What I Eat in a Day in the Coldest City on Earth −71°C (−95°F) Sakha Cuisine  Grocery Shopping - video Dailymotion

kiun b

Description  Hi! I'm Kiun B, I was born and grew up in the coldest city on Earth - Yakutsk 🥶   I'm a native Siberian and I'm here to share some stories and crazy experiences of growing up in the coldest inhabitant region on Earth, Yakutia.   Welcome to my channel 💙

Transcript

00:00Yakutsk, my hometown, a place where winter is so harsh it feels like living on another planet.

00:06Yet we have found ways to adapt and food plays a crucial role in that.

00:11From shopping at the world's coldest markets to the hearty meals that keeps us warm and fueled,

00:16I will show you what a typical day of eating looks like and how we survive in the coldest city on earth.

00:25I start my day with breakfast, one of the most important meals here in Yakutia.

00:30It needs to be hearty and packed with calories to prepare us for the cold ahead.

00:35Today I am making traditional Yakutian pancakes.

00:38A simple mix of flour, water, milk and egg.

00:41Fried in oil, they are quite fatty, but that's exactly what keeps us filled for the day.

00:49Another dish is whipped cream with frozen berries.

00:51This refreshing and delicious treat is often enjoyed with pancakes.

00:55We use a special Yakutian wooden whipper to make it light and fluffy.

00:59A perfect complement to the meal.

01:08In Yakutia having two breakfasts is completely normal.

01:11It's how we stay warm in this freezing cold.

01:13Yakutia's freezing temperatures make it nearly impossible to grow food locally,

01:25so most of our food is transported from the warmer regions thousands of kilometers away,

01:31which drives up cost.

01:32We have a large supermarket in Yakutsk where you can find almost everything, but prices are about double

01:38those in central Russia.

01:40Vegetables and fruits are limited and very expensive.

01:44Tomatoes, for example, cost around $10 for just 500 grams.

01:48This is cheap, especially considering the average monthly wage here is about $800.

01:55By the way, I lost the audio from this grocery shopping video,

01:58so if it looks like I am talking to the camera without sound, now you know why.

02:09Canned beef or tushonka is still very popular here.

02:12Older generations remember it as a staple during food shortages across the former Soviet Union.

02:18It's affordable at just $2 per can, lasts up to 15 years and still reminds us of childhood.

02:24It pairs perfectly with pasta for a hearty, simple meal.

02:28Another local favorite is Rusk.

02:31Advice baked bread with unique flavors like jellied meat with horse radish, my personal favorite.

02:38Grocery shopping can get expensive fast.

02:41Essentials like meat, dairy and staples often cost more here than in other regions.

02:47A week's grocery for one person can easily total $150.

02:50Even without luxury items like fresh fruits, vegetables or salmon.

02:59Sanctions have also impacted what's available on shelves.

03:02Many imported products are limited.

03:05To adapt, Russia has introduced local alternatives like Dobri,

03:09a Coca-Cola substitute that translates to Cayenne Cola.

03:14Now most imported goods come from China, including drinks like Fanta, Pepsi and Sprite,

03:19while familiar brands remain on shelves.

03:22They are often slightly different from what you would find elsewhere.

03:32Frozen products are common and generally cheaper than fresh one.

03:35Chicken is not very popular here because it's mostly imported,

03:38so we tend to eat locally raised beef and horse meat.

03:42Frozen chicken costs around $10 per kilogram.

03:51Olive oil is another luxury.

03:52Most people use sunflower oil, which costs just $2.

03:56While a bottle of Borges olive oil can set you back $20,

04:00double what it costs in the United States.

04:04Coffee is also a luxury, as most brands are imported.

04:07A pack of Starbucks pots costs $11 for only 10 pots.

04:12Many people stick to instant coffee or local brands to save money,

04:15but if you're after premium options, they come with premium prices.

04:21Now let's move on to drinks.

04:23We visited a store that sells alcohol.

04:25As in Yakutia, alcohol is only sold in special licensed shops.

04:29These stores operate under strict rules.

04:32They're open only from 2 pm to 8 pm.

04:35This law is meant to reduce alcohol consumption and prevent excessive buying.

04:40It's a unique system, but it's just how things are done here.

04:44When it comes to wine, the selection is quite limited.

04:47Most good wines are produced abroad in places like France or Italy,

04:51but they are hard to come by here.

04:54Instead, most wines available are from Georgia or Armenia.

04:58They are more affordable and easier to import.

05:01So if you're a wine lover, the choices here are fewer and can be quite pricey.

05:13For lunch, most office workers here head to canteen.

05:16It's fast, affordable and serves comforting home-style meals.

05:20While we do have restaurants offering Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Italian cuisine,

05:25locals usually save those for weekends or dinners.

05:28For lunch, budget-friendly and quick spots like canteens are the go-to choice.

05:41Today I've come to a typical canteen serving traditional Yakutian and Russian dishes.

05:46Whenever I go to the canteen, I tend to overdo it.

05:49This time is no different.

05:50I've ended up with a full three-course meal.

05:53I've got a traditional Yakutian fried pie, Russian salad mimosa,

05:58offal soup, fermented horse milk and mashed potatoes with horse meat all for just $8.

06:04What do you think? Is that cheap? Let me know in the comments.

06:08Tonight I am going to my auntie's and uncle's house for a dinner and I need to buy some extra food from the local market in Yakutsk.

06:16You've probably seen the outdoor market in my previous videos, the coldest market in the world,

06:23where people work outside even in temperatures as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius.

06:28Here you can buy meat, fish, frozen milk, berries and much more.

06:33Everything is completely solid frozen, so there is no need for refrigerators.

06:38The outside air is already colder than any freezer.

06:43People here work from early morning until evening bundled up in multiple layers to stay warm.

06:49I can't imagine how challenging it must be to work in such freezing conditions.

06:55After just 10 minutes at the market, I could feel the cold creeping through my clothes and my feet felt frozen,

07:02like thousands of needles piercing my skin. It even burned.

07:06It's an extreme way of life. Some sellers even get frostbite on their cheeks, noses and fingers.

07:12Yet no one complains. It's their job and it's how they make a living.

07:26It's dinner time and my auntie Ludmilla is preparing blood sausage and traditional Yakutsian Christian carp.

07:37This fish was caught by my uncle during the moon high fishing, a traditional event where villagers

07:43gather at the lake to fish for the upcoming winter. It's a practice passed down through generation,

07:50a vital way for our ancestors to secure food for the harsh winter months.

07:56For dessert, my uncle is preparing a frozen whitefish I bought at the market.

08:01This is a special treat, raw frozen fish traditionally eaten ice cold.

08:06First, my uncle peels off the skin. A skill that takes practice, because you need to work fast.

08:12The fish must stay frozen. He's using a kutian knife, which is sharp and perfect for slicing frozen fish.

08:18A regular kitchen knife just would not do the job.

08:42The fish must stay frozen.

08:43The fish must stay frozen.

08:45This is a solid fish to make a field.

08:47I love enough, I love enough to cook for a second.

08:50With some of the fish in the fish, I will cook for 10 minutes, I will cook for a second.

08:56This is a natural chocolate.

09:08This is a delicious chocolate.

09:10Nice.

09:11It's good.

09:20Dinner is almost ready.

09:22On the menu today, boiled crucian carb, blood sausage, horse meat in cranberry sauce, pie

09:28and a fresh salad.

09:30Everything is from the farm.

09:32Fresh, organic and absolutely delicious.

09:35It's a hearty meal, just what we need to stay warm and energized during Yakutia's harsh winters.

09:42Thank you for watching and let me know what meals are like in your hometown.

What I Eat in a Day in the Coldest City on Earth −71°C (−95°F) Sakha Cuisine Grocery Shopping

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