Polar pontoon and porridge with Ladoga whitefish: the RUSSIA EXPO presented cuisine for travelers

Chefs revealed the secrets of onboard cuisine and showed what they cook for travelers on river ships and in airplanes. Guests of the RUSSIA EXPO visited the gastronomic cruise "Native Shores" from Vodokhod' company and tasted "airborne" cuisine together with Aeromar company, which prepares food for Aeroflot's clients.

Vodokhod's brand-chef Rustam Mamedov, pastry chef Gulia Bulatova, chef-mentors Svetlana Lee and Oleg Egay, chef of the motor ship "Maxim Gorky" Ivan Shishkov and chef of the motor ship "Lev Tolstoy" Vladimir Mineev demonstrated their culinary skills and spoke about the best recipes from the banks of the great Russian rivers - the Volga and Yenisei.

The guests of the Exposition saw a masterclass on cooking "Polar Pontoon", Ladoga whitefish with cedar porridge, Siberian dessert of taiga berry with pine nuts and sack of stewed duck and millet porridge. After the masterclass, visitors to the House of Russian Cuisine Pavilion were treated to a tasting.

"We mainly use local products to prepare our dishes. Our menu is developed based on the places we pass during cruises. In addition, the class of the ship matters - a different menu is developed for each class. We also organize thematic dinners using local products - for example, products of the Volga cuisine," said Rustam Mamedov.

The idea to create the "Native Shores" concept arose due to the desire of the Vodokhod' cruise company to introduce its guests to the rich culinary traditions of the peoples of Russia. The company's chefs thoroughly studied the peculiarities of local dishes from St. Petersburg to Baikal, tasted local products, learned about the history of their use in order to create a thematic menu. Thanks to the "Native Shores" concept, guests of the cruise company can not only enjoy exquisite cuisine, but also get a better idea of the place they are in.

Photo: Ekaterina Chesnokova/RIA News

The second masterclass at the House of Russian Cuisine was held under the company's motto "With you both in the sky and on the ground": Aeromar's chef Ruslan Mutaliev prepared porridge with apples fried in orange caramel for the guests of the RUSSIA EXPO. This dish is popular among Aeroflot passengers.

 The recipe was not complicated: porridge is cooked on water without salt and sugar, and apples are caramelized first in butter and sugar in a frying pan, after which orange juice and finely grated citron zest are added. This dish was tasted by the audience of the cooking show.

The chef with 26-year experience said that passengers like pasta with meat most of all and advised to choose tomato juice from all drinks on the plane: it will help to unfold the flavor of any dish. 

"The main feature of in-flight meals is that it should be made more flavorful, because at altitude taste buds are dulled and dishes "pale" in flavor by about 40%. The easiest way to reveal the full flavor of dishes in flight is to drink tomato juice," Ruslan Mutaliev explained.

He also explained why it is impossible to get poisoned by airplane food: the same chefs cook for passengers and crew, and the pilots' well-being and the safety of people on board depend on them. The food is sealed in special containers and heated in high-tech ovens.

"It's like feeding the president - very responsible. We add a lot of spices, cook a lot of sauces and try to offer a special menu, including dietary and kosher. You can often get it for free by pre-ordering when you buy a ticket. But the most important thing for a chef is to put a part of his soul into what he cooks, so that after our dishes people want to fly with this company again. When you do everything with love, everything works out," said the chef.

The participants of the masterclass were also treated to a hot meal: omelet with chicken kupaty, it was complemented by a snack-box. The highlight of the event were Aeroflot flight attendants and a performance by VIA ADAM.