December 30, 2025

Eager for Olivier


Eager for Olivier
Delicious. Evgenija Gorenkova: Shutterstock, Fotodom

A traditional Russian New Year’s feast is not complete without Olivier salad. Although prices on many ingredients are down this season, it cost's 2.3% more to prepare Olivier this year compared with 2024.

A survey conducted by Russian state media found that 71% of those polled said they will include the salad on their New Year’s table. The remaining 29% will prepare a different variety, either because they dislike the dish or because they wish to make a healthier, greener option. 

Olivier's main components typically include potatoes, carrots, pickles, green peas, eggs, onion, meat (sausage or chicken), and heaps of mayonnaise. Legend has it that a nineteenth century French chef in Moscow created the salad, which was then named after him. 

In Soviet times, the dish spread throughout the USSR, and it holds on as a cornerstone of New Year’s feasts. It is also popular in Iran.

The frenzy around the salad is so intense that an Olivier Index was created in 2009 to provide insight into the Russian economy and consumer purchasing power (similar to the United States' Big Mac Index). 

Komsomolskaya Pravda has tracked the “Olivier Index” over the last five years. Their calculations take into account a reasonable portion of Olivier for a family of four, amounting to a healthy 2.2 kg. The decrease in vegetable prices is credited to a better harvest, while the cost of pickles, mayonnaise, and sausage have all increased from last year. 

Overall, the price for a portion for four has increased by 2.3% and amounts to R581 ($7.35), well below the current national inflation rate of 5.37%.  

Olivier is not the only holiday food whose prices garner Russians' attention. They can also expect to pay more for caviar this season, despite a major increase in production.

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