RUS
A QUICK GUIDE TO NATURAL PATE
The global origins and history of pâté
Setra® pâté

Historians believe that the ancient Romans were the first to fall in love with pâté. Their special attachment to minced meat dishes resulted from the dining customs of the Patricians: it is very inconvenient to cut meat when, in Sybaritic style, you are lying on your side and leaning on your elbow. So, they would hold feasts in which pâtés were made mainly from pork but sometimes rare ingredients such as pickled bird tongues were used.

Pâté gained wide popularity in France in the XIV century, especially pâté en croûte, literally ‘baked in a crust’. The pâté was cooked in the form of a ‘closed’ round pie. The dough envelope was not eaten and performed a purely utilitarian function – to keep the minced meat juicy and in the right shape. French chefs grinded meat products into a porridge-like substance. Soon they started using by-products as the main ingredient, of which liver turned out to be the most suitable. When ground, it turned into a uniform, smooth substance without single pieces. This is how the pâté we know today emerged.

Pâté in Russian cuisine

For a long time pâté baked in pastry has not been a part of Russian cuisine. Hoever, its „distant relative“ – the elaborate, multi-layered, high coulibiac – was widely popular. This delicacy was introduced to Russia approximately in the middle of the 18th century. For a long time, there were so-called pâté stores around the country where chefs cooked and sold their products. These pâtés were made not only from meat, but also from fish, mushrooms, eggs, beans, etc.

Pâté today

The basis of pâté can be differ greatly, the quality of pâté is determined by the ingredients and imagination of the cook. The world's best chefs try to come up with their own pâté recipes.

Modern canned pâté has maintained the tradition of recipes of yesteryear while offering a variety of flavors and convenient packaging.

Genuine Setra pâté is made from high quality, carefully selected meat and fish, without preservatives or animal fats, and seasoned exclusively with natural herbs and spices.