We introduce ourselves, we are Marco and Maria! Why are you reading this? Because during the summer of 2020 we left for a journey along the trans-Siberian, the mythical railway that connects European Russia with the Far East: from Moscow to Vladivostok for over 9,000km of railway. We wanted to try a different experience than usual. Helped by the newly formed Slow Food Russia organization, we met and interviewed some producers and people who are trying to rediscover traditional Russian tastes using natural ingredients and helping the development of local communities.
Today we are in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan. A republic southeast of Moscow, the last one before facing the Urals. Imagine a traditional Tatar house: large fir logs that release the smell of resin, a warm welcome with the flavor of berries and tables decorated with sweets and traditional cross-stitch decorations. We are at the Chak Chak museum, the typical dessert of the great Tatar events. There is no wedding, birthday, religious celebration that is not accompanied by this small portion of fried batter covered in honey syrup. Today, we, Marco and Maria will make . As Alina, the director of the museum, will explain to us, chak chak is not just a dessert, but a common thread that unites all local customs and traditions. The clothes, the jewels, the hats and even the ancient pagan religions can be traced back to this dessert that has passed the centuries without undergoing great variations. A simple recipe, made of few ingredients and which closely resembles Neapolitan strufoli. Could they have the same origin? We will investigate!
The museum is located just outside the old town, near the Kaban reservoir. A lake on whose shores there are theaters, squares, museums and concert halls. In the evening it is visited by hundreds of people to enjoy the sunset, to sail with small rowboats on its waters, to have a coffee, an ice cream or to stroll around its banks. A little bit of nature and silence on the banks of the Volga, the great river that laps the city. We knock on the door of the museum and let ourselves be transported into history accompanied by flour, sugar and honey.
Website: chak-chak.museum
Instagram: @chakchakmuseum
Facebook: @muzeino
YouTube: Museum channel