Why many people still remember Soviet canteens, did they eat so tasty there?

I went to school at a time when the Soviet Union was “living out.” Times were very difficult back then. The country's economy was sliding into an abyss, and proper funding was not available, so school children were no longer fed. And it's a pity, because our parents' lunch in the school canteen was very helpful: they were sure that their children would not go hungry while their father and mother were at work. Now the students had to eat dry and only remember how delicious the food was at the handout.



Lunch in the school cafeteria was served at the big break. High school students were stably attached to cleaning vegetables, cleaning the hall and washing dishes. The guards placed full plates and then invited everyone to the table. Because the room was small, the students had to wait in line for lunch. But everyone had time to eat.

The cooks cooked mainly from pork or beef and fed the students quite well. However, if you came across meat from an old cow, it was impossible to chew. But everything was fresh and hot! Lunch in the school canteen was offered comprehensively. It consisted of the first and second courses combined with a drink. Any child was enough to eat enough, and if necessary, you could always ask for a supplement.



The menu for the students was simple. The first usually boiled soup, brine or borscht. Of the soups, we liked rice and peas the most. All children ate red or green borscht willingly. The brine came out sour because of the large number of cucumbers in it, which were cut in large pieces, so I did not like it at all then.

Now I pickled or sauerkraut cucumbers for brine grater and put them quite a bit - it is more delicious. For a variety of liquid dishes alternated with milk soup and semolina porridge, which the guys often refused.



The first, second and compote Children cooked cereal porridge, mashed potatoes or vermichel. Pasta was often cooked in a fleet way: hearty, and the consumption of minced meat is minimal. On plates with garnish put patties, meatballs with gravy or added goulash. Sometimes they gave me fried fish. It was dry and cold, so I never liked it. The second relied on a piece of salted cucumber or sauerkraut tomato. Regularly appeared in the menu vinaigrette and sour cabbage.

Vegetables for the kitchen were grown by high school students in the garden, which belonged to the educational institution. Work lessons and summer practice were held at this site. In the spring, potatoes, onions, garlic, cucumbers, tomatoes and cabbage were planted on the beds. Here they sowed carrots, dining beets, squash and greens.



Pearl students could not stand it, no matter how useful it was. The porridge remained on the plates. Perhaps this would have continued for a long time, but one day we had to help the collective farmers in the field. At noon for all workers brought a hot lunch: red borscht, pearl porridge with roast and compote.

You can't imagine how delicious the barley seemed in the fresh air! Some guys even came up for a supplement and have since stopped refusing it.

The students were watered from faceted glasses with tea, dried fruit compote, cocoa, berry jelly and a coffee drink, which contained only fried barley. Of the above list, I disliked this drink the most. It was especially interesting in the dining room when we poured jelly for lunch. From above, a film was formed on it, under which we blew air with our lips and watched who had a larger bubble. Occasionally, dessert was carried out with pancakes or semolina casserole.



Years passed and school lunches resumed. Their menu remained the same, only chicken dishes were added and changed names to more modern and fashionable ones.
What was your impression of school lunch?