Centuries of mysterious Russian history have produced a unique Russian cuisine. Generations of Russians experimented with new spices and ingredients that came from different parts of the world. Russian Cuisine gracefully combines recipes of two different continents--Europe and Asia--to create unique, immense flavors. Peter the Great; Ivan the Terrible; Kathryn the Great; and Nicolas the Second, the last Russian Czar, were all gourmets. Kathryn the Great used to have fifty-course dinners just for everyday meals. Her holiday menu could have up to five hundred different dishes just for one dinner. Most of the unique and extraordinary recipes that constitute Russian Cuisine are approximately five hundred to six-hundred-years old. However, all of the recipes are still commonly used in contemporary Russia.