, Ill give the gretchka video a watch. :)

[@MrChainsawAardvark]

I have to ask - what did Jewish and Muslim people eat in the Soviet Union - since neither of those ethnic groups consume pork.

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

Ohh, that's actually an interesting question, A LOT of food from this region is very pork centric. I know that today chicken and lamb are common amongst the Islamic communities of Central Asia and the Caucus and Yiddish/Ashkenazi cuisine was extremely popular amongst the Jewish community in the Soviet Union. but when there were extreme food shortages and selection was limited, I'm not really sure what alternatives were. I will poke around and see if I can find out. Thanks for the question!

[@alexthegreen]

As a jew who grew up in USSR, my family ate pork 'cause you ate what was available.

[@Bob-b7x6v]

Canned mackerel isn't bad.

[@mbe102]

I recently tried Vienna Sausages again recently, after having loved the heck out of them when I was a little kid... they uhh.... they're freaking gross now :(.

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

I feel like all of the food from our childhoods have become overly engineered garbage. The last time I went home I tried some of my favorite Little Debby cakes and they all taste exactly the same - like synthetic sugary junk. Whatever is happening to food is concerning...

[@TJY-mb5hk]

⁠@@TheKitchenCosmonautI agree 100%. New subscriber here. I’m an aging cold warrior and I’ve always been fascinated with the Soviet Union.

[@johnbellinger1713]

But what are the farts like??

[@Turin_Inquisitor]

canned chornobyl rat 👌😋

[@34ccsn]

I will try many things. Tongue is NOT one of them.

[@spiffinz]

It's good

[@howthewestwaswon1890]

There will always be katsaps who will continue to propagate that "Easter Europe" mythology, which continuously helps said katsaps keep their influence in Europe.

[@bjornbergen8900]

Needs tobasco

[@kathrynreel2508]

Undesirable Textures. Smells pretty unappealing. Really off putting. BUT the show must go on.

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

Basically sums up dating in high school :D

[@DamplyDoo]

My grocery store got rid of sardines with mustard years ago 😢

[@TheKitchenCosmonaut]

Criminal!