Richer than a Stroganov, you die.
“Richer than a Stroganov, you die. »
Old Russian saying.
The famous paprika beef was born to a Russian aristocrat from the Stroganov family. Since the middle of the 17th century, the Stroganovs have been the wealthiest family in the Empire, belonging to this elite who can afford meat, beef (sautéed with paprika) being undoubtedly a prestigious dish.
AG Stroganov, a wealthy person, the last childless heir of the Stroganov line, he kept the table open. Anyone cultured or suitably dressed could invite themselves to the meal.
It was for these open tables that one of his chefs invented a kind of Franco-Russian hybrid dish: small pieces of meat cooked in a sauce. Quick and easy to make dish that held a high standard while being easy to serve in portions. The recipe kept the name of Stroganov, the Russian tradition that the chef of an aristocrat named his finest creations after the noble person who employed him.
From there, Stroganov beef goes around the world. Driven out of Russia by the 1917 revolution, the White Russians took refuge in China and Stroganov beef began to be served in Chinese hotels and restaurants.
Later, it will be imported into the United States, probably by American soldiers stationed in China, and will be a huge success in the 1950s, before investing in European tables.
The gastronomic international is a recent phenomenon, capable of the worst, the mediocre and sometimes the best.
Inscribed by UNESCO in 2010 in the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
