At the table of a great 18th-century Russian house, the meal unfolds in successive courses, not all dishes thrown together as was then the French fashion. One begins standing with zakouski — small, savory, lively bites taken near a buffet, accompanied by flavored vodka. Then comes hot soup, the comforting foundation of a Russian meal. Next, the main course, often game or river fish prepared in the French style then very much in vogue at court. One finishes with a honey or fruit sweet, and drinks something hot — sbiten or kvas — aside from wines imported from Europe.

Salted eggs of sturgeon from the Volga and the Caspian, glory of the Russian table and symbol of its opulence. Served on warm blinis, it embodies the restrained luxury of the great families of Saint Petersburg, where French splendor married the products of the river.