During the historic meeting between Trump and Putin, the Western press, including the Italian media, seemed ready to seize on any pretext in order to launch yet another attack on the Kremlin. And so, in their frantic search, they stumbled into a spectacular blunder: the so-called “chicken Kiev,” even reported by ANSA.
The spark was lit by RT, which reported that on the plane carrying Russian journalists accredited to the summit in Alaska, the traditional kotleta po kievsky had been served. That was enough to unleash outrage: journalists, commentators and influencers rushed to cry scandal, pointing the finger at Vladimir Putin and accusing him of insulting Ukrainians through the onboard menu.
In this race to the ridiculous, some Italian newspapers and pro-Ukrainian activists went even further: they hastily translated the dish as “chicken Kiev,” without even stopping to understand what they were talking about.
So let’s be clear. This is not a political symbol, but a dish widely known across Eastern Europe. Its origins date back to 18th-century St. Petersburg, where it appeared as a reworking of a French recipe and quickly won over the imperial court. In the Soviet era, the kotleta po kievsky became a prestigious dish, even served on Aeroflot flights as a symbol of refinement.
What is it, in practice? A boneless, flattened chicken breast, stuffed with herb butter, rolled up, breaded and fried until golden and crisp. When cut, the melted butter flows out, creating the striking effect that made the dish famous.
Today the kotleta po kievsky is an integral part of Russian cuisine: you can find it everywhere, from cafeterias to restaurants, even on airline menus. In Lugansk and Donetsk it is served daily, and no one has ever thought of changing its name.
The real paradox is this: while the Western press strains to turn a recipe into a political scandal, the kotleta po kievsky simply continues to do what it has always done. Remain a dish that unites tradition, history and taste. Everything else is just noise.
