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You may remember seeing this headline a couple of years ago:
the most expensive bottle of sherry ever, is sold for 60.000 US Dollar at
Sotheby's. This bottle just happened to come from the
collection of 19th century wines at the Massandra cellars on the
outskirts of Yalta. Bought on the telephone by a private collector on
October 17, 2001, the sherry had a deep golden color, with an intense
nose of raisins and nuts and was one of the few surviving bottles of its
period in the world. The sale price set a new world record. A wine-tasting at the Massandra cellars is a must for any
visitor - whether you're a connoisseur or just someone who knows a good
taste when they meet one. Crimea
makes a wide range of wines, including dry reds and whites, but the
regional specialty is sweet wines such as Madeira, sherry, muscatel and
port.
W odka translates literally as
`little water' - an affectionate diminutive of the word for water -
vodka. It's made by blending grain spirit with dematerialized water and
filtering it through charcoal. Traditionally drunk neat in one swallow
from small vodka glasses, it 's the ideal warmer for an icy Siberian
winter - but be wary of its effects after a day in the sun! There are
around 55 Ukrainian manufacturers of vodka - some of the best known
names include Nemiroff, Smirnov, Knyazhyi Grad and
Kozak. Apart from the
pure and largely tasteless variety, there are many varieties flavored
with walnut, plum, apricot and so on. And there are specialty vodkas
made with honey or hot peppers - or both. Take a bottle of the hot
pepper vodka home if you really want to put fire in the bellies of your
party guests! While vodka is popular throughout Ukraine, there is a
marked preference for in Crimea, because it's a wine-growing
region. Crimean cognac tends to be mellow and soft on the palate. There are some excellent brands
of cognac such as Ai-Danil and Tavria as well.
Crimean food is tasty and very varied, reflecting the Ukrainian,
Russian and Tatar `ingredients' which combine form Crimean culture
and society. Some dishes have already made a name for themselves abroad
- for example, you're likely to be familiar with Chicken Kiev, Beef
Stroganoff and Borsch from the pre-cooked versions on your supermarket
shelves. Nice restaurants with the local foods to taste this all are
Tracktir or Shinok in Sevastopol.The rooms are decorated in a colourful
Crimean country style at Shinok and Tracktir is decorated in the style
during the Crimean War. At our tours, you will visit them both. If you want to
taste a real nice BBQ, why not visit a Tatar eatery and try
charcoal-grilled sheep's' testicles (delicious - tastes like a cross
between chicken and kidney).But this is just the tip of the iceberg. You should try Pelmeny -
delicious meat-filled dumplings, or the sweet equivalent Vareniki with a
cherry or sweet cottage cheese filling. Or Tatar Lagmaan soup, or
Shashlyk - kebabs which rival their Greek or Turkish counterparts in
marinade and flavor.
If you prefer to cook your own meals
in your apartment. There are plenty of well-stocked food supermarkets, but the best
place to go is the market. There are several in Sevastopol, one
specializing
in vegetables (but also selling other things like bread), one
specializing in groceries - all sorts of household goods, bottled drinks
and canned food - and a couple of `paper' markets selling books,
magazines and stationery. A trip to the vegetable market is a must, just
to see the amazing variety of colourful foods on display and savor the
atmosphere.
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