Mimosa salad is one of the most recognizable layered salads on the post-Soviet festive table, named for the fluffy yellow top layer of grated egg yolk that resembles mimosa blossoms. It’s traditionally served for International Women’s Day on March 8, though it shows up just as often at New Year’s and other celebrations — the recipe is straightforward, and the result always looks festive.

The base is canned fish (saury or pink salmon are the usual choices), eggs, boiled carrot, onion, and cheese, layered and generously coated with mayonnaise. Exact proportions and the order of the layers vary from cook to cook, but the underlying principle stays the same: the longer the salad rests in the fridge before serving, the better the layers meld together and the more the flavors come through.

The real trick to a good Mimosa is taking the time to prep the ingredients properly: grating the yolks and whites separately keeps the color and texture contrast crisp between layers, and draining the fish thoroughly and picking out any bones keeps it from making the salad watery.

This salad is a great make-ahead dish — it genuinely benefits from a few hours or overnight in the fridge, which makes it a convenient choice when you’re trying to get part of a holiday spread done in advance.