Why is Chicken Kiev Called Chicken Kiev?

Chicken Kiev, also known as chicken Kyiv, is a popular breaded cutlet dish made of chicken fillet pounded and rolled around cold garlic butter, then coated with eggs and breadcrumbs, and either fried or baked.

The dish is particularly common in post-Soviet states like Russia and Ukraine and across the former Eastern Bloc nations. It is also well-loved in the English-speaking world. While the origins of chicken Kiev remain disputed here are some of the most popular theories on why it’s called that way

It was invented in Kiev, Ukraine

One of the most popular oral traditions credits the invention of the “cutlet de volaille Kiev-style” to the restaurant of the Continental Hotel in Kiev in the early 1900s

The luxurious Continental Hotel was built in 1897 right in the center of Kiev then part of the Russian Empire. It had a reputation for excellent service and cuisine until it was destroyed during World War II in 1941. According to memoirs of diners at the time chicken Kiev was the signature dish of the hotel’s restaurant.

The earliest published references to chicken Kiev also point to its invention in Kiev. A 1915 Russian cookbook featured a recipe for “Kiev cutlets from chicken or veal”, shaped like croquettes with butter in the middle.

In the following decades, chicken Kiev, often still under its French name “côtelette de volaille”, was included in various Soviet food industry manuals and recipe books as a standard restaurant fare.

So while the exact originator is unknown, the dish was likely created and popularized by chefs in Kiev in the early 20th century. The name “Kiev-style” cutlet stuck, associating the dish with the Ukrainian city.

It was inspired by French cooking techniques

Another possible explanation stems from the heavy French culinary influence on Russian chefs since the 18th century. French techniques and cutting methods were widely adopted and combined with local ingredients into new creations, including various cutlets.

The French term “côtelette de volaille” which refers to chicken cutlets, likely inspired the Russian version “kotleta de-volyay”, first mentioned in pre-revolutionary Russian literature.

Early recipes of “côtelette de volaille” involved complex stuffings, similar to French dishes like game cutlets “à la Maréchale”. The final innovation was likely replacing the stuffing with the characteristic cold butter.

The French origin is also suggested by some accounts attributing chicken Kiev to famous chefs like Marie-Antoine Carême who revolutionized Russian cuisine in the early 1800s.

So the Russian chicken Kiev could have evolved through adopting and adjusting French culinary techniques to local tastes. The French name was initially used, later changed to “Kiev-style”.

It originated from the Pozharsky cutlet

The use of butter as a filling for chicken cutlets came from an earlier iconic Russian dish – the Pozharsky cutlet.

Named after mid-19th century chef Ivan Pozharsky, it consists of minced chicken patties with butter mixed directly into the ground meat. Adding butter achieved an especially juicy and tender texture.

The Pozharsky cutlet became very influential, also known in French haute cuisine. It’s possible its butter-filled properties were adapted to make chicken Kiev, using chicken fillet instead of minced meat and putting the butter as a filling.

Some view chicken Kiev as an evolution from the Pozharsky cutlet. So the name could be related to continuing the culinary legacy started by Pozharsky’s innovative use of butter in cutlets.

It was rebranded from “cutlet de volaille”

During the Stalinist era in the USSR, there were efforts to replace traditional “bourgeois” French names of dishes on restaurant menus with new Soviet ones.

As a result, “côtelette de volaille”, the French name for chicken Kiev, was russified. The cutlet was now called “chicken cutlet stuffed with butter” in state restaurant manuals since the 1940s.

However, the traditional French name persisted in the following decades in some written records and oral use. The “Kiev style” designation likely helped differentiate it from other butter-filled chicken cutlets.

The French term has fully disappeared from post-Soviet states. However, it’s still used in Polish as “kotlet dewolaj” or in Ukraine as “kotleta de-volyay”.

So the “Kiev” name could have been adopted during the Soviet push to replace French cuisine terms, as a reminder of the dish’s Russian/Ukrainian origins.

It was served to tourists as a taste of Kiev

After World War II, chicken Kiev became a fixture of Soviet restaurants, especially the government-run Intourist hotel chain for foreigners.

As tourism to the USSR increased, chicken Kiev was likely promoted to visitors as a tasty symbol of traditional Kiev cuisine.

This popularized the dish and its name abroad, explaining the widespread familiarity with chicken Kiev in English-speaking countries during the Cold War era.

So the name could be rooted in chicken Kiev’s history as a famous export from Kiev’s restaurants introduced to foreign tourists.

Which is true?

While the exact origins are uncertain, the most convincing explanation seems to be the local invention of the dish by chefs in Kiev in the early 20th century.

The French culinary influence and Pozharsky cutlet legacy were also likely strong inspirations for developing chicken Kiev.

The name probably came about naturally to highlight the Kiev origin, since the dish was made famous there.

The Soviet rejection of French menu names meant the French term was replaced, but “Kiev-style” was kept as a reminder of the original birthplace of this classic dish.

No matter the fuzzy origins, chicken Kiev has become an iconic part of Russian and Ukrainian cuisine. The name immediately conjures images of the rich, butter-oozing stuffed chicken breast on dinner tables across Eastern Europe and beyond.

So while we may never know the exact circumstances, the lasting link between the dish and the city of Kiev seems highly appropriate. Exploring the possible explanations gives us a fascinating window into the food history intertwined with political and cultural change in the region.