1.19.2005
Tarragon Soda
When I was travelling through Central Asia with my buddy Arseny, he introduced me to a drink called "Tarkhun." It was green and sweet and tasted like root beer. I thought it yummy yummy yummy. He also introduced me to the old black and dirty Afghan poppy scrapings, but that's another story.
The only place in Russia proper where I could find Tarkhun soda was at the train station in Moscow (The Kazanskaia, or the Yaroslavskaia across the street). The only thing I drank more of in Russia (besides Champagne, Beer and Vodka - non-alcoholic, I should adddend) was Kiwi soda. Ain't seen much of that lately, either.
It has been twelve years since I have tasted Tarkhun. Once, about ten years ago, I sweear that I saw a Stoli Tarkhun for sale in the liquor store in Shrub Oak, New York. But I have never seen it again, and when I asked the salesperson, he looke at me like I was crazy.
Yesterday, the wife and I go to a Russian grocery store in Brookline to load up on Prianiki and Sushki (I could eat a kilo or prianiki in one sitting). What did I see? A two-liter bottle of Tarkhun. "Omigod, omigod, omigod. Christine, check this out! Tarkhun! Sweet delicious Tarkhun! I paid my 2.99 (damned expensive Tarkhun, a far cry from the sixty-five rubles (about a penny and a half at the time) I would pay at the vokzal'.
Took that sweet baby home and popped it open. "What exactly is Tarkhun, Chris." "Arseny told me it was some sort of herb or root that grew in Central Asia. It's delicious, that's all I know." So I inspect the bottle more closely, "Look there's a picture of some bush or shrub on the bottle. That's probably the Tarkhun plant that grows in the Karakum desert." (I can sound authoritative when I lay on the bullshit). I look closer, and in big ENGLISH letters on both sides of the bottle, they have printed "Tarragon." Tarragon. So, the big mystery I have been harboring for twelve years is that tarkhun is tarragon. What the? I've been pining for tarragon soda? Tarragon? I couldn't drink it and feel the same way. It just seems too wierd, even for me. My wife thought it tasted kinda good. Who the fuck puts tarragon in their soda?
For some reason today I picked up a sprig of fresh tarragon, intending to infuse it with some vodka to test that shit out.
When I was travelling through Central Asia with my buddy Arseny, he introduced me to a drink called "Tarkhun." It was green and sweet and tasted like root beer. I thought it yummy yummy yummy. He also introduced me to the old black and dirty Afghan poppy scrapings, but that's another story.
The only place in Russia proper where I could find Tarkhun soda was at the train station in Moscow (The Kazanskaia, or the Yaroslavskaia across the street). The only thing I drank more of in Russia (besides Champagne, Beer and Vodka - non-alcoholic, I should adddend) was Kiwi soda. Ain't seen much of that lately, either.
It has been twelve years since I have tasted Tarkhun. Once, about ten years ago, I sweear that I saw a Stoli Tarkhun for sale in the liquor store in Shrub Oak, New York. But I have never seen it again, and when I asked the salesperson, he looke at me like I was crazy.
Yesterday, the wife and I go to a Russian grocery store in Brookline to load up on Prianiki and Sushki (I could eat a kilo or prianiki in one sitting). What did I see? A two-liter bottle of Tarkhun. "Omigod, omigod, omigod. Christine, check this out! Tarkhun! Sweet delicious Tarkhun! I paid my 2.99 (damned expensive Tarkhun, a far cry from the sixty-five rubles (about a penny and a half at the time) I would pay at the vokzal'.
Took that sweet baby home and popped it open. "What exactly is Tarkhun, Chris." "Arseny told me it was some sort of herb or root that grew in Central Asia. It's delicious, that's all I know." So I inspect the bottle more closely, "Look there's a picture of some bush or shrub on the bottle. That's probably the Tarkhun plant that grows in the Karakum desert." (I can sound authoritative when I lay on the bullshit). I look closer, and in big ENGLISH letters on both sides of the bottle, they have printed "Tarragon." Tarragon. So, the big mystery I have been harboring for twelve years is that tarkhun is tarragon. What the? I've been pining for tarragon soda? Tarragon? I couldn't drink it and feel the same way. It just seems too wierd, even for me. My wife thought it tasted kinda good. Who the fuck puts tarragon in their soda?
For some reason today I picked up a sprig of fresh tarragon, intending to infuse it with some vodka to test that shit out.
