Slovo

Do you like cooking shows and food videos? The ones where the host is cooking something delicious, and your mouth is watering. However, most of the time, we have to make do with snacks like sandwiches or, at the very least, pasta and a sausage. 

However, in theory, everything that the chefs on TV are cooking with such skill can be replicated at home. The only difference is that some of these dishes have been discontinued over time. However, even in these cases, there is still hope, as the production techniques have not disappeared, and with the right effort, these dishes can be recreated.

However, there is one category of dishes that cannot be tasted even in theory. These are the dishes that cannot be purchased in stores, grown at home, or ordered through delivery services. In this article, we will explore the dishes that have disappeared from our lives forever (well, almost forever). We will start with something more familiar and have a small chance of being revived, and then move on to something more mysterious.

I suggest that you sit back, grab a snack, and enjoy this article, as you are unlikely to find the items mentioned later.

Old watermelons

It's impossible to imagine summer without the juicy, red, and oval friend that we all love so much. Yes, I'm talking about the watermelon. As the classic saying goes, "Give a man a fish and he'll be happy all day, but give him a watermelon and he'll be pissing all night." However, has the watermelon always been the same as we know it?
Nope, it hasn't.

In fact, the watermelon itself originated either in southern Africa (where there's rampant HIV and drug addiction) or in northeastern Africa (where there's a hellish desert and civil wars). Over the centuries, it gradually made its way to the regions of the Middle East, northern Africa, and Asia. From there, it made its way to Europe through the Crusades. Interestingly, it arrived in a slightly different form compared to what we're used to. The flesh was white, the seeds were several times larger, and the shape was spherical.

The old watermelon bore a striking resemblance to its desert-dwelling cousin, the colocynth, which sometimes resembled the old berries. However, there was a significant difference in taste. While the colocynth was bitter and unpleasant, the watermelon exuded a delicate sweetness. In essence, the taste of the old watermelon was not significantly different from the new one, as breeders focused on altering the appearance rather than the taste.

The Jewish date palm

By the way, I've never been a fan of dates. However, to be fair, I've only ever eaten them dried. Perhaps they taste better when fresh. 
So, what was I talking about?

Dates! They are the main symbol of Egypt and other Arab countries. In fact, almost all the dates we grow today are imported from Egypt. However, this wasn't always the case.Since ancient times and up until the Middle Ages, Judea was the primary center for growing date palms. It's no coincidence that one of the most significant Semitic states in history is known by its Greek name, Phoenicia.

Judean dates were considered the standard in the Mediterranean region and beyond. This had a significant impact on the region's culture, as the date palm was the symbol of Judea.However, things didn't stay the same forever. Over time, the region became more arid. The date palms that grew along the banks of the Jordan River, the Dead Sea, and the Sea of Galilee, which required abundant moisture, gradually declined and eventually disappeared in the 14th century.

However, things didn't end there. Recently, during the excavation of King Herod's palace, seeds of the Judean date palm were discovered. One of these seeds has already sprouted and may soon bear fruit.

Meat of extinct animals

To be fair, not all extinct animals are out of reach. Thanks to genetic charlatans, you can still try a mammoth meat patty. However, it will cost you a pretty penny. Despite its antiquity, the mammoth has been well-preserved (thanks to its habitat), unlike the other three fascinating animals I've included in this post.

1. Steller's cow
   
   A wonderfully sweet and charming sea cow that fed on algae and swam near the shores and on the surface of the water. Her meat, according to the researchers and "tasters", was incredibly delicious. The apathetic behavior and high taste of the meat ruined her. Discovered in 1741, it was completely destroyed in 1768.
   
   If you want to try something similar, I advise you to look for dugong meat, the closest relative of the Steller cow. They say her meat tastes like veal. At the same time, if you are too lazy to hunt with a harpoon and you prefer the good old nets, then for the next few years after hunting you will eat prison food, since hunting dugong nets is prohibited.
2. Aurochs
   
   A large bull, whose range was the north of Africa, most of Asia and almost the whole of Europe. It was first domesticated in the Middle East and used for agriculture and meat production. In the same Middle East and North Africa, it was exterminated before our era. After the deforestation that began in the 10th century, it began to disappear in Europe.
   
   The last individual died either in Poland in the 1620s or in Bulgaria in the 18th century.
3. The Dodo
   
   Or, in this case, the most famous representative of the genus, the Mauritian dodo. The situation with him, in general, was similar to what happened later with the Steller cow. It was discovered in 1598, and its last sighting was recorded in 1662. At the same time, the reviews of the "restaurant critics" of that time are not so unambiguous. Someone wrote that dodo meat was very tasty, even if it was tough, while others spat on it and hunted solely for the sake of tender stomachs.
   
   If you want to try something similar, order a Dodo Pizza.

Silphium

I suggest switching from vegetables and meat to spices. Sylphy is one of them.

In general, initially silphium is a plant of the umbrella family, which includes hogweed, carrot, and coriander. It has found special use in the Mediterranean, being used as a spice and medicinal preparation (and also to stimulate miscarriages).

Sylphius was very popular and very expensive. However, due to the desire of people to store it as much as possible, as well as the difficulties in cultivation, the plant began to gradually die out.According to legend, the only leaf Pliny the Elder found was sent to Emperor Nero, who just took and ate it.

Anyway, only Sylphy's closest relative, Asafoetida, has reached us. It was known to both the Greeks and the Romans, who considered it only a cheap and less refined analogue of this bizarre extinct plant.

The fruits of Easter Island

All of the things I listed above were quite popular in the past. Descriptions of the taste and use of all those products have reached us. The latest product for today, or rather even a group of products, is so unexplored that its existence as a whole raises questions. We are talking about the unique fruits that grew on the Pacific Easter Island.

Despite the fact that Easter Island is now practically devoid of forest cover, previously a subtropical broad-leaved forest grew throughout its territory, covering 90% of the island. Among the species growing there was the palm Paschalococos disperta, which served as the main source of wood and food, in the form of coconuts.

However, all (or almost all) palm trees of this species were cut down and destroyed even before the arrival of Europeans on the island, and therefore, the species was not recorded or studied in any way, and all that remained of it were the shells of nuts that had once been eaten. In this regard, it is not known exactly what they tasted like.Presumably, there are several other species that were destroyed as a result of the exploitation of the island by the local population long before the arrival of Europeans.

* * *

I hope you were interested, friends! See you soon in new gastronomic journeys!

Hello everyone It's been a long time since we've seen each other in this category, and I think most of them don't remember its existence at all. However, yes, let me briefly remind you. Here I am talking about various things (especially those related to history or ideology) from a point of view that may seem strange to many, but which I support to one degree or another. 

Today, the topic of conversation is the nuclear bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the US Air Force, which were imprinted on culture and society and became the first and last (hopefully) use of nuclear weapons during an armed conflict. But what if I tell you that I consider these bombings justified in that particular case? Why? Let me explain it to you.

Let's start with a short preface. War is bad. Any situation where it's not about literally saving your own life (but that's a debatable issue, let's not go into it). And anyway, as they say, Make love, not war.

However, it is also worth noting the fact that any historical event or phenomenon should be viewed precisely from the perspective of what was happening at that time around. Therefore, we will proceed precisely depending on the point of view of the current and ongoing war for more than one year. 

So why do I think the bombing is justified? For myself, I have identified three reasons (which are formulated in detail on the same Wikipedia, but I will only briefly present them to you in my own words and from my position).

Reason 1: The preference of bombing over invasion and the rapid surrender of Japan

I think it's no secret to many that the militarists in Japan did not want to capitulate in any way. The Emperor had almost no influence on the situation (according to some statements, he was completely against the initial hostilities), and the Japanese were gradually preparing to land on the territory of their native islands.

And now imagine if the cleansing of the Japanese on small islands could last several weeks and spent an extremely large amount of material and human resources, what would an attempt to land on the islands of Japan itself cost? 

Do you remember the stories of how entire Japanese units in the Pacific and the Philippines resisted for years after the official surrender? Imagine what would have happened in their native land after the occupation. The Germans, who for the most part are less fanatical than the Japanese, did a lot of harm (for example, the same partisans from the Werewolf). Imagine what kind of casualties and instability there would have been after the Japanese occupation.

The number of victims from terrorist attacks, attacks by guerrilla groups and other similar activities, even if it had not reached the number of victims of the bombing, it would still have been noticeable.

Reason 2: Saving a large number of lives

Yes, it sounds paradoxical, but it's true. 

In addition to the fact that there would have been noticeably more deaths among the civilian population in Japan itself (even without nuclear warheads, Japanese cities could have been remarkably destroyed by conventional ammunition and fires, which was actively happening, but would have acquired much greater proportions), this would have affected people in the territories occupied by Japan.

China, Korea, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, everywhere there were mass killings of civilians (and extremely sophisticated ones at that), mobilization of labor resources, and other war crimes. With the surrender of Japan, all this stopped. If she hadn't capitulated, the additional number of victims would have been in the millions. 

Reason 3: Legitimate goals and an act of retaliation

The Japanese were known for using the entire or almost the entire population for military purposes. Children and women worked for military enterprises and were sometimes even happy about it. As a result, in the conditions of the so-called "total war", the division into justified and unjustified targets for destruction is very problematic.

Yes, and mentioning the atrocities committed by the Japanese. They are usually omitted for the sake of ethics, but I will list some anyway (especially about squad 731), because it is better not to read for the faint of heart. So that's what they were doing: dissecting living people, killing people in pressure chambers, frostbite on limbs and causing gangrene, and so on and so forth. And even without taking into account this particular detachment, the mass killings of civilians and prisoners of war by the Japanese can be noted.

Therefore, people needed something like this as an act of revenge (and quite humane, compared to what the Japanese themselves were doing). However, there may already be a conversation about collective responsibility (relevant today), which is oh so difficult.

Well, it turned out that way.

The main problem, of course, is the very perception of Japan and the Japanese. Japan now and Japan 80-100 years ago are completely different countries. Therefore, it should be assessed in such a way that they bombed not the Japan that we know, but a completely different one.

For now, that's it for today. What do you think about this? It will be interesting to find out!

Hello everyone
I changed my place of study not so long ago. Now, instead of a small and more or less cozy college, I study at a huge university with a bunch of people, which, as a sociophobe, does not particularly please me.

And one of the main disadvantages (for me personally) of the new educational institution is its location. It's a two-hour drive in one direction. But besides the general fatigue and additional expenses, additional interaction with people also turned out to be one of the problems. I'll tell you about one of them that happened this morning as I drive back home.

I accompany everything with a view from the window of the train. How much prettier Moscow has become under Sobyanin...

It was about 10-11 a.m. After taking the train to Tsaritsyno (anyone who lives in Moscow and the region will understand), I was about to go down to the subway. However, a man stopped me.

He looks about 30 years old, has a Central Asian appearance, but he looks pretty neat. I'm not the most callous person, so I respond to requests for help. You never know who got sick. But that wasn't the case at all.

After introducing himself and asking my name, he began to explain the situation. Like, anyway, they're holding up their wages at work, they're in trouble with money, and his child is starving.

"So," I thought to myself. Such conversations about a child are already extremely alarming, but I decided to listen to what he has to say next.

He started opening his phone and showing a screenshot of the mixture his "daughter" needed. It costs 4,500 rubles, but the scammer begins to reassure - "no, no, I only need half the amount." 

When I said that the amount was serious, he gave me the following: "I will receive my salary in a few days. Why don't you give me your number, and I'll dial you when the money arrives and transfer it. Here, take my watch for this time, if you want." - and shows me his supposedly smart watch.

At this point, it becomes clear that there is a 99% chance that you are facing a fraud. Just think logically - why didn't he sell the watch? Why is it so easy to offer them?

When I tell him that I can transfer a maximum of 100 rubles (which I wasn't going to do), he first tried his best to look at my phone, and then said that I was cheating on him (heh, ironically) and that I had more money.

Then everything turned into a surreality. He started showing a photo of his daughter, pretentiously asking "do I know what premature babies are" and asking to transfer at least 100 rubles to the phone so that he could make a call.

It seems to me that if I had haggled even more, I could have even gone so far as to ask to borrow 10 rubles.

In the end, I said that I was "not going to help" and left because time was running out and I was late for classes. And you know, it's even a pity that I left, because if there had been time, I would have approached the nearest law enforcement officer with this "father".

Because as I already read on the phone, sitting on the subway, this practice has been going on for a couple of years. And if the victim is usually taken to the nearest pharmacies, where this mixture does not turn out to be, they decided to turn the lite version on me.

Another view from the train

What is the purpose of this post? First of all, I have nothing to do on the train. Secondly, as a warning.

It is better not to give money to anyone in such places at all. At train stations, in the subway, etc., and even more so. 

If something like this suits you, then at least ignore it. Better yet, contact a police officer if there is one nearby, or call one yourself. Yes, yes, I'm a mess.

In the meantime, I'm saying goodbye to you.

Hello everyone

Unfortunately, I travel quite rarely. To be precise, almost never. But at the same time, I love reading various posts, articles and texts about the countries of the world. Reviews from those who live there, all sorts of economic reports or even just local news. And I thought, "What if we look at a map of the world? Which country would I find outright wonderful?". In short, he put himself in the place of an ordinary man in the street.

And I realized that there are several countries that are sufficiently overrated. And today I will tell you about seven of them.
But first, a disclaimer.

• 1) I don't want to say that any country is bad (except one). I even like some of the presented ones. However, I think they are godlessly overrated. 
• 2) Everything presented here is my subjective opinion under the sauce of the information that I was able to get. If you have other information, write in the comment (or reply post).
  
  And now, let's get started!

7th place - France

I've been deciding for a long time whether to include France here.

On the one hand, such a decision may be colored (even unconsciously) by the current political processes in the country. And there have already been five more serious candidates.
On the other hand, Napoleon's homeland leaves a very strong imprint on the mind. That's why such an unusual format is the top 7.

Speaking of France, almost everyone will have very strong images in their head. Eiffel Tower, baguettes, cheeses, beautiful Parisian autumn, Provence, etc. And this is certainly the case. You can also touch on the culture of France, which for centuries has been the standard for the entire civilization and the object of admiration and imitation.

However, we must try to look soberly. France is also a slum on the outskirts of cities. This is a bunch of migrants from Africa and the Middle East. This is not the most adequate government. This is dirt that is not very visible behind the facade of the well-groomed streets of Paris, Marseille or Toulouse.

And do not forget the protest traditions of this country. Riots are common here. The same football fans, migrants, leftists, rightists and anyone else. Many people rebel and they rebel often. 

However, the advantages, in my humble opinion, are somewhat outweighed. Therefore, only the sixth place.

6th place - China

In this post, it is about mainland China. 

On the one hand, China is history. The story is great and interesting, despite the fact that I am not particularly interested in the East. It's an art, a special charm and the like.

But at the same time, this culture can be very frightening for the least prepared person. I have come across the Chinese several times and I can say that the company is not for everyone. Among other things, China is quite dirty, not the most welcoming from an economic point of view, and very, very strict in terms of rules and restrictions.

Their "zero covid" policy alone is worth something. And you can also recall the limitations of the digital space and the general censorship of society.

And, of course, an excessive overestimation of China's power should be highlighted as a separate point. From the category of statements that the Celestial Empire will soon overtake the United States. There is a very interesting post by Akarakot on this topic, but I will try to briefly express my opinion.
China was not bad and developed through the distillation of almost free labor from villages to cities, as well as a relatively free economic policy. The current situation and the usurpation of power, which violates China's political institutions, also destroys the prospects for economic superiority.

Therefore, despite the general orgasming of our propagandists and "nationalists" on the topic of China's power, I am almost sure that he will lose the war (both literally and commercially) with the West. 

5th place - Egypt

Egypt, in fact, is still a hole and a cesspool. 

But besides the personal reasons for disliking this country (first of all, the heat), there are others, including such an unfair popularity of the country.

Egypt is a poor country, one might even say poor. Very dangerous. Not only is the terrorist threat high, but also the local population, which will not let you feel comfortable. And especially if you're a girl. Well, among other things, you need to remember that Egypt is a Muslim country. Remember the fucking rules.

But then why only fifth place? It's simple - they mostly go to Egypt for the sake of beach and hotel tourism. And it seems to be relatively well developed. At least it doesn't color the general shit much.

4th place - South Korea

Judging by the latest tests on Pikuko, it would be possible to put Korea higher. However, this phenomenon is undulating, soon there will be less K-pop (just in case, I have nothing against it), probably.

But what are Korea's problems? In general, they are typical for East Asia. There is very serious social pressure at all stages of life, the strong tightness of public life, the most serious social inequality and not so well-developed capitalist institutions (chaebols inherited create a very bad practice of oligopolies). 

Of course, Korea has done a very good job of promoting itself among the masses. Moreover, it is better than any country in the world (only two can compete with it). But behind this screen, Korea's common problems are hidden, which can be worse than even ours.

3rd place - UAE

The UAE is my sore point.

Every relatively major friend of mine has boasted at least once (and usually more than once) that he flew to Dubai. Our "elite" flies to the UAE, and sometimes lives there.

In my opinion, the UAE (namely Dubai and Abu Dhabi, because they usually do not fly to other emirates) is a standard of bad taste. Incongruous glass dildos in the middle of the desert mixed with the impoverished huts of workers from Pakistan. There is something similar in the cities of East Asia, but there it is at least a little aesthetically pleasing.

I can compare the popular part of the UAE with a shopping mall. There's nothing to do there for more than three or four days, unless you work there. Well, and the rest of the Emirates... tell me, have you heard a lot about holidays in Sharjah, Ras al Khaimah or, there, El Fujairah. So I'm not, so I'm only talking about the two most popular regions.

2nd place - USA

Yes, maybe I shocked someone. No, I didn't become a harsh hater of the Pendos. I still like American culture, history, and aesthetics, and I still consider the United States the greatest country in history (along with France and the Roman Empire). However, let's be honest.

That's how many times have you seen beautiful American images in movies, TV series, literature, YouTube videos? The already boring phrase "The American Dream" and a way of thinking based solely on an extremely competent policy of promoting the image of the country.

There are a lot of problems in the USA that I would never want to live there, even though I like this country (yes, paradoxically). The emphasis on cars, low-rise buildings (although, for many, this is rather a plus), very serious racial differences, tax and legislative policy, and just a completely different way of life, which takes a very long time to get used to. 

Therefore, I will probably always study the USA and enjoy the part of its culture that I like. But there is no way to live there on a permanent basis.

1st place - Japan

Although they have a somewhat local audience, but the images of Japan are probably stuck in their heads so that no ticks can get them out of there.

Sakura, anime, mountains, architecture, traditions, cuisine - all this can compete with such a monstrous machine of soft power as the United States. However, do not forget that there are also a number of problems in Japan.

In general, it is possible to copy the paragraph about South Korea, with the only condition that in Japan these problems are superimposed on even greater demographic and economic crises. Read something about Japan's lost decade. Yes, many countries have faced this, but not all have been selected and returned to the previous level (or even become better). 

Of course, I would like to visit Japan as a tourist. But if I were given a choice - to be born in Japan or in Russia, I would not ironically choose Russia. Because, of course, I don't want to downplay someone's problems, but if you think that society is putting pressure on you, then compared to Japan, you live in a happy world of progressivism and rainbow ponies.

Well, that's all for now. I hope it was interesting for you to read. 
If there are good ratings for this post, then I will release a part about the most underrated countries.

Hello again!

Most recently, I published a post with the most, in my opinion, overrated countries. And since he collected well, I'm writing a sequel - the most underrated countries in the world. Also, in my highly subjective opinion.
The disclaimer is the same. Everything presented here is my subjective opinion, which does not pretend to be academic. 

7th place - Vatican City

Actually, I was lying a little bit. This post will focus not so much on the Vatican, but on the Holy See, which governs the Vatican.

It would seem to be a religious, theocratic organization that owns a dwarf state and a couple of pieces of land around the world. However, it is worth paying attention to one small detail. Just the smallest thing. The head of this organization is, in fact, considered the main person for 1.3 billion people on the planet. Even more senior than the leaders of their countries.

And it is worth noting that the Vatican is one of the main places of pilgrimage, and the Pope is a moral reference point for many, as already mentioned. 
He is so low only because he has little actual power. However, he is too much underestimated, which allowed him to get on the list.

6th place - Bhutan

Yes. Bhutan is a poor, agrarian country, all located in the mountains and therefore not particularly interesting to anyone.

But the fact is that Bhutan has prospects. And very big ones. Not only is it located between two regional hegemons (China and India) and can maneuver between them, receiving preferences, but tourism is also on the rise there.

It is worth noting that before 1970, entry there was practically impossible at all. However, after the annexation of Tibet by China, Bhutan became one of the destinations of "Buddhist tourism", since there are a lot of attractions there, despite the modest size of the country.

But Bhutan is not exactly an ideal country. The road system is still poorly developed there, and although reforms are underway, they are extremely slow. From that, only the 6th place.

5th place - Mongolia

In general, Mongolia should be divided into two parts. Ulaanbaatar (the capital) and a couple of large cities where up to half of the population lives, as well as the rest of Mongolia. The rest ... It is there. Of course, it is important for the country's economy, but it is fundamentally no different from the provinces of similar countries. Maybe even worse.

But the main part of Mongolia (primarily its capital) is an extremely interesting place. Perceived by everyone as an absolutely empty and wild steppe, it is a fairly developed city with a powerful financial sector for countries of this level.

Well, the situation is a bit similar to Bhutan, since the country is located between two large states - Russia and China. Moreover, in the border regions, peoples related to the Mongols live there (in Buryatia or Inner Mongolia, for example).

And yet, as an interesting fact, the bulk of those who fled the Russian regime after February (and especially September) 2022 in the Far East fled to Mongolia, which promised and does not extradite those who came to it.

4th place - Armenia

Armenia, in my humble opinion, is undeservedly less popular than its neighbor Georgia. Although Armenia has a number of advantages.

It is slightly cheaper, more favorable to tourists and migrants from Russia, and there is much more of the Russian language we are familiar with there than in other countries of the Caucasus.

But even removing such personally subjective reasons, you can highlight a lot more. Armenia is an incredibly beautiful, quite democratic country (for its region). And considering that the conflict with Azerbaijan is close, if not to an end, then at least to a lull, the country becomes even more attractive.

3rd place - Serbia

The reasons are partly similar to those of Armenia. However...

Serbia is still Europe. It is close to joining the EU (which, by the way, is not a plus) and strong European integration, but at the same time it keeps the balance and is quite comfortable for people coming from Russia or other countries with Eastern and southern Slavs among the population.

But I must admit that I am extremely subjective (Kosovo, Serbia, ksta), therefore, it would be nice to find the disadvantages. The main one is the conflict with Kosovo and NATO, as well as some political upheavals that occasionally occur.

2nd place - Uruguay

A very large part of the population does not know about such a country at all. Even more people occasionally confuse it with Paraguay. And, by the way, in vain.

Uruguay is one of the two prosperous countries in South America. In addition to relative political stability and rare political conflicts, Uruguay is also quite developed from an economic point of view.

That is, so that you understand, GDP (PPP) per capita (the main indicator showing the well-being of the country and the population in it) Uruguay has 3 times higher than Russia, and is also noticeably higher than in, for example, Georgia or Montenegro. However, one South American country still beat Uruguay in many areas. But what is it?

1st place - Chile

Yes, those who are a little involved in economics, politics and history know about the Chilean economic miracle, and that it is the most successful country in South America. However, most people know at best that this is some kind of very elongated country.

In short, Chile, to some extent, can be compared with Europe in a number of social and economic indicators. Plus, Chile, unlike neighboring Argentina, did not prolong its historical chance, which makes the country more stable in such a maximally unstable region.

One of the disadvantages is a state with fairly high prices. By the standards of the region, for sure.

Well, that's all for now. It turned out to be somewhat less, since praising is not scolding. But I still hope it was interesting.