The Blog

How'd Obama Like the Caviar?

4:25 PM, Jul 13, 2009 • By MICHAEL GOLDFARB
Single Page Print Larger Text Smaller Text Alerts

The Jamestown Foundation's Eurasia Monitor reports:

Obama had a "Russian style" working brunch with Putin with smoked beluga and black caviar. At present, the commercial production, sale and consumption of beluga or black caviar is illegal in Russia to protect endangered species. It was speculated that Putin served Obama Iranian-made caviar, which is legal (Interfax, July 8). Of course, in Russia, laws do not apply to the top nomenklatura, so the delicacy Obama consumed was most likely Russian-made and contraband. It is not clear what is politically more damaging for a U.S. president: to publicly eat Iranian caviar or Russian contraband. Putin indeed has a peculiar sense of humor.

I recall this president making national news with his decision to go out for a cheeseburger at lunch. Then there was the time that the White House press corps covered Obama's trip to the ice cream parlor in excruciating detail ("Obama had vanilla frozen custard in a cup with hot fudge and toasted almonds."). But Obama goes to Moscow and starts shoveling down gourmet endangered species and contraband fish eggs and you'd have to read the Russian wires to get the story.

More by Michael Goldfarb