What was obligatory on the New Year's table in the USSR: top 10 symbols

Not everyone who lived under the Soviet Union will be able to tell you what they ate every day. However, each of them will not hesitate to recall what dishes were on the table during the New Year's Eve celebration.

The total shortage of food led to the fact that the festive table in each family consisted of approximately the same dishes. Sometimes the ingredients for them had to be bought in the summer and stored until the very cherished day. FoodOboz decided to tell you about the top 10 symbols of the New Year in the USSR, which were necessarily present on every holiday table.

Olivier

The usual olivier salad has nothing to do with the original recipe. Even the hazel grouse that used to be added to the dish has been replaced with more affordable, but still scarce, cooked sausage.

Mimosa

Boiled potatoes and carrots, finely chopped onions, eggs, canned fish, and plenty of mayonnaise, layered, were transformed into a festive salad with this name. This recipe has remained unchanged for many years. In fact, some families still prepare this salad to this day.

Sprats

Sprats were very popular in the USSR and were considered a food for wealthy people. People hunted for canned sprats in advance, because it was simply impossible to buy them before the New Year. Interestingly, the product itself does not contain any benefits, but only a huge amount of oil.

Sausage

The most popular sausage in the USSR was boiled sausage. And not because it was delicious, but only because it was easier to buy than other sausages. If a slice of raw smoked sausage appeared on a festive table, it was assumed that a wealthy family was present.

Aspic

Initially, this dish was prepared to utilize not quite fresh meat and trimmings. But later it became so popular that it was cooked in almost every household. Most of all, it was popular as an appetizer for vodka.

Chicken

The most popular main dish on the New Year's table in the USSR was baked chicken. It was put on the table in its entirety and took center stage. Usually, if there was any leftover after the feast, it could be used to make some other dishes.

"Dressed herring"

This dish came to the USSR from Jewish cuisine, where it appeared in the prewar years. Since then, the recipe has undergone many changes and turned into a salad we are all familiar with. For example, mayonnaise has been added to it, and grated sour apple has been replaced with boiled potatoes for some reason.

Caviar

There are still discussions about this dish. People who were born in the 50s and 60s claim that they ate up different kinds of caviar, so they still can't stand it. However, already in the 80s, a jar of caviar cost about 4 rubles, which at that time could buy several kilograms of meat.

Champagne

The drink sold in the USSR under this name could not be called champagne, because it was made using an overly accelerated technology. As a result of such fast processes, carbonated wine was bottled, which had a noticeable yeast flavor.

Tangerines

During the Soviet era, tangerines were imported from other countries. By the time the citrus fruits arrived at their destination, it was winter in the Soviet Union. Therefore, tangerines could only be purchased on New Year's Eve. This is the reason why this fruit is still considered a symbol of the holiday.