In the Soviet Union, people ate right, but no one canceled their favorite snacks, what fast food was at that time.

It is no secret that in the Soviet Union there was a cult of sports and delicious homemade food. Citizens of the USSR could not imagine their diet without porridge, soups and tried to eat 3 times a day. In fact, in times of tight government plans with long working hours and short lunch breaks, breakfast was the main source of energy. Dinner was often late in the evening.



So the Soviet fast food has found its niche. Affordable snacking Solved the needs of workers, students and schoolchildren, and then completely acquired a national character. We remember how the catering service in the USSR changed over time.

In the 1920s, the first public canteens appeared, where every Soviet citizen could have a delicious and hearty snack. Here you could order a comprehensive lunch with the first, second, salad, bread, tea or compote to choose from. A little later, the first eateries began to appear on the markets, bus stations and streets of many cities. They could be supplemented with a bagel or cake with potatoes before work or study.



In 1936, People’s Commissar of the Food Industry Anastas Mikoyan went to the United States to study the fast food system of foreign colleagues. By the way, 3 years after the memorable trip, the legendary “Book about tasty and healthy food” appeared with the participation of Mikoyan himself, she is also “the best friend of Soviet digesters.”

The People's Commissar visited New York cafeterias, deli and the famous Macy's department store. Particular attention was drawn to the mass production of hot patties, which were sold in kiosks right on the streets - the so-called "hamburgers". Mikoyan ordered samples of devices for the manufacture of cutlets and street braziers.



Already in 1937 in Leningrad, Moscow, Baku, Kiev and Kharkov launched the production of juicy cutlets and special buns for hamburgers. So there was the first street analogue of foreign sandwiches - "Hot Moscow cutlet".

The new delicacy was to the liking of Soviet people. Sometimes, when the "special buns" spread too quickly, they were replaced with black or white bread. At the same time, the queues for hamburgers were not rare. Curious fact: in the USSR, the first to invent a classic combination of fast food and carbonated drink, ahead of the United States. At points of sale, you could buy a bottle of lemonade for a snack, whereas in the States at that time, drinks and buns were not yet sold in one place.



During the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet catering service suspended its work and completely disappeared in the first years after the victory. Only with the filing of Nikita Khrushchev catering again gained momentum. There were new establishments for every taste: dumplings, jams, pancakes, kebabs and cherry. To serve as many citizens as possible, establishments were equipped with high tables without chairs. Snack and run on your business, do not delay people!



Walking through the squares and parks, you could freeze a worm in the nearest cafe "Minuteka". Raznosols were not served there, but you could taste cold lemonade, donuts and all sorts of cakes without problems. In the summer, Soviet citizens enjoyed hearty street food on the open veranda of the institution.

The street food of the Soviet republics had its own cultural flavor. For example, Uzbekistan popularized samsa, a cake made of puff dough with meat or potato filling. And in traditional “lagmankas” you could taste the same name soup with meat and noodles.



On January 31, 1990, more than 5 thousand Muscovites came to the opening of the first McDonald’s in the USSR. Soviet man with great eagerness took outlandish cheeseburgers, nuggets and fries. At the same time, the sphere of street food was flooded with foreign hot dogs and Coca-Cola.



And what street goodies of the Soviet times do you still remember with warmth? Share it in the comments!