RPT - Russia's St. Petersburg Says To Promote Imperial Cuisine To Boost Tourism Post-Pandemic

ST. PETERSBURG (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th May, 2021) Russia's St. Petersburg is set to promote imperial cuisine, based on the recipes from the country's historical royal court, in a bid to boost tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic, the city's tourism chief, Sergey Korneev, told Sputnik on Sunday.

St. Petersburg authorities expect royal dishes to become part of the city's hospitality concept as they make their way into menus of local eateries, according to Korneev, who serves as the chairman of the committee for tourism development. To attract professional and public attention to the imperial cuisine, the city launched the special Best Chef Award.

"Tourism is an experience, and gastronomic experience for many people is the most important part of the trip. St. Petersburg once was an imperial capital. It has many sides, but the imperial capital image is closest to reality and the most attractive one for tourists.

This concept will allow us to attract interest and satisfy the demand of millions of guests," Korneev said.

The imperial cuisine includes such iconic delicacies as sterlet (poached salmon) in champagne, the traditional diplomatic dish served by Joseph Stalin to Theodore Roosevelt and Winston Churchill at the Yalta conference, the Pavlova cake, Guriev porridge and blancmange dessert.

The first chefs' competition on the intricacies of St. Petersburg imperial cuisine is scheduled for September.

In 2020, 2.9 million tourists visited St. Petersburg, 2.4 million of which were Russians and half a million foreign guests. Compared to 2019, the tourist flow decreased by over 70% due to the pandemic.