My mom's a huge fan of the well-known store Pyaterochka. She tries to go there on Mondays, since that's the day they offer a discount for pensioners until 1 pm. And let me tell you, she's all about snagging that discount.
When we asked her why she doesn't shop there on other days, she proudly replied, 'Well, in other days they offer 5% off, but today it's 10%!' So, I went and didn't let anyone stop me.
She's only been a pensioner for a short while, but she loves bragging about it and flashing her pensioner's ID whenever she can – whether it's at the pharmacy to get cheaper meds or at popular stores. According to her, every little bit counts.
Our story with this product is a familiar one – many people avoid it due to dental issues or health concerns. It's like something from the Soviet era – essentially, it's salted fat.
Among the usual products, mom brought home this wonder – Homemade Salted Fat. And, as you can see, it's even written in Russian – not fat, but rather 'Product from Fat, Chilled.' I guess who comes up with this stuff?
It seems that the Chuvash manufacturer from Cheboksary, OOO 'Mart', gathered all the leftover bits – ears, legs, and snouts – and created this product. I'm not sure what's more impressive, the fact that they managed to make it look presentable or the fact that they thought people would actually buy it.
I'll write more about that below, after describing this plump piece of meat.
The calorie count is quite impressive – 840kcal per 100 grams. If you're looking to pack on the pounds, this is the product for you.
I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the product – it's not small, to say the least. It comes in a transparent vacuum pack that should keep it fresh for up to three months. Or so they claim.
Of course, you can't just chomp down on it straight away; even with a hot plate of fries, it's not something you'd want to devour immediately. Who tries to eat a chunk of pork fat with a side of fries?
The special packaging lets you see the product inside, and you can even turn it around in the store to get a good look. There's a thin layer of meat in there, which is a nice touch. Plus, there's some skin – some people in my household actually enjoy chewing on it. I'm not one of them, though.
What really caught my attention, though, was the liberal sprinkling of black pepper all over the product. I mean, it's a lot of pepper – not the kind you're used to, either. It's more like those long, black peppercorns you sometimes see in recipes. I'm not even sure if it's actually tarragon, but it's definitely not your average black pepper.
And to top it all off, there's a huge sprig of fresh rosemary on top. When we opened the packaging, we tried to slice the product thinly, but it just wouldn't cut cleanly – neither of us could manage to get a decent slice. We called in the reinforcements – my husband grabbed the knife and took care of it. Even with sharp knives, though, the result wasn't exactly pretty.
I'm still trying to figure out why they made it look like that. The inside is basically a chunk of pork fat with some extra bits stuck together.
The ears, legs, and snout are just a weird addition. I mean, the composition is basically just pork fat from the spine, cut into a weird shape and stuck together with a thick layer of skin. And when you try to chew it, it's just not pleasant.
So, in the end, I got a product that weighs 250 grams, which is basically just a chunk of pork fat with no flavor or aroma.
I've been trying to sniff it and think, 'Ah, this is going to be delicious!' But nope, there's no smell. And when you try to eat it, there's no flavor either. But what you do get is a strong saltiness. As they say, 'under-salted at the table, over-salted on our backs.'
And where's the fresh garlic that's supposed to be in the ingredients? I don't even taste any pepper. There's no smokiness to the flavor. What I do taste is just pure fat.
At first, the fat is actually kind of enjoyable, and you think, 'Yeah, I want to just chomp down on this and swallow it.' But nope. In the end, all you're left with is a salty taste and something that's just not digested and hard in your mouth. You're just left with the option to spit it out.
On the surface, it looks and smells nice and fatty, but that's where the good stuff ends. It's not tasty, and none of us, including Marty, liked it. I wouldn't recommend it.
I took a photo of the receipt on purpose. For those who don't know about discounts, let me explain. Each item in the first column has a different price than the final total in the last column, about 5-10-15 rubles cheaper. So, the price for pensioners doesn't really apply if it's not yellow on the price tag. They'll sell you the product cheaper by a few rubles.
I've got to say, I don't think seniors are looking to save a few kopecks. But when you do, it's nice to save some money. In this case, I saved 15 rubles. But what's the point? I ended up buying some salo with a fancy name, Marty, and it's just going to sit in the freezer for who knows how long. I wish my mom had spent a bit more and bought something better, tastier, and more satisfying.
I can see how some people might be okay with this product, but I wouldn't have bought it with my own money. You've got to read the labels and see what's really in the product.
And then there's the production and distribution. I'm not sure who to complain to. I'm not opposed to the Tatar people, but their food is always a bit... unusual. This Shpig homemade product is no exception, and it's available at Perekrestok.
Pros were few and far between:
+ At least it came in a vacuum-sealed package.
+ It lasts a long time.
Cons, on the other hand, were a long list:
- It's over-salted.
- It doesn't melt in your mouth, which is a shame.
- Whatever is on top, it's not pepper.
- There's no smoky flavor, it just tastes like rubber.
- It's greasy, which is to be expected.
- It's high in calories, but that's what we were looking for.
- There's not enough meat, it's like they're feeding pigs on a diet.
Want to make some money collecting your checks? Come on over and join me - I had a party on my street and a huge truck crashed into it and find out what those three mysterious letters GFK stand for