Herring under a fur coat, “Селёдка под шубой” [Seledka pod shuboi] or just “Шуба” [Shuba] is a very popular Russian dish. It would be more correct to acclaim this dish “soviet staple dish” as it was invented in soviet times. All soviet food has two primary qualities: it is made of cheap, simple and always available ingredients and it requires time and effort to fix. Both apply to Herring under a fur coat. History of Herring under a fur coat is not clear. It resembles some Finnish cuisine recipes with herring and beetroot, but I am unsure it originated from there.
Since putting together Herring under a fur coat is time consuming, it is not an everyday food. At home this dish is made for holidays, like New Year or some family event. It is normally made in large batches as normally it goes onto the holiday table and many people will eat it, but also to justify time and effort making it. However many Russian food cafes and restaurants (like almost all) serve Herring under a fur coat, also you can find in most food stores in salad department. Herring under a fur coat is a layered salad. Recipes vary, so it can have different taste depending on who makes it. Herring under a fur coat from stores is just a remote resemblance of what is should taste like, so why not make it yourself — the proper way?
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