Between December 1 and December 24, 2023, the price of the classic Herring Under a Fur Coat salad rose by 3.1 percent compared with the same period in 2022, reaching 267 rubles. These figures come from the Check Index resource of OFD Platforms and were provided to socialbites.ca by its press service.
The calculation uses the traditional recipe for the salad: lightly salted herring 350 g, potatoes 400 g, beets 350 g, carrots 200 g, two chicken eggs, onions 100 g, and mayonnaise 300 g.
Among the components, chicken eggs showed the strongest year-on-year price growth, up 31 percent. The December price for two eggs stood at 31 rubles. Carrots and onions followed, each rising by 13 percent over the year. The average price for 200 g of carrots in December was 13 rubles, and 100 g of onions cost 11 rubles. Beets increased by 5 percent over the year, reaching 14 rubles for 350 g in December. Potatoes, at 400 g, cost 45 rubles, a modest 1 percent higher than December last year. Price shifts for mayonnaise and herring were negative, declining by 3 percent and 1 percent respectively. The average price for 300 g of mayonnaise in December was 53 rubles, while 350 g of herring averaged 101 rubles.
Experts from Check Index offered a simple explanation for the price movement: while herring and mayonnaise prices have eased due to abundant stock in both supplier networks and retail shelves, this replenishment creates more price competition across products. The result is a slight overall drop in the average cost for this traditional array of ingredients.
In the same period, the ingredients for Olivier salad, prepared according to the Soviet classic recipe (500 g potatoes, 200 g carrots, five eggs, 300 g boiled sausage, 100 g onions, 400 g canned green peas, 400 g pickled cucumbers, 200 g mayonnaise, and 30 g dill or parsley), totaled 539 rubles. This marks an 8.2 percent year-on-year increase.
Earlier reports from socialbites.ca noted broader shopping trends in Russia, with observers highlighting increased purchases of caviar, tangerines, and champagne through the year. These shifts reflect evolving consumer preferences and seasonal factors that influence the overall price environment for festive and everyday dishes alike.