True Russian Caviar comes from the sturgeon, a prehistoric fish which was swimming at the time of the dinosaurs. The meat of the sturgeon was prized for centuries before its roe became fashionable. In Russia, the Czars granted to the Cossacks exclusive rights to sturgeon fishing with a substantial amount going to the rulers. In England, King Edward II, by decree, made the sturgeon a "Royal fish" with every catch belonging to the imperial treasury and offered to the monarch.

Quality Russian caviar is best served with a mother of pearl spoon, as silver gives the caviar a metallic taste. This aversion to silver has spawned a cottage industry in exquisite non-silver caviar spoons from Fifth Avenue to Tverskaya to Place Vendome.

The mythological lore of caviar in the U.S. includes a self-important Washington politico who took his much younger office assistant to the old Mayflower Presidential Dining Room. To impress her, he asked the waiter: "What is the most expensive item on the menu"? "Caviar, sir." "What is that?" "Fish eggs, sir." "Good, the lady and I will each have one, fried sunny side up."

Additional caviar information: Russian State History Museum, Moscow. Russian State Fishery Committee. Caspian Fishery Institute. Chef Filin, Restaurant Red Square No. 1. William Pokhlyobkin, "On Culinary Arts" (Published in Russian.)

Count Alexander Grigorievitch Stroganoff's career of service began in the military at an early age in the Napoleonic War. From 1820 he was Aide-de-Camp of Emperor Alexander I, and held minister level posts in the reign of Nicholas I. His father was Russian Ambassador to Sweden, Spain and Turkey and well acquainted with (and exposed his son to) European cuisine. The dish of Beef Stroganoff was created for the Count, after his retirement from government service by his chefs in Odessa, where he was head of the province. Later in life his teeth were weak and he desired a dish with meat cut into small pieces. Their creation to honor the Count, with the beef cut into thin strips, became the classic beef stroganoff---now served in many different forms and recipes throughout the world.

The Count lived in Odessa from 1855 to his death. The Head of Historical Research and Chief Conservateur of the Stroganoff Palace in St. Petersburg, Dr. Sergey Kuznetsov, dates the creation of the original Beef Stroganoff in the time period, 1860s-1880s.

The Stroganoffs built magnificient palaces in several cities, built and restored cathedrals, were major benefactors of universities and accumulated vast art collections. The first Stroganoff palace in St. Petersburg was built in 1716, as ordered by Peter the Great, whose edict also dictated that the size of the nobility's residences was to be based on their wealth. The huge edifice remained empty for a half century when it was donated to the university. The primary Stroganoff residence was the palace (pictured right) built on Nevsky Prospect between 1752-56, and unlike other cloistered palaces, "opened on to the life of the city".

The Stroganoff family had its origins in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries in the Tatar kingdom of Kazan. The family name was taken in memory of the martyrdom of the first family member to convert to the Orthodox faith who, after falling captive to the Tatars, was isstrogali---tortured and killed. The Stroganoff's initial wealth came from the fur trade and, in particular, their salt mine monopoly, begun by the family patriarch, Anika Stroganoff, in 1515. The family had a strong tradition of loyalty to Russia and the Czars particularly in developing Siberia (Anika for Ivan IV - The Terrible) and St. Petersburg (for Peter the Great). They were major financiers of Russia's military campaigns, and served in leadership positions in the military and civilian government (throughout the Romanov dynasty). For this they were amply rewarded by the Czars. The Stroganoffs were inextricably intertwined with the development of the Russian empire.

The Stroganoff's wealth, reflected in their palaces in several cities and vast art collections, originally came from success in the early fur trade and salt mine monopoly begun by the family patriarch, Anika Stroganoff in 1515.

Like Russian honey, vodka, historically, had medicinal uses: parents have soaked cotton balls or q-tips in vodka to ease a child's earache. Vodka with pepper is taken for an adult's cold. Its effectiveness in relieving stress and as a substitute for psychotherapy will be debated ad infinitum. However, vodka is like every medicine, i.e. in moderation it cures; in excess it can be destructive. Like the societal experiment of the U.S. with the 18th Constitutional Amendment prohibiting alcohol (repealed by the 21st Amendment), Mikhail Gorbachev conducted an anti-alcohol campaign in the 1980s. The Gorbachev initiative also failed, but it drew attention to the alcohol-related deaths which had dramatically driven down the life expectancy of the Russian male.

Russia's ultra premium vodkas are from Stolichnaya (Stoli Gold and Stoli Elit) and Russian Standard (Standard and Imperia). Stoli and Standard are dedicated to producing the world's finest vodkas, and compete over the number of times distilled, and through which materials the vodka is filtered. While vodka is identified with Russia, other countries are now producing excellent vodkas: for example, Sweden (Absolut), Poland (Belvedere), Finland (Finlandia), France (Grey Goose), England (Three Olives). Linguists argue over the root and origin of the word "vodka" (e.g. "voda", the Russian word for water), but it is not disputed that the drink was produced long before the name "vodka" became its identity. For vodka history, please see www.vodkamuseum.ru. Originally in St. Petersburg, the Vodka Museum is now in Moscow.

The facts are these: in 1935, Bert Sachse, the chef of the Esplande Hotel in Perth, Australia, was asked by the hotel owner, Mrs. Elizabeth Paxton, to create something special for the afternoon teas. After experimenting he presented this masterpiece to Mrs. Paxton. It was described "as light and airy as Pavlova danced." However, research at the National Library of New Zealand revealed cookbooks with a recipe for "Pavlova cakes"--published in 1929. Further, recipes for a "Meringue Cake", which were nearly identical to recipes for a Pavlova, beginning with one in 1927 from Mrs. McRae of the Terrace Congregational Church in Wellington, were published in New Zealand between 1927-34, some of which called for the passionfruit (and/or kiwifruit---native to New Zealand) on top. In 1973 chef Bert Sachse said in a magazine interview that he sought to improve the Meringue Cake. It appears, therefore, to be a tie: it was created and named in Australia, but adopted from a New Zealand recipe.

Anna Pavlova, between 1910-1931 traveled over 300,000 miles across the world with over 4000 performances. Her U.S. tour in 1913 greatly influenced the development of ballet in America. On her deathbed she said, "Prepare my Swan costume." The next night the company performed as usual, but when it was time for the Dying Swan, the curtain opened to an empty stage. During her lifetime, Anna Pavlova inspired thousands of young dancers and probably did more to bring ballet to the world than any other dancer before or since. It is appropriate that this elegant dessert, known to chefs worldwide, perpetuates her memory.

In appreciation for her "performance gift" to Americans, the Friends of the RCC created a special dessert to honor the Prima, "Pavlova Faberge", which was served to her at historic City Tavern Club in Georgetown. The dessert, prepared by Chef Dana Johnsroude, is a modification of Baked Alaska---chosen because of the Russian&American heritage in Alaska. The essential modification is that, like a Faberge Egg, the dessert hides a surprise inside (often jewelry - the surprise gift in the Prima's dessert was a miniature faberge egg.)

The 1999 tour was a performance history of ballet by the Prima, dancing the classics from Petipa, Tchaikovsky, Fokine and others. She was supported by dancers from the Philadelphia Ballet. In addition to performances, Pavlova was an honored guest at the Washington Ballet School and the ballet program at the Duke Ellington School of Music. Asked by students to define classical ballet, the Prima responded that she defined classical ballet as "eternal ballet" not old ballet. In addition to the dessert, the Prima's tour inspired the painting "Eternal Ballet - The History of Classical Ballet" presently on loan to the RCC (cf. "RCC Art Collection" on this web site.)

Like another Prima Ballerina, Maya Plisetskaya, Nadezhda Pavlova gained fame at an early age, and has written her own pages of Bolshoi history. Nadezhda was the first ballerina to do the dramatic leaps, previously only done by male dancers. But it is her uniquely acute sense of sound and rhythm, combined with her charm and temperament, which captivates and invites audiences into her special world. It is appropriate that the Bolshoi Prima, Pavlova, took classical ballet into the 21st century, just as another Prima named Pavlova brought the art form into the 20th.

Washington audiences will not soon forget the performances of Nadezhda Pavlova. This dessert with its surprise ending is an elegant reminder of the dramatic, but happy conclusion to her creation---"The Swan" does not die.

Russia was formally introduced to tea in 1618 when the Chinese embassy presented several chests of tea to Czar Alexis. During the late 1600s, Russia imported Chinese tea by camel caravan (an extension of the ancient "Silk Route" from China to Byzantium)---as many as 300 camels at a time arriving in China carrying Russian furs. Returning to Russia on a 11,000 mile trip that took over 16 months, the tea in the cloth camel saddlebags absorbed the aroma and smoke from the campfires along the way. Today's Russian Caravan Tea has that smoky aroma.

By the end of Catherine the Great's reign (1796), Russia was importing thousands of camel loads of tea per year and was a world leader in tea consumption. The caravans continued until the Trans Siberian Railway was built between 1891-1905.

The Russian Samovar, pictured above left, is known as the Russian symbol of hospitality, similar to the pineapple in the U.S. On special occasions, it is the centerpiece in the tradition-steeped Russian tea service---which ranges from the simple, to ritualistic and ceremonial. Historically, the Samovar was not only the symbol of hospitality, but family comfort and prosperity---some homes had two---one for everyday use, and one more valuable for entertaining.There were even some homes with a separate Samovar Room.

Russian honey is in many colors and has several uses. For example, Northern White Nights honey, from the area of Murmansk and Archangelsk, is clear and light; others are very dark. Honey, similar to wine, absorbs flavors from the plants and herbs which grow in the area.

Uses for the honey vary from treating a cold or insomnia to enhancing digestion. Some believe it has anti-allergic properties. Considered healthier than sugar, one of the most common uses is as a sweetner for tea. Honey production in Russia is expected to reach 1 million tons in the near future.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in 1999, entered into a cooperative program with Russian honey bee industry, due to a problem with parasitic mites attacking American bees. The USDA Agricultural Research Service at the Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research Laboratory in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, imported several Queens of a sturdy breed of Russian bees. The USDA experiments discovered that the Russian bees were unaffected by the mites, and were a welcome addition to the U.S. honey bee industry.

Strawberries Romanoff is essentially whipped cream and strawberries soaked in orange-flavored liqueur. The many different recipes are generally based on the three basic variations: the original Russian recipe, French and American.

The original Russian (Nicholas II - Escoffier) recipe and French recipe have only minor differences. For example, the Russian recipe uses Cointreau and the French uses Curacao. The American version adds vanilla ice cream and uses Grand Marnier.

The American version may have originated at Romanoff's restaurant in Beverly Hills, California. Marilyn Monroe, in an interview, said it was her favorite restaurant, as did Humphrey Bogart. Bogart, an avid chess player, had a permanently reserved table where he often played chess with the flamboyant owner, who called himself Prince Michael Romanoff (although he did not speak Russian and was unrelated to any Russian nobililty.)

The original Nicholas II - Escoffier recipe was called "Zemlyanika Po Romanovski/Fraises Romanoff." The original recipe used the Zemlyanika, a tiny wild strawberry growing in Russia, much smaller than the common strawberry with which we are familiar - smaller than a raspberry. Accordingly, most recipes recommend cutting the common strawberries into smaller pieces.

*Escoffier and his predecessor, Anton Careme (who created Bagration Soup - see below) are the godfathers of French cooking. Their cookbooks have been called the "Old and New Testaments" of cooking. Escoffier had a penchant for creating desserts for famous people: "Peach Melba" for Australian diva, Nellie Melba, "Chicken Tetrazzini" for Italian opera star, Luisa Tetrazzini. He also created "Cherries Jubilee" for Queen Victoria.

In the mid 19th century, two Moscow businessmen of German descent, Theodore Ferdinand von Einem and Julius Heuss, ordered a new steam engine and started constructing a factory on the banks of the Moscow River. In the Directory of Factories and Plants of the Russian Empire was recorded: "Einem. Partnership of steam factory for chocolate and tea cookies. Year of foundation is 1867."

The universal "feel-good" characteristic of chocolate was extended by the Einem Partnership beyond the food product to its employee relations. The company provided the workers (Confectioners) from villages near Moscow a hostel in which to live, and meals at the factory canteen. A school was opened for children-apprentices. A hospital fund was formed for employees in need of financial assistance. A pension was paid after 25 years of service. (The Hershey chocolate factory in the U.S. has had a similar paternalistic history.)

The Einem Partnership advertised its sweet products with airships flying over Moscow. Stylish packaging and sonorous and melodic names for the products were adopted. The factory had its own composer and buyers of chocolate received the sheet music for "Chocolate Walz", "Sugar Drop Waltz" and others. The quality of the Einem chocolate was rewarded with the right to bear the national emblem of Russia on its packages, and was honored with the right to be the "Supplier to the Court of his Imperial Majesty". In 1900 the Einem factory won the Grand-prix, the highest award of the all-world exhibition in Paris.

Babaevskoye is the current name of the two-century old confectionary company founded in 1804 as the "Partnership of A.I. Abrikosov & Sons". In 1899 the company received the title of "Supplier of the Court of His Imperial Majesty," and a century later receives gold medals for its chocolate products. Babaevskoye produces over 100 thousand tonnes of confectionery annually and the company includes subsidiary factories in Moscow, Chelyabinsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Amur, Voronezh and approximately 50 trading houses.

Confael, established by Irina Borisovna, produces unique chocolates such as sculptures and picture postcards, and in unusual and artistic packaging. Confael products range from those which are primarily chocolate (white or dark) to the exotic such as chocolate covered coffee beans and macadamia nuts--all of which are presented in boutique style packaging. A Confael Coffeehouse recently opened at 12 Nikitsky Boulevard in Moscow, and Confael has outlets in London, Paris, Vienna and UAE. Confael is responsible for part of the following history:

History of Chocolate. It is generally accepted that the earliest known consumption of chocolate was approximately three thousand years ago (a thousand years B.C.) by the Mayans and much later, the Aztecs who made a (bitter, unsweetened) hot drink from the Cocoa beans which they called "xocoatl" which means "bitter water" in their (Nahuatl) language. The Spanish explorers had difficulty pronouncing the word and called it chocolat. In 1519 Cortez was served the drink at the court of Aztec king Montezuma and observed the invigorating energy of the drink (and that Montezuma drank quantities before entering his harem - Montezuma's version also contained hot peppers.) Cortez introduced it to the Spanish court where it was sweetened, the peppers eliminated, and with succeeding generations and centuries, affection for chocolate had spread throughout Europe. Many studies and theories explaining the "feel good" nature of chocolate have been advanced. It has been called a "Delicious Medicine." The Aztecs believed it was a strong aphrodisiac, and also used cocoa beans as currency. Researchers at the University of California theorized it may strengthen the cardio-vascular system; i.e. like red wine, it contains antioxidants and may retard plaque production in the coronary blood vessels. Current Hershey cocoa containers are labeled with "Natural Source of Flavanol Antioxidants". Some believe it improves the immune system in that chocolate aroma stimulates the production of secretory immunoglobulin A - a component of the body's antiviral protection. The positive psychological effects have been attributed to the fact that chocolate contains small amounts of the stimulating alkaloids Theobromine and caffeine that activate the pleasure centers of the brain. Chocolate also produces serotonin - the so called happiness hormone, in the human body---the absence or deficiency of this hormone causes depression. Finally, cocoa butter (high quality chocolate e.g. "dark chocolate" has a high percentage of cocoa butter) in the daily diet produces phenyul ethyl amine, a psycho stimulating drug producing an emotion which chocoholics believe simulates, to a degree, the euphoria of love. Since the1970s, it has been touted as a producer of Endorphins which produce a "natural high" in the brain.

THE CHOCOLATE SOLDIER

MGM Movie (1941) starring Nelson Eddy as Russian "Vasili Vasilovich" and Metropolitan star, Rise Stevens. In the story, Eddy believes his wife is unfaithful and tests her by attempting (successfully) to seduce her disguised as the fiery Vasilovich. He is emotionally distraught until his wife later reveals she was not fooled by the disguise.

CURENT RUSSIAN CHOCOLATE MARKET. The market for, and consumption of, Russian chocolate is expanding as evidenced by the growth in Russian chocolate production and the increasing presence of foreign chocolate companies, such as Nestle, joint venturing with Russian companies. In addition to Red October, Babayevsky and Confael, Russian chocolate companies Rossia, Krupskoi and others have experienced an increased demand for their products.

RUSSIANS AND THEIR CHOCOLATE. Traditionally, Russians have prefered the higher quality, often bittersweet chocolate which uses only the cocoa butter in the manufacturing process without the substitution of animal fats. Such chocolate cracks when broken; it does not stretch like toffee. Also traditionally, it was considered best to consume this delicious food with a cup of strong tea. Nevertheless, with increased international marketing, joint ventures and the many new products available from local and foreign chocolatiers, Russian preferences in chocolate will surely be varied and generalizations no longer valid.

The importance of bread in Russian culture led to highly skilled flour makers and bakers, such that foreign Ambassadors carried the delicacy home to their European courts. Notwithstanding contemporary "low carb" diets, bread is an extremely valuable foodstuff containing over 200 useful substances including protein, carbohydrates, fibres, vitamins and minerals. "The staff of life" -Psalm 104.

The chef that created Bagration Soup, Marie Antoine Careme, had a history of Russian connections. While the chef was a Frenchman (named by his mother after Marie Antoinette), it was written in several accounts that Careme's only concern about the Napoleonic war was that it interfered with his ability to purchase butter, chickens and other ingredients from different parts of France. He was also not a fan of Napoleon's constant warring and in the spring of 1814, had cheered Czar Alexander's entrance into Paris at the head of the victorious allied armies which had vanquished Bonaparte. When the Czar took over the Elysee Palace, Careme became chef to Alexander at "Russian-Elysee" until the Czar departed for St. Petersburg in the fall of 1815. Careme was also the chef for the 3-day Napoleonic war Victory Festival of the allies held on a plain outside of Paris and hosted by Czar Alexander with Emperor Francis of Austria, King Fredrick William of Prussia, and the Duke of Wellington. The festival involved a high mass of thanksgiving, a parade of thousands of infantrymen and officers, and three formal dinners for 300 honored guests. Careme chose service a la francaise, either for French patriotism or that service a la russe would have been logistically difficult. Careme, in early 1819, sailed to St. Petersburg to be chef at the court of Czar Alexander. His experience in Russia was an effective culinary exchange: he introduced cream sauces to the court and in return, adopted and imported to France: the Russian dominance of flowers as a table decoration and service a la russe.

Since the beginning of March, old Count Ilya Rostov had been very busy arranging a dinner in honor of Prince Bagration...There was a general stir and a footman who had run in, announced with a frightened face, "He's arrived." Bells rang, the stewards rushed forward and the guests, who had been scattered about in different rooms came together by the door...Bagration appeared in the doorway...in a tight new uniform with the Russian and foreign orders and the Star of St. George on his left breast...the committeemen met him at the first door, and expressing their delight at seeing such an honored guest, took possession of him and led him to the drawing room. At first it was impossible to enter the drawing room door for the crowd of members and guests jostling one another and trying to get a good look at Bagration over each other's shoulders...Count Rostov was repeating the words, "Make way, make way, make way."

"Had there been no Bagration, it would have been necessary to invent him", said the wit Shinshin parodying the words of Voltaire.

Service a la francaise is the oldest, having its roots in the great feasts of the Middle Ages. At a medieval banquet, each course involved a large number of dishes spread out all at once on the banquet table and dining table. The diners served themselves, or asked that a dish be passed to them. The culinary drama was the extravagant display of a huge number of magnificient dishes spread before the guests. Between courses, entertainments were often staged in which more food was provided to guests.