US and Russia in sandwich battle


The Russians made sandwiches shaped like sailing ships



From Cold War to cold meats... sailors from the US and Russian navies have tested their culinary skills in a sandwich-making competition.
The contest was held during a visit by the US destroyer Stethem to the eastern Russian port of Vladivostok to mark Victory Day. Officers also joined in.
A Russian cook took the prize for best-tasting sandwich while an American came top for most original presentation.
Sandwiches topped with cucumber sails
were among the Russian offerings.
The ingredients included peppers smoked ham lettuce cheese mayonnaise olives cherry tomatoes and gherkins.
The US winner in the individual contest got a bottle of vodka and presented his Russian rivals with USS Stethem caps and sweatshirts in return the BBC's Dmitry Klimov reports.
Earlier the Russians had laid on a traditional welcome for the Americans with vodka and appetisers such as bliny (crepes) with smoked salmon and pickled green tomatoes. Yet a traditional Russian restaurant is hard to find in Vladivostok where Chinese and Japanese restaurants are much more common. The crew of the Stethem were taking part in a military parade in Vladivostok for Victory Day which marks the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945.