“Champanskoye” and zakuskis soar on New Year’s Eve, Russians strangled by inflation

New Year – Novy God-, the main holiday of the year is coming up in Russia. Everyone awaits this ritual truce celebrated around the family table, with these classics of popular gastronomy: Olivier salad (a mixed vegetable), herring « under the fur coat », have a bite (appetizers) with red caviar, cheese, tangerines and Champanskoye (Russian sparkling wine)… The appetizers, however, risk having a bitter aftertaste for many Russians: the « basket » New Year's Eve will cost them on average 11% more than in 2023, according to Rusprodsoyouz, a professional union bringing together four hundred producers and suppliers of food products. And again, specifies this organization, this increase does not include red caviar whose prices have soared (from 6,000 to more than 8,000 rubles per kilo, or from 60 to 80 euros). According to certain estimates, the labels of the precious commodity, so popular especially during the holidays, could fetch up to 13,000 rubles per kilo, or around 130 euros. The cause is a sharp drop in production this year due to a disastrous fishing season, combined with demand that remains very strong.