Who came up with the idea of ​​snacking on cognac with lemon and coffee. Cognac with lemon traditional appetizer

Do you know that eating cognac with lemon is somehow not particularly accepted by true connoisseurs of this drink? This is easy to understand, as citrus will easily overpower almost any scent. What can we say about the exquisite taste of brandy. No, of course we are not talking about cheap artisanal swill. A lemon won't help that! But where did this tradition come from?

It is believed that the custom of eating cognac with lemon was introduced by Emperor Nicholas II. And at least there are three main versions of how this happened:

1. Cognac in the morning

In those days, the court aristocrats loved to pamper themselves with alcohol immediately after awakening, the emperor was among them. The wife of Nicholas II, Alexandra Feodorovna, did not like this "breakfast" very much, because of this the emperor had to disguise himself.
He imperceptibly poured cognac into a teapot, then poured it into a glass with a grave air. The color of cognac and tea does not differ, all that remained was to solve the problem with the snack. In order not to arouse the suspicion of his wife, the autocrat baked his "tea" with lemon sprinkled with sugar.

2.Support domestic manufacturer.

Nicholas II tried to prove to the world that the Russian Empire can produce goods that are not inferior in quality to their overseas counterparts. During a secular reception, which was attended by the Ambassador of France, the manufacturer Shustov presented the emperor with a large glass of cognac of his own production.
Realizing that the cognac in front of him is of low quality, Nikolai asked for a slice of lemon. After drinking a glass and eating a lemon, the monarch frowned, but explained this by the tart taste of lemon. Then he smiled, praised Shustov's brandy and ordered that this wonderful drink be delivered to the imperial court.

3. Nobility is above all.

According to another version, Nicholas II hated cognac, but this particular drink was considered the most noble for men and was served at all social events. Drinking something else was considered bad form.
In order not to look stupid, the emperor ordered a glass to be brought to him along with a slice of lemon, sprinkled with sugar and coffee. He attributed the change in facial expression to lemon, not cognac.

As you understand, these are just versions, and we are hardly destined to find out how it really was!))

Cognac, and even more so good, can not be afforded by every lover of alcoholic beverages. No, the drink itself is quite affordable, but drinking it properly is very expensive. For example, in France there is the so-called “rule of three Cs”, according to which coffee is consumed first, then cognac and a cigar is smoked. But smoking a cigar or a cigarette while drinking cognac is considered bad form among the French, while in our country it is quite common. Americans dilute cognac with tonic or vermouth and drink it as an aperitif. Slavs eat cognac with lemon. Who came up with this, and how to eat lemon cognac correctly - we will tell you here.

Where did the tradition of eating cognac with lemon come from?

The Russians came up with the idea of ​​drinking cognac with lemon. There is a legend according to which this tradition was invented by Emperor Nicholas II. Having tasted the French cognac, he found it too strong, but there was nothing to bite it with. However, there was a lemon on hand, and he liked this appetizer. He taught his courtiers how to drink cognac with lemon, and this tradition spread and took root among all the peoples of the CIS countries. Europeans will never understand what a "lemon with cognac" is, because for them it is very wild: lemon has a sharp taste and completely clogs the taste and aftertaste of the drink.

Why cognac is eaten with lemon

It is customary to drink cognac, slowly, in small sips, warming the glass in hand. Drinking it in one gulp is not allowed, as well as pouring it into a glass or plastic cup. Cognac is served in special cognac glasses, which are called "sniffers". Translated from English "to sniff" means "to sniff". Cognac is poured into such a glass to its widest part. The upper part of the sniffer is slightly narrowed, and it itself has a spherical shape, and this is not accidental. It is of this shape that the glass is pleasant to hold in your hands, warming it. And, thanks to the narrowed top, it is pleasant and convenient to inhale the aroma of cognac. There are many rules for drinking this drink, but this is not the case now.

The Russians are the ones who came up with the idea of ​​eating cognac with lemon, and to this day this tradition has remained Russian, since no other countries, except for the CIS countries, have recognized this habit. Perhaps such an appetizer has become traditional because we do not have high-quality cognac, as, say, in France. Or maybe it's a different mentality. But one thing can be said for sure: there are no objective reasons why you shouldn’t eat lemon with cognac today.

Snacks with lemon for cognac

Sometimes you want to make a more original cognac snack than just slice a lemon. There are many recipes for appetizers for cognac with lemon, but not all of them can be called successful.

Other foods, including hard cheese, seafood, nuts, and fruits, may be involved in recipes for these snacks. When properly combined, these products in combination with lemon are able to fully reveal and complement the taste of cognac.

If we are talking about an appetizer that will consist exclusively of lemon, then it can also be made unusual. Lemon can be cut in an original way, sprinkled with sugar, cinnamon, ground coffee or salt. By the way, such lemon slices are called "Nikolashki" - apparently, in honor of the one who came up with the idea of ​​eating cognac with lemon.

is it right to snack on cognac with lemon? why? and got the best answer

Answer from Elena Kazak [guru]
then in our country a strange tradition has taken root to eat cognac with lemon. It was introduced by Tsar Nicholas II. But this doesn't make much sense, since lemon distorts the taste of the drink. Only vodka or tequila is usually consumed with lemon, as it overpowers the smell of alcohol and the fusel flavor that is present in these alcoholic beverages. If you want not only to get the effect (intoxication), but also to enjoy the very process of drinking cognac, then it is better to refuse lemon as a snack.
In general, it is not customary in the world to eat cognac. True connoisseurs of elite alcoholic beverages drink it without any additions, especially for long-term cognacs (15-20 years). Their aromas and tastes accumulate over the years, so it is very foolish to drown out such smell and taste with third-party foods.
In France, chocolate or pates are served with cognac. It is also fashionable for the French to consume this drink with coffee and cigarettes. And first they drink a cup of coffee, then a little brandy, and only then a cigarette is smoked. This is called the Rule of Three C's (Cafe, Cognac, Cigare).
However, such snacks (or lack thereof) are only suitable in cases where you want to drink no more than 100 grams of cognac. At large doses, you still need to eat something. During a long feast, a snack is simply necessary, otherwise you will quickly get drunk.
You can serve fruit with cognac, best of all those that grow in the area where the drink itself was made. Hard cheese is also a good choice, especially if it has noble mold, lean meat, or olives. You can drink cognac with the juice of white grape varieties or still mineral water. You should also take into account the preferences of the guests, which they are used to using together with cognac, because habit is second nature.

Answer from La Nochka[guru]
Wrong, but delicious. in Russian.

Answer from Anatoly B.[guru]
yes, even with lard, but they believe that it is better with lemon or chocolate

Answer from Ђatyana "@"[guru]
In Russia, it is customary to eat cognac with lemon. If you believe the legend, the ancestor of this tradition was Emperor Nicholas I, who, having once tasted French cognac, found it too strong. His Imperial Majesty had nothing "at hand" but a lemon. And so it went. The sovereign liked it - he taught courtiers to eat cognac with lemon. Gradually, the tradition spread. However, it never left the Russian Empire, and later the USSR and the CIS. Nowhere else in the world is cognac with lemon consumed anymore. The fact is that the strong, sharp taste of citrus completely kills the delicate aroma of cognac, drowns out the taste, aftertaste ... In general, everything for which cognac is drunk is sacrificed to the dubious pleasure of eating a slice of lemon. This "barbaric", according to the majority of Europeans, the way of drinking cognac is still called: "a la Nicholas".
Cognac: history, technology, etiquette As far as the manner of use, cognac is a drink, so to speak, unhurried. It is customary to warm it by holding a glass in hand for a long time, slowly, sip in small sips during a friendly conversation or during a romantic date. In a calm atmosphere, savor, enjoy the gamut of taste, and not "clap" in one gulp. When served, the cognac should be slightly above room temperature.
They don't drink cognac from glasses. Rather, they drink, but only alcoholics who do not care. They also drink it from plastic cups. But let's not talk about sad things. Nowadays, two main types of cognac glasses can be distinguished. First of all, it is a sniffer (from English to sniff - to sniff). This glass can hold up to 840 ml of cognac (naturally, less capacious specimens are mostly common). But you always need to pour cognac only up to the widest part of the sniffer. The glass bowl has a spherical shape, tapering upward. The leg is short. Actually, the sniffer is considered a classic cognac glass. It is called so because it is customary to smell cognac - the narrowed upper part of the glass contributes to this. Plus the spherical shape - it is convenient to hold such a glass with your hand directly behind the bowl and warm the cognac. In France, you will most likely be served cognac in a sniffer.

Answer from Liona-STRO[guru]
I like eating chocolate. Much more harmonious.

Answer from Mistress of the Dark[guru]
No chocolate and a cigar are suitable for good cognac, and lemon kills the taste, but also the smell of alcohol

Answer from Selin dion[guru]
I serve lemon with black caviar to cognac, such a sandwich.

Answer from ??? Mikhailovna ???[guru]
It's not customary to eat cognac with lemon, but it's nice! You can try this ...: thinly sliced ​​lemon, sprinkled with powdered sugar and finely ground coffee. The appetizer is just super, especially if the cognac is good! :-))
Lemon neutralizes the effect of alcohol a little. In fact, that cognac is eaten with lemon is a controversial issue for a long time. Dark chocolate or sweet cheeses are recommended. But lemon is still allowed. Recently I heard that they don't eat cognac with anything. Maybe it's right to get a taste. Only who drinks a glass of cognac with us. That's right, no one. Hence the answer - eat, as always, with salads, etc.
To avoid any doubts, try to eat cognac with black bread. After such an experiment, the familiar smell of bedbugs, as described in fiction, will appear, which will discourage the desire for this drink for a long time.

Having learned that lemon is considered a classic snack for cognac in Russia, foreign connoisseurs of this drink are shocked. They cannot understand how citrus, which interrupts even the most persistent taste, can be combined with a light refined range of cognac. However, it should be borne in mind that the quality of the majority of domestic grape brandies is much lower than that of real French cognacs, and it is not always possible to enjoy their taste.

The custom of eating cognac with lemon was introduced by the last Russian emperor Nicholas II. There are several versions explaining his motives, let us consider the most plausible.

1. Cognac in the morning. In those days, the court aristocrats loved to pamper themselves with alcohol immediately after awakening, the emperor was among them. The wife of Nicholas II, Alexandra Feodorovna, did not like this "breakfast" very much, because of this the emperor had to disguise himself.

He imperceptibly poured cognac into a teapot, then poured it into a glass with a grave air. The color of cognac and tea does not differ, all that remained was to solve the problem with the snack. In order not to arouse the suspicion of his wife, the autocrat baked his "tea" with lemon sprinkled with sugar.

2.Support domestic manufacturer. Nicholas II tried to prove to the world that the Russian Empire can produce goods that are not inferior in quality to their overseas counterparts. During a secular reception, which was attended by the Ambassador of France, the manufacturer Shustov presented the emperor with a large glass of cognac of his own production.

Realizing that the cognac in front of him is of low quality, Nikolai asked for a slice of lemon. After drinking a glass and eating a lemon, the monarch frowned, but explained this by the tart taste of lemon. Then he smiled, praised Shustov's brandy and ordered that this wonderful drink be delivered to the imperial court. History is silent about the ambassador's reaction.

3. Nobility is above all. According to another version, Nicholas II hated cognac, but this particular drink was considered the most noble for men and was served at all social events. Drinking something else was considered bad form.

In order not to look stupid, the emperor ordered a glass to be brought to him along with a slice of lemon, sprinkled with sugar and coffee. He attributed the change in facial expression to lemon, not cognac.

Attention! None of the versions have yet been confirmed.

Snack "Nikolashka"

In memory of the strange addiction of Nicholas II, a folk recipe appeared, named after him.

Ingredients:

• lemon - 1 piece;
• icing sugar - 100 grams;
• ground coffee - 50 grams.

Recipe

1. Cut the lemon into thin slices.

2. Mix the powdered sugar and coffee in a 2: 1 ratio.

3. Sprinkle the mixture over the slices and serve on a silver platter with a glass of cognac.

In some recipes, coffee is replaced with chocolate chips, and sugar is replaced with melted honey.

Another original appetizer: put a thin slice of lemon between two slices of cheese, you get a "Hussar sandwich".

P.S. You can eat a lemon with cheap grape brandy with a pungent taste. In all other cases, it is better not to waste money.

Cognac with lemon juice or other fruit juice seems very ridiculous, because any juice changes the taste of brandy that the masters have been creating for several years. And, nevertheless, there are currently a large number of those who admire such a combination. It should be noted that the number of experimenters on diluting cognac with a lemon teat became much more after Maurice Richard Hennessy admitted his personal preference for mixing orange juice and cognac. It was from this time that dilution ceased to be forbidden.

Masters say that it is simply impossible to spoil the taste of real cognac, but you can add additional interesting flavor notes to it. In addition, cognac with lemon juice has another advantageous position, since the strength of such a cocktail decreases. Low-alcohol drinks are preferred by both young people and women.

Cognac with lemon juice is prepared quickly enough, there is no hard-to-remember recipe, everything is surprisingly simple and easy.

Ingredients

• 20 ml lemon juice;
• 40 ml of brandy;
• 10 ml sugar syrup.

Cooking technology

1. All ingredients are mixed.
2. The prepared drink is poured into prepared cocktail glasses, ice cubes are added.
3. The glass is always decorated with a slice of lemon.

Lemon significantly softens the cognac taste, adds a special piquancy to it, therefore, after the first taste of such a cocktail, a person has a desire to try it again.

However, this is not the only explanation why many people value cognac with lemon juice so much. The fact is that such a drink is the main component of the "sports diet". Its essence lies in the fact that a dinner consisting of pure protein food should be no later than four hours. After two hours after such a dinner, take 100 g of cognac with the addition of lemon juice (or with a bit of lemon) and within an hour at regular intervals they drink one sip of the entire prepared drink.