Today, the refreshing appetizer or side dish known as Olivier salad will typically be made with diced potatoes and vegetables, eggs and/or some kind of meat, mayonnaise, and light seasoning. But it wasn't always like that.
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The original was invented in the 1860s by Lucien Olivier, a chef in the popular, high-class Moscow restaurant L'Hermitage. His creation went by the name game bird mayonnaise, and was quite different from what we know today, with black caviar, capers, hen, and crayfish tails as the main ingredients. In the next 150 years, the dish evolved and became more accessible to "common folk", with gourmet ingredients being replaced with everyday ones.
Credits: TasteAtlas
Nowadays, there are two main types of Olivier salad: with meat (usually beef, chicken, or doctor's sausage) or without meat. Other than that, variations seem to be endless, and every household has its own recipe. Many countries also have their own "national" versions, but what is more interesting is that different countries attribute it to different countries. For example, in the Balkans, it's sometimes called Russian, sometimes French salad. In Norway and Denmark, it's called Italian salad, but Italians themselves call it Russian salad. In Algeria, they call it Macedonian salad, although neither of the two Macedonias have anything to do with it. Some people in Turkey even call it American salad! On the other hand, nobody calls it Belgian salad, which doesn't sound fair, given that Olivier himself was of Belgian descent.
Credits: TasteAtlas
All of this seems strange? Well, wait, there's more!
Here's a list that showcases what Olivier salad is called in different countries
- Serbia, Bulgaria, North Macedonia - Russian salad (ruska salata)
- Turkiye - Russian salad (Rus salatası) or American salad (Amerikan salatası)
- Greece - Russian salad (rosiki salata)
- Spain - Russian salad (ensaladilla rusa)
- Italy - Russian salad (insalata russa)
- Switzerland - Russian salad (Russischer salat)
- Portugal - Russian salad (salada russa)
- Montenegro - Russian salad (ruska salata)
- Mexico, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia - Russian salad (ensalada rusa)
- Lithuania - White salad (balta mišrainė)
- Romania - Beef salad (salată de boeuf)
- Slovakia - Potato salad (zemiakový šalát)
- Czech Republic - Potato salad (bramborový salát)
- USA, Australia - Potato salad
- Poland - Vegetable salad (sałatka jarzynowa or sałatka warzywna)
- Croatia - French salad (francuska salata)
- Slovenia - French salad (froncoska solota)
- Hungary - French salad (Franica saláta) or Russian meat salad (Orosz hússaláta)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina - French salad (francuska salata)
- Norway, Denmark, Iceland - Italian salad (italienisk salat) or Russian salad (russisk salat)
- Germany - Italian salad (Italienischer salat)
- Finland - Italian salad (italialainen salaatti)
- Austria - Italian salad (Italiener)
- France - Macedonian salad (salade Macédoine)
- Algeria - Macedonian salad (salade Macédoine)
- Netherlands - Hussars' salad (huzarensalade)
- Indonesia - Dutch potato salad (huzarensla)
- Brazil - Mayonnaise salad (salada de maionese)
- Ukraine - Olivier salad (Olivye salad)
- Iran - Olivier salad (Alweh salad)
- Mongolia - Capital salad or Niislel Salad
Credits: TasteAtlas
Olivier/Russian/French/Italian/potato/ vegetable/hussar/mayonnaise salad probably found its way to your table this festive season, and if you are planning to make it for the first time, here is the traditional Olivier salad recipe. And you may call it whatever you want. Seems like everybody else is already doing it!
