I have wanted to write about this for a while, but for a long time I didn’t know whether finding caviar in a fast food was more of a culture shock (it certainly was!) or a travel tip (certainly worth following!). In the end I decided it was definitely both and so I put this post in both categories.
Teremok (Russian: Теремок) is a popular fast food chain that specialises in Russian crêpes (blini), but also offers kasha, salads and a variety of soups (amongst which the traditional borscht and “uha” – pronounced ooha – which we can define as a smoked salmon Russian chowder. The first Teremok opened in 1998 in a street kiosk in Moscow, founded by a mother and son team. Initially it offered a limited set of crêpes and kvass, but nonetheless this was one of the first fast food chains in Russia that was offering Russian food trying to compete with McDonald’s.
Just like its intended competitor, Teremok saw a phenomenal growth and there are now over 300 Teremok outlets divided between street kiosks, food court outlets in shopping malls or airports, and restaurants. Recently the chain opened its first restaurant outside Russia in New York, USA. That means they now also have a website in English where you can check out what they offer.
In 2011 CNN rated Teremok, was among the 8 best fast food chains worldwide, and CNN experts said that “its traditional Russian blini with caviar – worth around $7.50 each – is a champion dish“. The good news for tourists is that nowadays the exchange rate is much more favourable to foreigners than it was in 2011 and the caviar bliny sells for 357 Rubles, which translates to about 5 to 5.5 Euros/USDs.
If you really want to splurge, Teremok now even offers a Double Caviar Bliny for just a little more. We are, of course, talking about red caviar, but I still think it is quite amazing to find it in a fast food chain (and many people actually prefer red caviar to black caviar!)
And if caviar is not your thing, fear not, for Teremok offer a whopping 22 varieties of savoury blinis and 10 sweet ones (with jam, chocolate, sugar and so on).
Would you like to discover the Russia that foreigners rarely, if ever, get to see, with an English (and Italian, Spanish and French) speaking guide (me and my wife) showing you the sights and telling you a bit about Russian history and traditions? If so, do get in touch and we’ll be happy to create an unforgettable, tailor-made experience for you!
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