National cuisine of Ukraine for gourmets

Ukraine is a country of steppes, the fertile soil of which endows Ukrainians with grain crops, as well as potato, cabbage, beetroot and other vegetables. Traditional Ukrainian cuisine includes bread products, a wide variety of vegetables and meat, mainly beef, pork and chicken. Some dishes are cooked in many different variations, for example, Ukrainians’ favorite borscht can be cooked with any meat or can be cooked vegetarian style. A sour cream is often added to the borscht. The same applies for soups in general – due to the huge choice of vegetables, residents of Ukraine know a large number of ways to cook soups to suit any taste.

Neighboring Poland, the homeland of sausages that Ukrainians love so much, had some influence on the Ukrainian cuisine. Meat on Ukrainian soil is generally held in high esteem: the popular cabbage rolls are stuffed with beef and rice, meat aspic is meat jelly, the piquancy of which is spiced up by herbs. Salo is used as a separate dish or in sandwich. Often Ukrainians eat okroshka, a popular Slavic dish, which is very easy to prepare. It is a cold soup prepared with chopped sausage or ham and vegetables, and then the ingredients are flooded with kvass or kefir. Sour cream and boiled eggs are added too. Such a dish is refreshing on hot days, and it has many methods of preparation. Chicken pilaf is widespread. This is a hot dish from rice, chicken and carrots, which is eaten for dinner or as a second dish during lunch.

Appetizing and fragrant potato pancakes are called “derun” or “dranik”. They are popular not only because of their excellent taste, but also because of being filling, ease of preparation and availability, for the reason that only potatoes, onions, flour, eggs and vegetable oil are needed for their preparation. This dish also has variations: you can add cottage cheese, meat, mushrooms and other products. Ukrainians like potatoes fried, boiled, chopped, whole, and it is peeled before cooking or boiled with the peel. Cabbage is not inferior to potatoes in terms of popularity: it is boiled, braised, picked, and added to soups and second dishes. Ukrainians love taking a snack break with potato or cabbage pies, which are also eaten over a cup of tea. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Hombovci is buns in the form of balls, which are made of dough, cottage cheese or potatoes, often breaded. Hombovci is tasty on its own, but is even more delicious with a filling. Cherries, plums, any jam, chocolate or halva are often used as a filling. Berries, sliced ​​fruits, jam and sweet cottage cheese wrapped in dessert pancakes are called “nalistniki”. The Ukrainian version of the famous strudel, sweet roll cake, is prepared with apples, nuts and poppy seeds. Dessert dumplings with cherries are popular too. A wonderful refined cake called “flodni” was borrowed by Ukraine from Hungary. It has several fillings at once: apple, poppy and walnut.

“Uzvar” or “vzvar” is a traditional Ukrainian drink. As a matter of fact, it is water to which dried fruits, berries or herbs are added and then boiled. In ancient times, this beverage was a Christmas drink, but nowadays it is drunk at any time, especially during the hot summer. In addition to “uzvar”, Ukrainians drink rye kvass during the hot season. This drink can be found in any store. Compote is a common drink, which is especially good when drinking it hot in winter. Thick ryazhenka – fermented milk product, is helpful for digestion. With regards to alcohol, Ukrainians prefer the honey drink called “Medovukha”, vodka with pepper and ginger called “varenukha”, “spotikach” made of cherry or plum. Let us not forget the most popular and favorite drink of Ukrainians “horilka”, prepared on the basis of potatoes or beets.

On holidays, Ukrainians eat fried fish, poppy cake, mushrooms, potato pancakes. It is hard to imagine a Ukrainian New Year table without the salad “Olivier”, different types of sausages, and sweet donuts called “pampushki”. There is also a special dish for commemoration of the deceased. It is a sweet wheat porridge called “kutya” with honey or sometimes with raisins. Table etiquette of Ukraine does not differ too much from the standard European one. Keeping your hands under the table, resting them on the seat or putting them on your knees is considered to be rude. During a feast, wrists should always be visible, but the elbows are not put on the table. As a sign of politeness, guests should ensure they eat the entire portion of the dish placed in their plate. Ukrainians often eat soup with a piece of bread. At breakfast adults eat sandwich with coffee, while children are fed more thoroughly, usually with semolina or oatmeal porridge.

It is not an acceptable practice among Ukrainians to go to cafes and restaurants often. Many working-class people and students can go to the cafe often due to lack of time for cooking, as well as to meet with friends. Ukrainians of medium and low income visit restaurants only during weddings, anniversaries and funerals, as they can rarely afford lunch or dinner in a good restaurant. Guests of the country should visit the Kievan restaurant “Hutorets na Dnipri”, which serves authentic Ukrainian dishes. There is a popular restaurant in Odessa called “Dacha”. In another Odessian restaurant called “Molodost”, you can eat relatively cheap, but good food.