Food

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What Was the Most Popular Sweet Treat in the Soviet Union?

Last Modified Date: February 18, 2024

Life could be difficult in the Soviet Union during the Cold War, but surviving wasn't quite as hard as getting blood from a stone. Instead, you could get blood from a candy bar. It was called Hematogen, and while it looked like any other sweet treat, the "candy bar" was actually an over-the-counter anemia treatment that contained beet sugar, syrup, condensed milk, and iron from cow's blood.

While intended to help keep children healthy, Hematogen was so popular that even after the fall of the USSR in 1991, the candy bar remained. It can be found today in a variety of forms, promising everything from treating the common cold to improving concentration. In fact, Hematogen was just one of a host of blood-based foods and drinks that could be found across Europe in the 20th century, thanks to researchers trying to come up with healthy and long-lasting options.

In the USSR, one of the most popular "candy bars" was Hematogen, which contained sugar, condensed milk, and cow’s blood.

For anyone interested in sampling the treat, keep in mind that manufacturers warn against kids eating more than one Hematogen bar a day and adults eating more than one-and-a-half bars. Breastfeeding and pregnant women should abstain, as should anyone being treated for diabetes.

Life in the USSR:

While many Russians went without, foreigners and citizens with hard currency could shop at Beriozkas, which were small stores carrying everything from chocolate to VHS tapes.

Life was so tough in the former Soviet Union that even The Grapes of Wrath was banned because it depicted a destitute American family being able to afford a vehicle.

Soviet war hero Georgy Zhukov loved Coca-Cola but couldn't be seen drinking it; instead, he had the makers create a clear version he could drink that looked like vodka.