Herring under the coat, also known as Shuba Salad, is a traditional Russian salad that has an interesting story behind it. Legend has it that during the Soviet era, food shortages were a common occurrence and people had to be creative with the limited ingredients they had.

One day, a group of friends gathered together to prepare a meal for a special occasion, but all they had was a few potatoes, beets, carrots, onions, and some canned herring. They decided to make a salad by layering the ingredients on top of each other, with the herring on the bottom, followed by a layer of grated onions, then potatoes, carrots, and finally beets. Each layer was generously covered with mayonnaise, and the salad was refrigerated for a few hours to allow the flavors to meld together.

When the salad was brought out to the table, the guests were surprised by its beautiful colors and delicious taste. They were also impressed by the creativity of the cooks, who had managed to turn a few simple ingredients into a masterpiece. From then on, the salad became a popular dish and was eventually named “Herring under the Coat” because the herring was hidden under the layers of vegetables and mayonnaise.

Today, Herring under-the-coat salad is still a beloved dish in Russia and is often served on special occasions such as New Year’s Eve and Christmas. It has also become popular in other countries and can be found on the menus of Russian restaurants around the world.