A wise hostess will never cut such cucumbers into olives.

Love for the famous Olivier salad is laid in every Slavic person almost from childhood. And although this salad is considered a dish exclusively for the celebration of the New Year, many would happily eat a portion in the summer. Each hostess or host makes this dish in their own way. But only olive with pickles is considered the most delicious.



Choosing a way to prepare a salad is everyone’s business. Some ingredients can be replaced by others (sausage to chicken or vice versa), new products are added or the order of action changes. But what about cucumbers? They're always in Olivier. What are the most popular ones?



Some believe that there is enough ordinary fresh cucumbers. It's much easier to get them. You do not need to roll vegetables into cans in advance and wait for the right opportunity. And there is no need to buy pickles in the store, and then worry about the quality of the product. Wash it, cut it into a plate.



However, the best option for olives is still salted cucumbers (or pickled). The bright salty taste is perfectly combined with other ingredients and complements the dressing (that is, mayonnaise).



In addition, salted and pickled cucumbers are much softer, which makes them closer in density to the other ingredients. In the case of fresh cucumbers, they will stand out too hard.



This tradition began in the distant times of the USSR, when Olivier had to be served to the New Year’s table, and there were no fresh cucumbers nearby. Therefore, the hostess took out cans with their cucumbers. As practice shows, the tradition is maintained to this day. Olivier with pickles remains a favorite among a large number of its variations.



What kind of Olivier is usually on your New Year’s table? Which cucumbers do you prefer and why? Does your recipe differ from the conventional one? If so, why?