RUSSIAN SALAD

Russians tend to prefer their salads heavy with lots of mayonnaise, although European style olive oil and vinegar-based salads, such as caesar salads and greek salads, can now be found alongside the tradition Russian salads on most menus across the country. Russian salads with fresh vegetables often use sunflower oil rather than olive oil.

1) Olivier (Оливье)
The most popular salad in Russia is probably the olivier salad which has become the traditional favourite to eat on New Year’s Eve. The salad was first made by the Belgian chef Lucien Olivier who owned the Hermitage Restaurant in Moscow in the early 1860s. However Olivier took the exact recipe of his salad to the grave with him, although many other variants have been created since them using the basic ingredients he used. These are boiled eggs, boiled potatoes, onion, chicken breasts, and peas, which are all cut into small pies and mixed with lots of mayonnaise. You will find this salad on most menus, especially in the provinces.

2) Vinegret (Винегрет)
Another classic Russian salad is vinegret. This salad is made out of diced potatoes, carrots, gherkins, onions and beetroot which gives it its red colour. Most vinegret salads now are commonly covered with oil or mayonnaise, but originally it would have been a vinegrette from where the salad gets its name.

3) Herring In a Fur Coat (Селёдка под шубой)
Another popular salad among Russians which enjoys less popularity among foreigners is the dish known as herring pod shuboy, which literally means ‘under a fur coat’. It is a layered salad starting with diced herring, then usually thin strips of potatoes, carrots, boiled eggs and finally beetroot. Mayonnaise is also put between each layer.