Ladies and Gentlemen, this is how you tell the history to the next generations. This book should be in every school. Why? Because it´s NOT boring!
Over a hundred years of history and politics are told via personal stories wrapped around spoon and fork. Yes, there are melancholy notes, some disagreements with interviewees, etc., but this makes this book even more interesting.
Highly recommended!

I enjoyed this book much more than I expected to, it was fascinating. History and food, two of my favourite topics. It seems to be well researched and well written.

This was just so interesting. Couldn’t put it down. An unusual and original exploration of Russian history – through its food. Or sometimes lack of. Because although much of the narrative is simply a fascinating insight into Russian cooks and chefs, and the people they cooked for, it also goes into some truly dark episodes of Russian history, like the Holodomor and Chernobyl. Many unexpected revelations. Travelling from the Baltics to the Caucasus, from Moscow to Ukraine, the author gives us some well-researched and remarkable stories viewing the last century of Russian history through the lens of its food. A combination of journalism, first-person accounts (some of these harrowing), anecdotes and recipes. He meets people who witnessed some of the most pivotal moments in history, such as the women who were bussed to Chernobyl to feed the firefighters and who, as a consequence, are now suffering from various illnesses: the women who cooked for soldiers in Afghanistan: the Kremlin chef who prepared the “last supper” of the Soviet Union: the cooks who prepared meals for Yuri Gagarin; and three women who actually survived the Holodomor. Something new to learn and discover in every chapter. Highly recommended.

A fascinating book about Russia through the cuisine, culture and hospitality of the region. Well researched and well-written. Highly recommended

An incredibly interesting book that I have already recommended to others. It is made even more significant, that it was researched and written before the recent escalated tensions in this part of the world. I learned lots about the vast history of this region as well as its cuisine and hospitality, I just wish that it were possible to experience some of it myself.

I have just finished this book and you can tell if has bee written with so much love but also so much research. I learnt so much . It just kept me intrigued for an entire afternoon I was just fascinated.
My favourite was about the tatars I hadn't really known about this.

The recipes were a bonus and I am going to try some.


I waa given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

Love this take on history! Seeing historical events through the lens of foods opens up new possibilities of understanding historical figures, historical events and even cultures. Although this was more of a oral history , he did a great job of balancing the biased interviews with historical facts as we know them to show both the viewpoints of people but also how 'facts' are not always hard truths but rather a truth based on who you are. I found the chapters on Chernobyl and Holodmor fascinating as it's haunting to read both (and the other chapters like Crimea Tatars) a survivor or their descendants voice but also to see how food is internal but an also forgotten part of these events. It made me so sad that the cooks at Chernobyl had no idea what they were walking into and so sad that in order to survive a famine people were so lucky as to be in the right place or know the right people. Don't let me completely misled you, there are lighter topics like what Lenin and Stalin ate and how working as a cook in the Kremlin was like. Those were entertaining and I really enjoyed reading these little quirks and how they made these historical figures more alive for me. All in all, it's a must read if you are into Russian and/or Eastern European history!