The Romanov "Menu"

[Romanov_Fan19]

What exactly are these things The Tsar liked  to  eat ive never heard of them    except  Borsct

[Russian_Duchess_#5]

Well, apparently the Tsar didnt like Caviar, but they are fish eggs. Its a purely Russian favorite!!
Caviar is usually served with champagne, on very formal occasions of the upper class, nowadays. A teaspoonful of caviar sits atop a thin blue corn pancake with a dollop of sour cream resting on it, and onions, chives or any other little addition is also protocol, I think. You may decide to roll it up or eat it in one mouthful, depending on the size and the function you are in!!! Manners, manners!!

Sofi

[Laura Mabee]

Sarushka,
I'm curious, where did you read that Alix was a vegitarian?  

[Russian_Duchess_#5]

I know that I am not Sarushka, but in Yekaterinburg, Alix only ate vermicelli or macaroni. Of course, other things as weel, but I do not think any meat.

Sofi

[Laura Mabee]

Alix was quite ill by the time she got to Yekaterinburg.
Maybe it was doctors orders?
I'm still curious to hear the scorce of the vegetarian idea.
It interests me quite  

[Sarushka]

I'll have to look that up, Laura!

There may be a thread on Alix's eating habits in particular -- I remember someone commenting that the Marfa Mouchanow statement about Alix eating crisp bacon in bed was at odds with everything else they'd read about her taste in food. You might do a search on 'bacon' and see what you come up with!  

[ChristineM]

Alexandra Feodorovna became a vegetarian at the outbreak of the 1st World War and vowed she would not eat meat again until the war was over, ergo she never ate meat again.

Elizaveta Feodorovna stopped eating meat the day her husband was assassinated and never ate it again.

tsaria

[Laura Mabee]

Thanks Sarushka!
I'll look in the search for the thread. I may have the wrong author in mind, but wasn't Marfa Mouchanow's book to be taken with a grain of salt?

Tsaria! That is facinating!
Where did you read/hear that?

If people wonder why I am so adamant on finding the sorce, and whether it's indeed true, is because I myself and vegetarian and find it fascinating to hear of others (in a time when it wasn't as big as it is today) being vegetarian. It's also neat to know that Alix, and even Ella were vegetarians!  

Edit: After doing some searching around, thanks to the leads from everyone, I was able to find the source of the Vegetarian point:

From Anna Virubova's later memoirs

The Empress was a vegetarian, but ate eggs, cheese and butter, sometimes she would drink a glass of wine mixed with water. Usually she drank milk like the children.

In fact, the whole thread is quite facinating!
I invite those who are interested to take a look.

[Sarushka]

I may have the wrong author in mind, but wasn't Marfa Mouchanow's book to be taken with a grain of salt?

Actually, Marfa should be taken with a whole shaker of salt! That's why the bacon comment stands out in my mind -- it's the only Alix-eating-meat remark I know of, and since it comes from a disreputable source, it makes the case for vegetarianism that much stronger.

I'll still see if I can find a more positive source, though. I'm pretty sure I read about Alix's eating habits in another place besides the boards...

[Laura Mabee]

Actually, Marfa should be taken with a whole shaker of salt!

You made me laugh out loud for the first time in a while. Thank you  

I do look forward to hearing if you come upon other sources of Alix's vegetarian diet! I learn something new everyday  

Thanks Sarushka

[ChristineM]

Laura, as I recall it is in the correspondence of the Empress's older sister, Victoria when she was Marchioness of Milford Haven.   I will try to search out the actual quote/s.   It could be quite a search!!!

tsaria

[Janet_W.]

Alexandra became a vegetarian, then, at the onset of the war, rather than a vegan. Vegetarians do not eat any animal flesh (that includes fish and poultry); vegans take it a step further and do not eat any animal products, period.

I myself am a vegetarian. Veganism is something I aspire to, but to tell you the truth, I'm not sure I could do it 24/7! On the other hand, I had very few problems making the transition from carnivore to vegetarian.  

[Russian_Duchess_#5]

Yes, I am also a sort of vegetarian.
I eat no read meat, but I do eat turkey, chicken, eggs, and fish. And dairy products, too, of course. Some of my relatives have actually gone through a couple of years (10-15) being a complete vegan, no animal products whatsoever, and they say that they felt that those years were the best of their lives.
Mainly because they felt, healthy and pure.
I do not know if they meant pure in a religious way, but with Alix, it must have been so.

Sofi