For an activity with my motivated Russian learning student we made our traditional Russian salad called "Olivier" (Оливье)
It is believed that this dish was originally invented by the Belgian chef Lucien Olivier, who ran an elite Parisian-style restaurant in Moscow called "Hermitage" in 1860s.
Invented in Moscow, the salad is now not only popular throughout the countries of the former Soviet Union but all over the world.
In places like Turkey, Iran, and Greece, it is known as "Russian Salad" (Русский салат).
This dish is made from chopped cooked vegetables and meat (chicken) in a sour cream - mayonnaise base.
It took us about two hours to make "Olivier." Lots of peeling of cooked vegetables and dicing them. It was good fun though.
Traditionally, the Russians eat "Olivier" for New Year's, weddings,
big birthday parties and nearly any other major event involving a large family gathering.
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