culinary tours dijon mustard

How to Go Mustard Tasting in Dijon (And a Mustard History!)

By: Author Sophie Nadeau

Posted on Last updated: 26th September 2022

Categories Food and Drink , France

Last Updated on 26th September 2022 by Sophie Nadeau

With the exceptions of ketchup and mayonnaise, there was perhaps no condiment that we used more in our household than mustard when I was growing up. For many of us, the piquant sauce is a diet staple, and so during my time in Dijon (i.e. the French capital city of moutarde) , I knew that I would simply have to sample some mustard for myself! Here’s how to go mustard tasting in Dijon , Burgundy, France, as well as the best of tours, tastings, and experiences!

A history of Dijon Mustard

La moutarderie edmond fallot, 16 rue de la chouette, 21000 dijon, moutarde maille dijon, 32 rue de la liberté, 21000 dijon, learn about the history of mustard in the musée de la vie bourguignonne, mustard in beaune, enjoyed reading about how to go mustard tasting in dijon, france pin it now, read it again later:.

Unlike the wines of Bordeaux , the sparkling drink of champagne, or indeed the Brie de Meaux from the Île de France region, Dijon mustard has no designated/ protected status, and no appellation (protected designation of origin- PDO for short) .

This means that the sauce can be made anywhere in the world, sold for profit, and even called ‘Dijon mustard’ as long as a basic recipe is followed. For those who are wondering how the sauce itself is actually made, the process is fairly simple.

You simply crush the mustard seed (Brassica Negra) and add acidic juice that’s been extracted from green grapes. As far as history goes, you may well have been thinking where better to produce mustard than surrounded by vineyards?

Well, evidence suggests that the Dukes of Burgundy added mustard to their cookbooks as far back as Medieval times, when even the quality of mustard was likely controlled! With this said, the Romans likely used mustard to flavour their food, with mustard seeds found during excavations of the city of Pompeii .

Located in the historic city centre and quite literally overshadowed by Dijon’s imposing cathedral, the Moutarderie Fallot has been family-run since its very beginnings in the 1840s. Still housed in its original premises, mustard tastings are free, though guided tours (advance booking is required) cost €10.

All you need to do is wander into the store, where you can see historic mustard milling equipment, and press on the mustard pots, which you can dispense onto small wooden tasting forks.

Flavours you can sample include the usual suspects like honey mustard, as well as basil. Of unusual note is the mustard with the “pain d’épice,” which is a kind of gingerbread produced in the city.

If you’re looking for a little souvenir and don’t want to break the bank (and/ or don’t have any space left in your luggage!) , then the mustard factory sells tiny 25g pots for €1 in various flavours. I personally purchased the Moutarde de Dijon au Cassis as both mustard and blackcurrant are so synonymous with the region!

While on Rue de la Chouette, look out for the little Dijon owl! This magic ‘hibou’ dates back to the 13th-century and is said to bring good luck to those who rub it with their left hand. The owl also happens to be one of the best-kept secrets of Dijon , of which there are many.

With boutique shops dotted around l’Hexagon (and global shipping around the world) , including a flagship store right next to the Louvre Museum in Paris , Maille is hardly an experience unique to Dijon. With this being said, the shop is open from Monday through to Saturday and sells a variety of mustards, cornichons, and other condiments.

At any one time, there are dozens of free samples to be tasted, either on a little wooden stick or on a small breadstick. Throughout the year, Maille (now a subsidiary of Unilever) produces a series of ‘limited edition’ mustards. When I was in the shop, I sampled the ‘whisky’ mustard. And, though novel, it definitely wasn’t for me!

If you want to learn more about the history of mustard in the Burgundy city (or Bourgogne as it is so-called in French) , then I highly recommend heading to the Musée de la Vie Bourguignonne (Museum of Burgundian life).

Free to visit, this museum is set within the grounds of a former convent. Please note that all of the explanations throughout the museum are solely in French! And while the ground floor is not much to write home about (there are countless wax dolls!) , the upper floor makes the cultural space more than worth visiting.

For, head up the wooden stairs and there are replica storefronts and interiors, demonstrating what shops in Dijon would have looked like during the 18th-century. In addition to this, an expansive exhibition is dedicated to all things mustard-related.

Different kinds of mustard pots are on display, as well as a general view on the export of the spicy stuff from the city and beyond. If you have a little more time, then I highly recommend requesting to visit the (also free) Musée d’Art Sacré at the front desk of the Burgundian Life Museum.

Further Dijon Mustard Experiences, tastings, and experiences to be had in Burgundy!

If you’re unable to experience mustard in Dijon, then though not quite as famous, the pretty wine city of Beaune also has its own mustard factory! Located just a short train ride away from Dijon, Beaune is in a world of its own thanks to its still-standing ramparts and many wine vendors based in cellars across the small city.

Sophie Nadeau loves dogs, books, travel, pizza, and history. A Francophile at heart, she runs solosophie.com when she’s not chasing after the next sunset shot or consuming something sweet. She splits her time between Paris and London and travels as much as she can! Subscribe to Sophie’s YouTube Channel.

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Culinary Tours French Style Dijon Mustard 7.5 oz

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(Français) 1245 le Mag – La Moutarderie Fallot

Sorry, this entry is only available in Français .

(Français) Curious Traveler Beaune & Dijon

(Français) La Moutarderie Fallot l’invité de Art & Gastronomie

Fallot Mustard Mill has been an independent, family-owned Burgundy company since 1840. While it has outstanding production facilities, it has also maintained the expertise of the artisan mustard maker.

Eager to fully satisfy the strictest quality and food safety requirements, Fallot Mustard Mill decided to pursue an accreditation process in this area.

We rose to the challenge: our production unit was awarded IFS (International Food Standard) certification.

Marc Désarménien Grandson of Edmond Fallot

The French Food City With Fewer Crowds and All of the Charm

It’s famous as the birthplace of dijon mustard, but the capital of france’s burgundy region offers travelers so much more..

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Dijon, the capital of France’s famous winemaking region of Burgundy, became the center of mustard making in the late Middle Ages and is now known as the birthplace of the namesake condiment.

Photo by Remko Kraaijeveld

Dijon, France, is among a handful of international locales with an eponymous culinary export that’s more famous than the town itself, much like the rolling agave hills of Tequila, Mexico, the olive groves of Kalamata, Greece, and the pastoral dairy farms of Parma, Italy. But this charming French city is worth visiting for much more than a taste of the spicy sandwich staple that’s named after it. Thanks to its well-preserved historic architecture, updated museums and hotels, world-class shopping and restaurants, and a vineyard-laden countryside, Dijon should be a stop on any traveler’s tour of France’s famous Burgundy region.

The French mustard brand La Maison Maille helped land Dijon on the world’s mustard-making map.

Dijon’s mustard is famous for a reason, so sampling its signature spread is a great place to kick off your journey. Begin at La Maison Maille on Rue de la Liberté, a can’t-miss corner boutique from the French company that landed the city on the mustard map back in the mid-1700s. Inside the apothecary-style shop, you’ll find hundreds of earthenware pots brimming with unique mustards (tip: go for the white truffle-parmesan) along with fascinating displays detailing Maille’s long history and production process. Once you’ve finished perusing, make sure to pick up a jar or two to bring back home—in France, Maille’s mustard is made with white wine while the glass jarred version found in U.S. grocery stores uses vinegar, resulting in a less complex taste and aroma.

Next, immerse yourself in Dijon’s captivating artistic landscape at the Musée des Beaux Arts , which reopened in 2019 after a massive $66 million renovation that took almost 10 years to complete. Set in the stunning 14th-century Palais des Ducs, the fine art museum includes highlights such as the intricately carved 15th-century tombs of Dukes Philip the Bold and John the Fearless, Burgundian art dating to the Middle Ages, and an engrossing Egyptian collection, all housed in the opulent Salle des Gardes. And no visit to Dijon would be complete without tracking down the lucky stone owl perched on the north side of the towering Église Notre Dame: Follow the Parcours de la Chouette (the Owl Walk), a designated trail connecting 22 inlaid bronze triangles emblazoned with the image of an owl, through the city center until you reach the wish-granting totem.

Les Halles is one of France’s best-known markets, coming to life every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with an incredible selection of meats, candies, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, and ready-to-eat pastries.

France is known for its bustling year-round markets, and Dijon claims one of the country’s very best. Wander the Les Halles market to soak up the sights, sounds, and smells that emanate from the stalls crowded inside. Bring a basket and complement your mustard collection with picnic-perfect accompaniments such as aged cheeses, freshly harvested truffles, and thick slabs of jambon persillé, a charcuterie specialty that consists of cubed ham and fragrant parsley suspended in a wine-based gelatin mold. Further shopping can be found nearby along the Rue Verrerie, a pedestrian street lined with antiques dealers, art galleries, and design shops that peddle one-of-a-kind finds out of historic half-timbered houses.

Where to eat and drink

Choice cocktails, wine, and award-winning meals are never far from reach in Dijon, which gained a new Michelin star in 2019 with L’Aspérule , a set-menu restaurant helmed by Joël Robuchon protégé Keigo Kimura, who serves French cuisine with a Japanese twist. This establishment brought the city’s grand total to five Michelin-starred restaurants, including the two-starred William Frachot , plus seven restaurants that earned Michelin’s Bib Gourmand nod for exceptional food at moderate prices.

Treat yourself to exquisite French cuisine (not to mention a glorious four-tiered cheese cart) at Loiseau des Ducs , Dominique Loiseau’s ode to her late husband chef Bernard Loiseau, which is housed inside the 16th-century Hôtel de Talmay. To keep it casual, head to Chez Copains or Bistrot des Halles , two of the many family-run bistros clustered around the city center.

Dijon’s namesake mustard is made by replacing the condiment’s usual ingredient of vinegar with white wine or verjuice, the acidic juice of unripe grapes, which grow in the French winemaking region.

Spend an afternoon sipping your way through Burgundy’s top vintages by hiring a car or renting a bicycle to ride down the Route des Grand Crus , a nearly 40-mile stretch from Dijon to neighboring Beaune; it weaves through mustard fields to the area’s top wineries. Stop off at the 12th-century Château du Clos de Vougeot in Côte d’Or, headquarters of the wine-loving Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin bacchanalian fraternity, for a hands-on crash-course in Burgundian viticulture. In town, the expertly stocked Dr. Wine has your vino needs covered, and try Monsieur Moutarde , a friendly, spacious cocktail bar shaking up creative tipples alongside finger foods and an impressive spirits list.

The culinary excitement doesn’t end there: Keep your eyes peeled for the unveiling of International City of Gastronomy , a highly anticipated 16-acre dining, entertainment, and residential complex dedicated to regional food and drink in Dijon slated for completion by 2021 .

Where to stay

A tourist-friendly town to its core, Dijon boasts several outstanding places to lay your head. The boutique Hotel Vertigo , with its quirky, modern guest rooms, sleek cocktail bar, and spa, is a natural choice for design lovers, while the Maison Philippe Le Bon , a network of three updated mansions surrounding a Gothic courtyard, is a historic delight. Additionally, the five-star Grand Hotel La Cloche , a palatial, illuminated expanse overlooking the Place Darcy, has served as the city’s premiere luxury retreat since opening its doors 1884.

>>Next: Plan Your Trip With AFAR’s Guide to France

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18 Ways to Use Dijon Mustard in Your Cooking

By Tommy Werner

There’s just nothing that hits the savory spot (or your nose) quite like dijon mustard.

It's a flavor so distinctive that it's immediately detectable in nearly anything it touches. And while you shouldn't have any qualms about putting the sinus-clearing stuff on everything, sometimes you’ve got to rein it in.

Here are the best ways to use the hot, creamy, and super sharp flavor of dijon mustard.

After oil and vinegar, dijon is the next in line for salad dressing essentials. Its thickness and composition help incorporate the oil and vinegar, and the extra bit of heat you get is great on bitter greens like escarole or friseé. Try it on your standard potato salad recipe and sprinkle on some fresh herbs.

Want your marinade on the funkier side? Make a puree of garlic, herbs, wine, and, yes, some dijon mustard. It’ll tenderize tougher cuts of meat like lamb leg or flank steak.

It’s easily the best thing you can do to mayonnaise . And it’s only takes two spoons and a bowl.

Because you need something for dipping some buttery chicken fingers , and the balanced sweet-to-spicy flavor of honey mustard is just right.

Glazed carrots are pretty great on their own—a buttery, sweet version of a vegetable everyone likes. Now add about a tablespoon of dijon mustard to the method. You’re really going off the rails now.

Spiced Glazed Carrots with Sherry & Citrus

A mustard rub forms a thick coat of sweet and sharp flavors over a juicy pork roast that cracks under a fork and knife. Which looks awesome. And tastes even better. After you master it this way, try it on chicken sometime.

You’ll want this trick the next time you make ribs on the grill . Make a mustard and vinegar sauce. Subbing in dijon for yellow mustard will pack a punch.

Pretzels in mustard, great . Pretzels in cheese , even better. Pretzels in cheese sauce WITH mustard. Yes, we’re feeling it.

Liven up cold summer salads and slaws with a nose-twitching addition of dijon mustard. It’ll play nicely with the sharpness of cabbage.

Whether deglazing a pan with cider after a batch of pork chops or swapping it in for whole mustard in a Riesling sauce for ham , adding a couple tablespoons of mustard makes for a more complex sauce (or even a way to cover up less-than-ideal wine ). Regardless of how you use it, just be sure to add it at the end to keep the heat.

Rosemary and Mustard Pork Loin with Baby Artichokes, Shallots, and Vermouth Jus

Let’s face it. The real reason we all love a big pot of mussels is for the buttery broth. Adding mustard to the stock pot as the broth simmers gives it some extra depth. Pick up an extra loaf of bread—you'll need it to mop up the rest of the liquid.

Take a dish of melted butter. Step two: whisk in dijon mustard. Step three: douse every fish for the rest of time with it. Especially salmon.

Combining bread crumbs with dijon mustard makes a toasty and flavorful way to cover anything you’re roasting, from salmon to pork tenderloin .

For heavier casserole dishes like macaroni and cheese or a gratin, Dijon mustard adds some extra heat and creaminess. You know, in case your mac wasn’t creamy enough.

You don’t need a lot to make a devilishly good deviled egg filling. A little mayo, maybe some paprika, and sprinkle of salt. But next time, instead of using yellow ballpark mustard, sub in some dijon for a creamier filling that’s more than a little addictive.

In the past, we’ve fallen hard for mayo-rubbed turkey . The moist result is just irresistible. You can pull off a similar trick using dijon mustard. On one hand, the mustard tenderizes the meat. On the other, it’s providing some heat. It’s a delicious result on both accounts.

Don’t get us wrong, on a cold night, nothing’s better than a stew. Problem is, they can feel a little...dull. With a quick addition of dijon though, the dull days are over . Just like with sauces, add the dijon to a stew as it is finishing cooking.

What to serve with that fancy pork appetizer? A spreadable mustard that cuts through the fat. Get ready for some Wayne’s World references .

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Great mustard tasting. A must do when... - La Boutique Maille

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• La Boutique Maille

Think Dijon - think mustard. This cute boutique is right in the middle of the city and has plenty... read more

Of course I need ceramic pots for my Maille mustard, plus it was fun to sample and then decide... read more

Great mustard tasting. A must do when in Dijon.

This is a must visit when in Dijon. A small shop but with a great range of mustard available for tasting. They also have some Maille souvenirs.

Lovely mustard selling shop. Its best feature is the numerous bottles and mustard one can taste. The amount of different pastes they produce (including seasonal ones) is quite fascinating! Not to be missed! PS. The honey mustard was the best one!

We had the best time visiting and learning all about the different types of mustard. The staff were so very friendly and lovely to our entire family.

Very nice shop if you like to try and experience the real dijon. The staff was very friendly, they gave us some troufle mustard to try... Special edition on winter only and it was fantastic. They have mustard with a lof of mix and several sizes. A place not to miss if you like mustard!!!

Very quaint store with a lot of variety. Great gift ideas and friendly staff. The prices were high but I'm sure the product is quality!

in Dijon, you got to visit this Maille boutique, there are only two in France! This i'd say the more authentic one, since this is the famous mustard! The shop is nicely located, and staff was helpful

Dijon Vs Spicy Brown Mustard: The Flavor Difference Explained

M ustard is a condiment that needs no introduction, for it's likely as familiar to your kitchen as salt and pepper. In fact, mustard is believed to have been used in some form since the days of the ancient Egyptians. But to limit the range of mustard in your refrigerator to the classic common yellow mustard would be a mistake. There are a variety of popular types of mustards out there , all ranging in bold and unique flavors. Of course this includes the yellow mustard that you know all too well, but it's worth shining the spotlight on some members of the mustard family that often fly under the radar. Most notably, it's worth paying attention to Dijon mustard and spicy brown mustard.

To the uninitiated, Dijon and spicy brown mustard might just fall into the category of "alternative" mustards to be used interchangeably in place of yellow mustard -- especially if you're looking for something a little different than the usually bright yellow condiment. But this would be a mistake. There's actually a world of difference between Dijon and spicy brown mustard. For starters, they have some different key ingredients. Here's how they vary from one another in flavor, as well as how you might best utilize these condiments in your dishes.

Read more: How To Use A Crock-Pot Like A Pro

What's The Difference?

Although these two condiments come from the same general mustard family and therefore share the same basic philosophy for ingredients (mustard seeds, liquid, additional spices), that's about where the similarities end. Dijon is named after its town of origin in the wine-rich Burgundy region of France and is made using a tart ingredient called verjuice. Verjuice is made by pressing unripened fruits, usually wine grapes. The addition of this ingredient in making Dijon mustard gives the product only a light acidity compared to other mustards, which use stronger acids. The fruit product also lends some sweet and tangy notes to Dijon mustard, making it a real standout among its peers. Dijon mustard is also more refined and blended than most other mustards, making its texture quite smooth and even creamy.

Spicy brown mustard, on the other hand, is quite different from Dijon. Besides the apparent difference in color, spicy brown mustard is also distinguishable from Dijon mustard by its much coarser texture due to the mustard seeds remaining largely intact. As well, spicy brown mustard forgoes the verjuice found in Dijon and instead uses vinegar, yielding a much stronger and bolder acidity and amplifying the latent heat found in mustard seeds. This combination results in spicy brown mustard sharing flavor characteristics similar to other hot ingredients such as horseradish or wasabi, while Dijon is milder in comparison.

Finding The Right Use For Each One

Since Dijon and spicy brown mustard are two distinct entities, you might want to ask which is better. But instead of comparing these on the basis of one being better than the other, it's worth realizing that both products are excellent if used for the right dishes. Dijon mustard, on account of its smooth texture and tart flavor profile, is an excellent ingredient in sauces, marinades, and vinaigrettes, and also features in excellent dishes such as the Monte Cristo sandwich . Spicy brown mustard, meanwhile, is best served less as a sauce and more like a spread by virtue of its coarser texture and more pungent taste. You may find spicy brown mustard in your local deli since its stronger flavors can hold their own against salty deli meats. It's also a staple as a spread on a charcuterie board for this same reason, and it fits right in when paired with salted crackers or a warm Bavarian pretzel.

Of course, no one is stopping you from swapping out these mustards if you're lacking one of them. After all, it seems that the only rule for food is that there are no hard and fast rules. Some people would rather not tackle the heat of spicy brown mustard, while others prefer it over Dijon entirely. What matters is that you know the difference between the two, you know their ideal uses, and now you can use this knowledge to implement one or both of these mustards in your culinary endeavors.

Read the original article on Chowhound .

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France Has a Gourmet Food Trail That Runs From Dijon to Marseille

La Vallée De La Gastronomie France immerses visitors in the magic of French food and wine.

Alexandra Domrongchai is a food and travel writer based out of New York. With years of experience in the restaurant industry, food culture research, and as an avid traveler traveling she joins Travel + Leisure as a Commerce Writer where in addition to supporting the commerce team, she writes about all the best travel gadgets and more.

Michal Krakowiak / Getty Images

If your dream trip involves chocolate, cheese , wine , and a constant stream of baguettes, we've found your next vacation. 

Vallée de la Gastronomie pays homage to France's rich culinary and wine traditions through a food-and-wine road trip that goes from Dijon to Marseille through Lyon. The massive trail, which has had  59 new activities added since 2020, includes 448 different stops along a 385-mile route. 

Whether you're into history, adventure, gastronomy, or simply adore a nice glass of wine with a view, the trail is a dreamy way to explore the wonders of France. With picnics in the lavender fields of Dröme Provençal and tours of the Mas Des Tourelles, La Vallée De La Gastronomie France immerses visitors in French hospitality.

Related : French Cooking School Vacations

Activities along the trail

With a wide variety of expert-led tours, workshops, and activities, visitors have the opportunity to immerse themselves in French culture while traveling the route. 

Guests can go truffle hunting, stay overnight in a historic farmhouse, join a chef on a tour of local producers and prepare a meal together, or get the insider's guide on how to make Lyon's famous pâté-croûte. 

Courtesy of Cherrystone

Cooking classes and tastings 

Become a chocolatier, cheesemaker, or truffle hunter and learn the history of regional specialties by participating in cooking classes and tastings. Visitors can also stop at Michelin-starred restaurants or dine at traditional regional restaurants.

Activities also include a food tour of the famous Les Halles Paul Bocuse in Lyon, a visit to Dijon’s Cité internationale du vin et de la gastronomie , and a tour of L’huilerie Beaujolaise, which produces oils and vinegars used by chefs like Eric Ripert and Daniel Boulud.

Related : This Southern French Region Is a Must-Visit Wine and Seafood Destination

Get a taste of mustard from Dijon, calissons from Aix, nougat from Montélimar, and rice from Camargue with local experts who will share their insights through interactive activities. 

Huilerie Beaujolaise

Channel your inner sommelier

The Voyage Gourmand also includes numerous wine courses, tours, and experiences for beginners and aficionados alike.

Related : How to Find the Best Wines of the Loire Valley

Visitors can learn how to blend wine to create their own vintage as they explore the wide variety of grapes that are celebrated in French wine-making: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, Cabernet, and Merlot, just to name a few.

“Guests can experience Speleologie, a wine tasting in the Saint-Marcel cave . Visitors descend into the heart of the cave and taste in complete darkness three local wines, including one that is aged in the cave itself,” says Corinne Renard, Market Manager of the Auvergne-Rhone-Alps Tourism Board. 

Find more information at https://www.valleedelagastronomie.com/en .

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2018 Primetime Emmy & James Beard Award Winner

A History of Moscow in 13 Dishes

Jun 06 2018.

War, hunger, and some of the world’s great doomed social experiments all changed the way that Moscow eats.

Moscow, the European metropolis on Asia’s western flank, has always been a canvas for competing cultures. Its cuisine is no different. The ancient baselines of winter grains, root vegetables, and cabbage acquired scaffolding from both directions: eastern horsemen brought meat on sticks, western craftsmen brought pastries, and courtly French chefs came and drowned it all in cream.

History has a place on the plate here, as well: war, hunger, and some of the world’s great doomed social experiments from Serfdom to Communism to Bandit Capitalism all changed the way that Moscow eats. So in the spirit of all of those grand failures, we—a Russian chef and an American writer—will attempt here to reduce the towering history of this unknowable city to 13 dishes, with some Imperial past but a special emphasis on the more recent decades of culinary paroxysms as Moscow emerged from its Soviet slumber.

Olivier Salad

To visualize the long marriage between French and Russian cuisines, picture Peter the Great, on a diplomatic sojourn to Paris in 1717, a “ stranger to etiquette ”, meeting the 7-year-old boy-king Louis XV and lifting him in the air out of sheer elán. These things were simply not done, and yet, there they were. Peter’s joyful (and often envious) fascination with all things French took hold, among other places, in the kitchen. He brought French chefs back to his palaces, and then the lesser nobility followed suit, and when the first restaurants emerged in Moscow, they also spoke French. The Hermitage Restaurant, which was open from 1864 until history intervened in 1917, had a Francophone Belgian named Lucien Olivier as a chef, and he made a salad that was a perfectly unrestrained combination of French flavors and Russian ingredients: grouse! Veal tongue! Proto-mayonnaise! The ingredients now tend toward the pedestrian—boiled beef, dill pickles, various vegetables all bound with mayonnaise—and it has become a staple of Russian cuisine, especially on New Year’s. And yes, if you’ve ever seen the lonely Ensalada Rusa wilting behind the sneezeguard of a Spanish tapas bar, that is supposed to be a successor to the Olivier. But in Moscow, you should eat Matryoshka ’s version, which is not the original recipe but has some of that imperial richness: crayfish, quail, sturgeon caviar, and remoulade, all under a translucent aspic skirt, for 990₽ ($16).

There’s a type of expression around bottling things—bottled lightning, summer in a jar, etc.—that feels very apt here. What exactly is bottled with vareniye (jam)? A lot more than just fruit. These jams, which tend to be thinner than western varieties—with whole berries or fruit chunks in syrup—are bottled with a lot of Russian identity. There’s the Russian love of countryside. Deep dacha culture of summer cottages and personal orchards. Traditional naturopathy (raspberry vareniye taken with tea will fight fever). And above all, friendship is bottled here— vareniye made from the overabundance of fruit at one’s dacha is the most typical Russian gift, real sharing from real nature, even in the often-cynical heart of Europe’s largest megacity. Visitors who are short on lifelong friendships in Moscow can pick some up fine vareniye at any Lavka Lavka shop (we recommend the delicate young pine cone jam) or, curiously enough, at many Armenian stores.

Borodinsky Bread

The clinical-sounding title of Lev Auerman’s 1935 classic Tekhnologiya Khlebopecheniya ( Bread Baking Technology) doesn’t promise scintillation. But Auerman’s recipe for rye bread changed Russian bread forever. An older legend had it that the bread was baked dark for mourning by a woman widowed in the battle of Borodino in 1812, but the real birth of the bread came from Auerman’s recipes. A modification on sweet, malted Baltic breads, Auerman’s Borodinsky bread was 100% rye and used caraway or anise. The recipe has evolved a bit—today it is 80% rye and 20% wheat high extraction flour and leans more on coriander than caraway. But its flavor profile (sweet, chewy) as well as its characteristic L7 mold —a deep brick of bread—has made it easily identifiable as the traditional, ubiquitous, every-occasion bread of Moscow. You can buy it everywhere, but the Azbuka Vkusa high-end markets have a reliably good sliced version.

Buckwheat Grechka

Look closely at those Russians who have followed their money to live in London, or are vacationing in Cyprus or Antalya. See the slight melancholy that not even cappuccinos or sunshine can erase. It’s not because Russians are gloomy by nature; it’s probably because there is no real grechka outside of Russia and Ukraine, and that is devastating. Buckwheat grain and groats— grechka (or grecha in Saint Petersburg)—are deep in the culture. It’s a wartime memory: May 9 Victory Day celebrations feature military kitchens serving buckwheat like they did at the front. It’s a little slice of Russian history that lies somewhere between oatmeal and couscous. In Moscow, eat it at Dr. Zhivago with milk (180₽/US$2.90) or mushrooms (590₽/US$9.50), and rejoice.

Mimoza Salad

This fantastically expressive egg-and-canned-fish salad is a testament to Soviet ingenuity—it’s the ultimate puzzle to make a drastically limited food chain sparkle—and the universal human thrill of layering foods. The geological creation starts with a base layer of fish, then layers of grated cooked potato, mayonnaise, shredded cheese, grated carrots, sweet onion, diced egg whites and then capped with a brilliant yellow crumble of boiled egg yolk. It sits there on the plate, dazzling like the flowering mimosa tree it is named after. The taste? Well, it’s comfort food. Pick some up to go at any Karavaev Brothers location —the excellent deli chain sells it for 650₽ (US$10.40) a kilo.

It seems odd, almost impossible, to imagine a time in Russia before shashlik. It’s meat on a stick, something that all humans should have had on the menu since at least the time of Prometheus. But shashlik as we know it know—cubes of marinated meat cooked with vegetables over a mangal grill—didn’t really take off in Russia until the early 1900s. And due to a lack of suitable meat in much of the Soviet era (there were no meat cattle herds, only dairy), we’re starting the clock on shashlik in the late Soviet period. Despite its relatively recent (re)appearance, it is now the ubiquitous grill phenomenon of Russia, a welcome ritual of summer.

Much of Russian cuisine has borrowed heavily from Central Asia and further east over the millennia ( pelmeni anyone?), but plov is a striking example of an entire eastern dish making its way directly into Russian households. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and upheaval in many Central Asian Soviet Republics, mass economic migration to Moscow took off in the late 80s and early 90s. Central Asians today are the lifeblood of the Moscow labor force (part of up to 10-12 million Central Asian migrants living in Russia), and plov—rice steamed in stock with meat and vegetables—has jumped from the migrant communities to the homes of Muscovites everywhere. It has developed an unfortunate reputation for being a food that even finicky kids will eat, so there is a lot of harried domestic plov being made. But you can get a fully expressed Uzbek version at Danilovsky Market, online at plov.com , or at Food City—the surf-and-turf Tsukiji of Moscow.

The Big Mac

So many of the difficulties in American-Russian relations come down to one foundational attitude problem: The Americans (that’s half of this writing duo) were incredibly, distressingly smug through the entire fall of the Soviet Union. We mistook Soviet failure for an American victory, and that made all the difference. What does that have to do with a Big Mac? Well, when Russia’s first McDonald’s opened on Pushkinskaya in 1990 and 5000 people turned out to wait in line for the first taste of America, we back home in the states mistook it for culinary and commercial superiority. But there was something more complicated happening: Russians had been denied Western goods for so long and with such force that any outside identity was much-needed oxygen. And the long-term victory, as McDonald’s has continued to thrive in post-Soviet Russia, really belongs to the local franchise, which used higher-quality ingredients than in the U.S. and created a chain that was successful not because of its American identity but because of its Russian modifications. We wouldn’t recommend eating at any McDonald’s, especially not when there is Teremok for your fast-food needs, but having a soda in the original location is one way to sit and ponder the sin of hubris. And to use the free toilet and Wi-Fi.

The crown jewel of Levantine meat preparations, perhaps the single greatest street meat in the world: Shawarma. It first came to Moscow with a shawarma joint across from the Passazh mall, opened in the early 90s by Syrian cooks who dazzled masses with their sizzling, spinning, spiced meat emporium. Lines that stretched into the hundreds of people weren’t uncommon in those heady early days. And even though the original spot closed many years ago, Moscow shawarma only grew from there, mutating into the beast it is today, where you’re likely to find chicken, cabbage, mayo and a thin tomato sauce all combining to make the Levant a distant memory.

Fish Tartare aka Sashimi

One result of the aforementioned American smugness is that the West seemed surprised at how rapidly 1990s Russia assimilated some of the most hardcore capitalist traits, including but not limited to conspicuous consumerism. Moscow’s new elite was very, very good at that. What could be more conspicuous that recreating a restrained, exclusive seafood cuisine from Japan in the chaotic, landlocked megacity of Moscow? The very improbability of high-end sushi and sashimi in Moscow fueled much of its allure, and even though the trends have moved on from sushi, you can still tell the emotional attachment that the oligarch class has to those formative wastes of money. Sumosan restaurant started in Moscow back in 1997 and has since expanded to Monte Carlo and Londongrad , where they serve a dish that they call Fish Tartare, among others, in their restaurants and through their private jet catering service.

Blue Cheese roll

If the early elite sushi restaurants in Moscow were the frivolous edge of a food phenomenon, then Yakitoriya , a chain which started in the late 1990s, democratized it with affordable sushi rolls geared to local tastes. The Blue Cheese Roll, available now on their menu, seems like the apex (or nadir) of the Russianized roll: salmon, smoked eel, cucumber, cream cheese, Blue Cheese sauce. It might not be Jiro’s dream, but a true Russian middle class, one that can work honestly, earn meaningful salaries, and have a freaky sushi roll at the end of the week just like the rest of us—that’s something worthing dreaming for. Blue Cheese Roll, Yakitoriya, 417₽ (US$6.70)

If you’re American, have you ever wondered why tacos took over middle America but sopes remain virtually unknown? It’s curious how a country can assimilate some foods from their neighbors and but remain blissfully ignorant of others. That may explain what took place two years ago in Moscow, when the city seemingly discovered, as if for the first time, the bagged awesomeness that is khinkali , a soup dumpling from Russia’s southern neighbor Georgia. It became very trendy very quickly, and khinkali joints sprouted across Moscow like griby after a rain. But it wasn’t just that dish: what they were serving was a bit of the imagined southern, sybaritic lifestyle of the Caucasus, as promised in restaurant names like Est’ Khinkali Pit Vino ( Eat Khinkali Drink Wine ). Your best bets are at the stately Sakhli , around 100₽ (US$1.60) per soft, fulsome dumpling, or the more modernized Kafe Khinkalnaya on Neglinnaya Street , 100₽ (US$0.80) a dumpling.

We have named burrata—yes, that Italian alchemy of cheese and cream—the Perfect Dish of Moscow 2018, if only because it is the Dish of the Moment, ready to be enjoyed at the height of its faddishness now, and equally ready to be replaced when the city decides to move on. Read Anna Maslovskaya’s masterful breakdown of why—and where—to eat burrata in Moscow.

Top image: Olivier salad with chicken. Photo by: Kvector /Shutterstock

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Olivier Salad

MAIN INGREDIENTS

Olivier salad is a Russian salad with variable ingredients, but it is typically made with chopped vegetables, meat, and mayonnaise. The key ingredients include diced potatoes, vegetables, eggs, chicken, or ham. This salad is one of the most important appetizers at the New Year's salad buffets in Russia, as well as in some of the other countries of the former USSR. The original was invented in the 1860s by Lucien Olivier, a chef in the popular Moscow restaurant called L'Hermitage . Olivier guarded the recipe until he died, but it is believed that the recipe was stolen by an employee who watched the chef at work, so the salad is still made today. Another theory says that the recipe for the new Olivier salad was developed by one of the restaurant's customers who wanted to keep the salad alive after the chef passed away. Olivier salad as we know it today is nothing like the original version, because it was called game bird mayonnaise , made with gourmet ingredients such as black caviar, capers, hen, and crayfish tails. Over time, the salad evolved and most of the gourmet ingredients have been replaced with more common ones such as peas, chicken, ham, and pickles. Today, the variations are endless, but most Russian chefs agree on one thing: adding carrots to the Olivier is a heresy. Interestingly, Olivier salad is also sometimes called Russian salad, while the meatless version is called French salad or francuska salata , probably due to the French name of its creator. The Spanish version is known as ensaladilla rusa. It is so popular in Spain that it's an important part of the Spanish gastronomy as well as being a staple in schools and summer camps all over the country. Ensaladilla rusa is also one of Spain's most popular tapas – in some cases, it's even served free of charge if you order a beer. There's also the Piedmontese insalata russa, typically consumed as an appetizer, and with many variations, so the salad might also include ingredients such as pickled cauliflower, anchovies, and tuna. Interestingly, in the Italian municipality of Carrù, tuna is an obligatory element of the salad.

Olivier salad is a Russian salad with variable ingredients, but it is typically made with chopped vegetables, meat, and mayonnaise. The key ingredients include diced potatoes, vegetables, eggs, chicken, or ham. This salad is one of the most important appetizers at the New Year's salad buffets in Russia, as well as in some of the other countries of the former USSR.

MOST ICONIC Olivier Salad

Mari Vanna Moscow

Grand Cafe Dr. Zhivago

Café Pushkin

Pelmeni is one of Russia's national dishes, a small dumpling with a delicately thin dough, filled with anything from ground meat or fish to mushrooms. The fillings can be mild or very spicy, depending on the amount of seasonings such as various fresh herbs, black pepper, and onions. Pelmeni dumplings are served in almost every Russian restaurant, as well as in numerous Russian homes where each family has their own recipe for the dish.

Pelmeni is one of Russia's national dishes, a small dumpling with a delicately thin dough, filled with anything from ground meat or fish to mushrooms. The fillings can be mild or very spicy, depending on the amount of seasonings such as various fresh herbs, black pepper, and onions.

VARIATIONS OF Pelmeni

MOST ICONIC Pelmeni

Lepim i Varim

Varenichnaya №1

Beef Stroganoff

When it first appeared in the mid-19th-century Russia, beef Stroganoff was a dish made out of lightly floured beef cubes that have been sautéed and cooked in a simple sauce made from stock and mustard with only a small amount of sour cream. The origin of the dish is unclear, but it is most likely linked to a French chef—or a French-trained chef—working for the Stroganoff family. Although Russian in origin, the dish is strongly influenced by the French style of cooking—this is most obviously seen in the way the beef is cut, in either cubes or strips. The first known recipe appeared in Elena Molokhovets’s A Gift to Young Housewives, published in 1871. Since then, the dish has had major alterations. The beef is still cut in strips, but the sauce is much richer; with sliced mushrooms and onions that are cooked with beef stock and thickened a bit with sour cream that is only stirred in at the end. The dish is traditionally served with potato straws, but is often served with either rice pilav, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.

When it first appeared in the mid-19th-century Russia, beef Stroganoff was a dish made out of lightly floured beef cubes that have been sautéed and cooked in a simple sauce made from stock and mustard with only a small amount of sour cream.

The origin of the dish is unclear, but it is most likely linked to a French chef—or a French-trained chef—working for the Stroganoff family. Although Russian in origin, the dish is strongly influenced by the French style of cooking—this is most obviously seen in the way the beef is cut, in either cubes or strips.

MOST ICONIC Beef Stroganoff

Yolki-Palki

Russian Pub

These traditional Russian pancakes are prepared with flour, eggs, milk, yeast, and a pinch of salt. What distinguishes them from other pancakes is the addition of yeast, since similar equivalents mostly do not add any leavening agents. The batter is poured over a hot pan, shaped into a circle, and fried for a couple of minutes on both sides. The tradition of preparing this traditional Russian dish originates from ancient times: it was a ceremonial dish, served during the pagan holiday called Maslenitsa – a week-long festivity praising the end of winter and the celebration of spring. With their shape and color, blini symbolized the long-awaited Sun. However, blini are not consumed exclusively during Maslenitsa, as they have become one of the most popular dishes in Russia, and are also commonly eaten around the world. Blini are extremely versatile and can be served with sweet or savory fillings. Some of the Russian favorites include various jams, condensed milk, while the most famous savory version is topped with fish roe or caviar.

These traditional Russian pancakes are prepared with flour, eggs, milk, yeast, and a pinch of salt. What distinguishes them from other pancakes is the addition of yeast, since similar equivalents mostly do not add any leavening agents. The batter is poured over a hot pan, shaped into a circle, and fried for a couple of minutes on both sides.

MOST ICONIC Blini

Buloshnaya Cafe

Ukha is a rustic Russian soup consisting of a broth filled with herbs, seasonings, root vegetables, and fish such as salmon, cod, perch, and trout. A bit of vodka is often added into the pot while the soup is simmering. Although it originated as a simple broth, it evolved into an elaborate dish during the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was served in Russian courts. Apparently, the soup is so good that it was even a favorite of Ivan the Terrible.

Ukha is a rustic Russian soup consisting of a broth filled with herbs, seasonings, root vegetables, and fish such as salmon, cod, perch, and trout. A bit of vodka is often added into the pot while the soup is simmering. Although it originated as a simple broth, it evolved into an elaborate dish during the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was served in Russian courts.

MOST ICONIC Ukha

Gusyatnikoff

Savory pastry.

Pirozhki is one of the most popular Russian dishes, often sold as street food, although it can also be made at home. The pocket-sized, oval-shaped pirozhki are yeast dough buns stuffed with a variety of ingredients such as fresh fruits, jams, and cottage cheese for the sweet varieties, or meat, eggs, vegetables, fish, and rice for the savory versions. They can be either baked or fried. The name pirozhki can be literally translated to little pies . Pirozhki are commonly consumed as a snack, and today, they are prepared in numerous versions throughout the world.

Pirozhki is one of the most popular Russian dishes, often sold as street food, although it can also be made at home. The pocket-sized, oval-shaped pirozhki are yeast dough buns stuffed with a variety of ingredients such as fresh fruits, jams, and cottage cheese for the sweet varieties, or meat, eggs, vegetables, fish, and rice for the savory versions.

MOST ICONIC Pirozhki

Solyanka is a traditional Russian soup made with meat, fish, or mushrooms, and vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, olives, and cabbage. The soup is usually served with lemon wedges on the side, but it is also flavored with lemon juice during the cooking process. If meat is used, it is typically beef, pork, or chicken. Solyanka is also well-known as a hangover cure and it is traditionally served with sour cream.

Solyanka is a traditional Russian soup made with meat, fish, or mushrooms, and vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, olives, and cabbage. The soup is usually served with lemon wedges on the side, but it is also flavored with lemon juice during the cooking process.

MOST ICONIC Solyanka

Stolovaya No 57

The fundamental dish of Russian cuisine is known as kasha , a porridge that has represented an essential Russian meal for centuries. Russian kasha refers to various dishes which are created with cereals, most commonly rice, wheat, or millet, and pseudocereals like buckwheat and quinoa. The dish is usually boiled in water and milk, and ranges from sweet to savory in flavor. It can be modified by numerous additions such as fresh or dried fruit, preserves, cheese, butter, vegetables, nuts, or honey. In the past, the porridge was traditionally prepared in cast iron pots and slowly baked in the oven during the night. This authentic Russian dish holds a strong symbolic meaning–it is the first solid meal served to children, and is typically served during funerals, thus symbolizing the circle of life. Varieties of the dish, prepared with different cereals, are often found in other Slavic countries such as Ukraine, Poland, and Belarus.

The fundamental dish of Russian cuisine is known as kasha , a porridge that has represented an essential Russian meal for centuries. Russian kasha refers to various dishes which are created with cereals, most commonly rice, wheat, or millet, and pseudocereals like buckwheat and quinoa.

MOST ICONIC Kasha

Medovik is a popular Russian layered honey cake consisting of honey-infused, almost biscuit-like sponges that are coated with thin layers of cream. Although there are numerous variations of the cake, the custard is usually prepared with whipped cream or various combinations of condensed milk and butter. It is believed that the cake first appeared in the 1820s and was initially created for the wife of Alexander I of Russia. The addition of condensed milk probably originates from the Soviet era, while modern variations may include berries or even chocolate. Medovik is traditionally decorated with ground walnuts and is commonly served on various special occasions.

Medovik is a popular Russian layered honey cake consisting of honey-infused, almost biscuit-like sponges that are coated with thin layers of cream. Although there are numerous variations of the cake, the custard is usually prepared with whipped cream or various combinations of condensed milk and butter.

MOST ICONIC Medovik

Carne grill+wine

Herring under a fur coat (shuba).

Shuba or herring under a fur coat is a unique Russian salad consisting of three distinctive layers: salted herring, potatoes, and beets. The salad often has more than three layers, mostly consisting of apples, onions, or hard-boiled eggs. Most people believe that it was invented by a tavern owner named Anastas Bogomilov at the beginning of the 20th century. The red color of the beets symbolizes the red flag, and potatoes symbolize the staple food of peasants and workers. Today, the salad is a well-known staple at Russian New Year celebrations.

Shuba or herring under a fur coat is a unique Russian salad consisting of three distinctive layers: salted herring, potatoes, and beets. The salad often has more than three layers, mostly consisting of apples, onions, or hard-boiled eggs.

MOST ICONIC Shuba

Guriev kasha

Ptichye moloko

Pozharsky cutlet (Pozharskaya kotleta)

Mushroom Julienne

Mimoza Salad