Why did the Soviet Union have a store "Cooking", if all the Soviet hostess cooked independently?

Our mothers and grandmothers love to tell how they were wonderful housewives in their youth (not like today’s youth). They cooked everything themselves, semi-finished products were not abused. They only fed their household food. Why then at the Union appeared “Home Kitchen”, which was replaced by a cooking store? Both companies were very popular at the time. Their products were in great demand among the citizens.



In our city, the first cookery store appeared in the 70s. By that time, the home kitchen was obsolete. It could not meet the needs of more sophisticated consumers. It was hard to surprise or surprise clients. “Cooking” began to conquer customers not only with affordable prices and delicious food. It attracted customers with a rich assortment and beautiful design, especially if it was at a solid restaurant.



The cooking store offered busy housewives semi-finished products and ready meals. Since by the end of the working day all the shelves were empty, no one doubted the freshness of the products. There you could buy meat blanks, blueberries, fresh dough, pancakes or boiled vegetables to quickly cook dinner for the whole family or treat unexpected guests. They came here for sauerkraut, tomatoes and cabbage. Original salads, fish and meat dishes for every taste and purse were sold here. If there was absolutely no time to stand at the stove, customers could buy ready-made takeaway food or snack on the spot.

The Culinary department was very helpful for students, business travelers and employees of enterprises located nearby. They could dine here inexpensive cakes with different fillings, cutlets, sausage in dough, fried fish, pancakes with meat and sandwiches with cheese or sausage. And the sweet tooth could enjoy plenty of layered pastries, a variety of cakes with protein or cream, eclairs or sand cookies, and then drink everything with tea, cocoa or coffee drink.



I remember that my friends and I ran to the kitchen, regardless of whether we had pocket money or not. For a penny you could buy a donut or cake, and for ten cents - a glass of juice. And absolutely free allowed to look at the exquisite bunk cakes, which were prepared to order for birthdays or other celebrations, as well as luxury caravans, which were specially baked at weddings or for meeting high-ranking guests. Where else could we see such beauty? Admiring these masterpieces, I dreamed of becoming a pastry chef as a child.



On the window you could see a filly or stuffed fish, a whole baked milk pig or goose. They were beautifully decorated with flowers from raw or boiled vegetables and looked very appetizing. These dishes were prepared for banquets or weddings and displayed in advance as unobtrusive advertising. Then there was no Internet to post photos or videos on the site for review.



The cooking shop was easy to find by smell: the entire street was filled with mind-blowing scents emanating from its kitchen. Then have not yet come up with modern hoods that can greedily absorb appetite-stimulating evaporation and keep secret what is being prepared on a stove or in an oven. Passing by, the saliva could choke.



With the collapse of the USSR, the quality of service in the “Cooking” has suffered significantly. These departments have lost their former popularity. The global crisis has made itself felt. But everything has passed, life has improved, and the fashion for semi-finished products and takeaway food has returned again and has even more taken its place. Now it is difficult to find a person who has never tried to cook frozen dumplings or chebureki, and also did not order meals with delivery.

Do you cook your own food or buy semi-finished products?