(RBTH) – A quick glance at the topless photos of the Russian leader and it must be said, at the age of 65 he’s pretty fit. But how does he stay so trim? His diet probably has something to do with it. The Russian public is always curious about what President Vladimir Putin eats, so Russia Beyond reveals all.

A presidential breakfast

For breakfast, the president eats porridge,tvorog (cottage cheese) with honey, and also drinks raw quail eggs. This is according to journalists from the NTV channel, who had breakfast with Vladimir Putin in 2012. They also reported that Putin likes to drink a cocktail of beetroot and horseradish juice.

A few years later, the Russian leader told reporters he likes rice and buckwheat, but not oatmeal.

“I don’t have much time for food,” he said. “I like vegetables: Tomatoes, cucumbers, salad. In the morning – porridge, cottage cheese, honey. If there’s a choice between meat and fish – I prefer fish, I also like lamb,” he said, before adding that he’s not much of a sweets man – although he does enjoy ice cream from time to time.

Lunch on the go

Putin travels a lot around the country and beyond. What he eats on the move is another story.

“When I go somewhere, I’m pleased to try the local cuisine. I’m accustomed to green tea… I usually don’t have dinner, I don’t have time. In the afternoon I try to eat fruit, to drink kefir when it’s available – and when it’s not, I prefer not to eat anything at all,” he says.

Several years ago, St. Petersburg restaurant Podvorye had a special menu – “The Lunch of Vladimir Putin” – which offered the president’s favorite dishes. He’s been there many times and usually orders an assortment of meats called a “frying pan,” which includes beef langets, sausage, escalope, and homemade cutlets. He’s also rather partial to a hot-smoked sturgeon with lemon and butter.

Every time Putin eats with journalists, his choice of dish is the talk of the town. For example, in 2003, at a Kaliningrad cafe going by the name “By The Road” he ordered ukha (the fish soup), a pie with red caviar, smoked eel, and pancakes with strawberries. And in 2008, during a trip to Tatarstan, he opted for a salad, chicken soup with noodles, beef with rice, and a pie…presidential business is hungry business.

What does Putin drink?

In 2010, Kremlin chef Anatoly Galkin said Putin prefers wine or beer. The cook shared a recipe for a special cocktail, drunk by guests at official receptions: Plenty of ice, a drop of lemon juice, mint, and 50 grams of champagne. Galkin says the drink is really thirst-quenching.

Some media outlets also claim the president enjoys Spanish red wines. Apparently, he also likes to knock back a shot of vodka after a meal, or a measure of cognac from Dagestan.

Taste of childhood

Putin once shared memories about his mother who “baked pies with cabbage, meat, or rice – and vatrushki (pies with cottage cheese).” Perhaps this explains his penchant for pies.

In the book Putin’s Family by Alexander Putin – published in 2002 – the author writes about Spiridon Putin, the Russian president’s grandfather. He worked as a cook in a St. Petersburg restaurant near the Naval Ministry.

“In 1918 Spiridon was invited to work in Moscow in the government canteen, where he cooked for Lenin and the Soviet elite. There are rumors that later he became the personal cook of Stalin in the government residence in Valdai,” the book reads.

Spiridon Putin died when his grandson Vladimir was 12. But luckily for the future president, he managed to sample his grandfather’s fish soup and lamb with Caucasian herbs while he was still alive.

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