What do heads of state eat in their meetings with the president? From stuffed stuffing to pavlova dessert

Visits of heads of state always attract public attention. And the most interesting part of their program is not the most formal part. For example, lunch or dinner with the president. As a rule, it is customary to treat guests to national dishes made from local products. Therefore, it should not be surprising why presidents are served meatballs. After all, the best quality meat was probably used to prepare such a seemingly simple dish.

However, the menu of official dinners of presidents also includes national dishes of the country visiting Russia. For example, at a working dinner held between Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, mullet, a popular sea fish in Turkey, was served with kharcho soup. It is believed that such a sign of the host means respect for the national traditions and history of his guests.

That is why we decided to remember how official delegations from other countries were received and fed on the eve of the presidential elections in Russia. We will tell you the most interesting facts about the kitchen that you did not know.

Pancake with quail and Pavlova dessert

During the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in March 2023, the heads of state dinner was one of the most discussed topics. And all thanks to the published menu shared by journalist Pavel Zarubin. That day, Far Eastern seafood appetizers and traditional national desserts were served in the Kremlin. The dinner menu looked like this:

• Far Eastern seafood appetizer
• Quail and mushroom pancake
• Sterlet ear with cake
• pomegranate sherbet
• Pechora nelma with vegetables
• Venison with cherry sauce
• pavlova dessert

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin also managed to fully immerse himself in the local culture during his visit to China in 2018. Meanwhile, the President was served dishes from national cuisines chosen to resemble local cuisines. Therefore, for lunch, they offered dumplings, which tasted like a stuffed dish, and gobuli, an analogue of Tianjin pancakes.

Sea buckthorn sorbet and Kamchatka crab patties

Last September, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made an official visit to the Far East. Meanwhile, his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin took place at the Vostochny cosmodrome in the Amur region. A special menu using local products was served as part of the official dinner given to the rulers of the two countries. According to the telegram channel of the Kremlin pool RIA Novosti, among the announced dishes were the following items:

• duck salad with figs and nectarines,
• Kamchatka crab dumplings,
• grass carp ear,
• sturgeon with mushrooms and potatoes,
• marbled beef entrecôte with vegetables in the oven,
• Taiga blueberries with pine nuts and condensed milk.

Local wines “Cabernet Sauvignon” and “Eastern Slope” from Divnomorskoye Estate winery were also served at lunch. As you can see, the dinner menu was significantly different from the one presented to President Xi Jinping. The similarity perhaps lies only in sherbet, but its presence in dinner is necessary – it improves digestion and is irreplaceable for long holiday meals.

Potato donuts and lavender ice cream

It is difficult to surprise Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko with traditional Russian cuisine, but only because they are very similar to Belarusian cuisine. Therefore, when he comes to Russia on an official visit, the menu closely combines the two cuisines. For example, during a lunch with Vladimir Putin in January this year, heads of state were offered a six-course menu:

• trout marinated with sour cream and blueberries,
• cauliflower scallops,
• mushroom solyanka with potato buns,
• orange sea buckthorn sherbet,
• charred cod with green pea puree,
• Beef entrecôte with grilled vegetables,
• Apple mousse baked in caramel with lavender ice cream.