The fourth gala dinner of the Rostourism project "Gastronomic Map of Russia" was held at Europe's highest restaurant, Ruski, on July 29. The "Udmurt Republic Week" was opened by Head of the Republic Alexander Brechalov, a team of Udmurtia's chefs and restaurateurs, and members of the world-famous folk group "Buranovskie Babushki".
The official launch of the federal project's regional cuisine week was supported by Mikhail Khomich, Permanent Representative of the Head of the Udmurt Republic to the President of the Russian Federation and Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Udmurt Republic; Yulia Zheleznyak, Head of the Department for Tourism Development and Tourism Activities of the Ministry of Economy of the Udmurt Republic; representatives of Rostourism, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Moscow Government, and the heads of leading Russian restaurant holdings. The dinner was held as part of preparations for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Udmurt Republic.
The gala dinner opened with a master class by the regional governor at the Ruski restaurant's Russian oven. Alexander Brechalov, grandmothers from Buranovo, Kirill Barkov, executive chef of the Udmurt team participating in the "Gastronomic Map of Russia," and Ruski chef Alexander Volkov-Medvedev baked Udmurt perepechi in front of journalists and guests.
"Gastronomic tourism is a promising area for Udmurtia. For several years now, we've held the "World Pelmeni Day" festival, which has won silver at the Russian Event Awards and Eventiada Awards. In 2020, we're ready to host a large-scale oven cuisine festival in Udmurtia! We've made preliminary arrangements with the coordinator of the "Gastronomic Map of Russia" project. The best venue could be Sharkan, home to the traditional "Byg-Byg" festival, beloved by residents and tourists alike. As part of the oven cuisine festival, you'll be treated to visits from Buranovo grandmothers and mobile ovens that have traveled from the south of Russia to the very edge of Teriberka. And, of course, Udmurtia's national cuisine! Like the people who live in the republic, it's vibrant and authentic. Come visit us and experience the flavors of Udmurtia." invited Head of the Udmurt Republic Alexander Brechalov.
The menu of the Udmurt Republic was presented by Ekaterina Shapovalova, coordinator of the Rostourism project "Gastronomic Map of Russia," and the regional team: Kirill Barkov, brand chef of the PRIME restaurant (Izhevsk), Svetlana Morozova, chef of the Bobrovaya Dolina ethnic complex (Izhevsk), and the chefs and pastry chefs of these restaurants. The presentation of each dish throughout the evening was accompanied by performances by the Buranovo Grandmothers, who not only delighted and surprised gala dinner guests with touching and rousing compositions, but also spoke about the region's traditions and shared Udmurt recipes.
"Speaking of gastronomy, have you ever tried tabani? They're the best pancakes in the world. That's for sure. But you have to know how to package it properly, how to present it properly. Marketing, packaging, branding—through all of this, I hope we can promote our regional products, our unique regional cuisine. Let's be honest, tourism—including gastronomic tourism—isn't very developed right now. But that makes the task all the more interesting. And the 'Gastronomic Map of Russia' is a key project for us because it allows us to position ourselves wisely," said Permanent Representative of the Head of the Udmurt Republic to the President of the Russian Federation - Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Udmurt Republic Mikhail Khomich.
At the opening of Udmurt Republic Week, a team of chefs from the Udmurt Republic presented traditional dishes and specialties of the region. The evening's menu included Udmurt perepech with onions and eggs, and viburnum; tabani kalmeza made from buckwheat flour with mushrooms and dill, oatmeal, sauerkraut, and camelina oil; a selection of smoked elk, game sausages, and Udmurt cheeses. For the first time, a Moscow restaurant featured "Musen kubistaen syukas"—a cold soup of the Buysk Udmurts with hare liver, sauerkraut, and green onions with dried cabbage. Pearl barley porridge with porcini mushroom ice cream and goose was also on the menu. Additionally, a team of regional chefs prepared a typical Sarapul dish: pike cutlet with crayfish sauce, baked mashed potatoes, and crayfish tails. Guests were treated to wood-fired oven-braised wild boar with "Varsch" sauce from Sharkan and pickled lingonberries. The evening concluded with a goat's milk dessert with honey, bird cherry, and red currant, served with the national drink "Idnokar." Each guest received a gift of chocolate perepechi with honey from the Yunga apiary, as well as a loaf of bread from the Sarapul Electric Generator Plant, a manufacturer of dough mixers, and the Khlebnitsa bakery chain.
"At the 'Udmurt Republic Week in Moscow' at the Ruski restaurant, most residents and visitors to the capital tried Udmurt cuisine for the first time. One of the most effective activities of the federal project 'Gastronomic Map of Russia' is to 'export' our regional teams and regional cuisine beyond the borders of the territories, regions, and republics. And to make information about must-try dishes in the regions as accessible as possible. Udmurt perepechi, tabani with zyret, pike cutlets from the Kama River, roasted wild boar—travelers will soon see all these dishes on the regional cuisine menus of the 'Gastronomic Map of Russia' at Udmurtia's restaurants and hotels, marked on Google Maps," Ekaterina Shapovalova, coordinator of the federal project of the Federal Agency for Tourism "Gastronomic Map of Russia," spoke about this.
In 2019, the Rostourism project "Gastronomic Map of Russia" launched a program promoting Russian winemakers and tourist routes, "Wine Roads." Leading Russian wineries partnered with the gala dinners at Ruski for the regions participating in the "Gastronomic Map of Russia." On July 29, winemakers from various regions presented Russian wines from producers in the Republic of Dagestan (Derbent Wine Company), Krasnodar Krai (Lefkadia Valley Wines), and the Republic of Crimea (Alma Valley).
"Udmurt Republic Week" at "Ruski" will last until August 5.
Source: trn-news.ru