Kazan — summer 2012

Last night Marina and her family spent with the Osipovs. This evening they have come back. So what snacks have I laid out on the table for their arrival? Here is the short version.

From the top going counterclockwise:

1. Pistachios from Arizona
2. Mazapan (peanut marzipan) wafers from Mexico
3. Sunflower seed halva from Russia
4. Red-white-green Mexican flag coconut candy from Mexico
5. Dates
6. Cashews
7. Bananas
8. Chocolate potatoes
9. Candy: Миша косолапый (Pigeon-Toed Bear, which is a wafer cookie covered in a chocolate) and Сливочная (Buttery, a melt-in your mouth caramel, much less chewy than the Brach's version)

This ignores the following bits that were eaten before the picture was taken:

• Two types of white cheese from the Ukraine
• Fresh herring
• Pastrami with marvelous fat
• Beef with marvelous fat
• Brown bread
• Garnishes: hot Chinese mustard, hot horseradish, Adzhika (red pepper and garlic spread)
• Tea
• Coffee
• Coca-cola
• Cold water (very non-Russian)
• Dried apricots