Sour cream (“Smetana” in Russian) was omnipresent in the Bronx cuisine that nourished young HG. Mom and Pop grew up in Belarus so this was only natural. Huge amounts of sour cream are devoured throughout Russia (on a rough camping trip through Siberia, author Ian Frazier was astonished at the amount of Smetana his Russian companions ate). Mom served boiled potatoes with a bowl of Smetana. This was often accompanied by schmaltz or pickled herring. Schav (chilled sorrel soup) and Borscht (chilled beet soup) were topped with Smetana and eaten with the boiled potato/Smetana combo. Smetana topped bowls of raw chopped carrots, onions and radishes (summer dish); Smetana was also mixed with pot cheese, cottage cheese or farmer cheese, Dessert (or breakfast) was sliced bananas or seasonal berries topped with Smetana (and a drizzle of honey). Mom bought her Smetana from Daitch Dairy (years before it became Daitch-Shopwell). Rich and tangy stuff. Better than today’s product, but HG makes do. Dinner last night was BSK’s lush tomato/garbanzo/chicken broth soup. HG enjoyed two steaming bowls. Topped them with–guess what?–Smetana.
But where did you get your Smetana from?
Supermarket Smetana. Not Daitch,but edible.