Traditional Ukrainian cuisine is a specific mixture of Polish, Russian, Jewish, Moldavian, Romanian, Lithuanian, Tatar, and Armenian influences. Get to know its most famous dishes and learn a little more about the dishes of my neighbors.
History of Ukrainian cuisine
Traditional Ukrainian cuisine is extremely rich and diverse. The cuisine of my eastern neighbors owes its character to the influence of many foreign cultures. There is a strong regional division in Ukraine. On the Crimean Peninsula, we can find the influence of Russian, Tatar, and Jewish cultures. In Bukovina, however, you can see similarities to the cuisine of nearby Romania. In Lviv cuisine, we can find the influence of Armenian, Jewish, and Polish cultures. Although many Ukrainian dishes have their roots in the cultures of other nations, the way they are prepared is typical of the tradition of Ukrainian cuisine.
Traditional Ukrainian dishes
Traditional Ukrainian dishes are not extremally sophisticated or challenging in preparation, rather they are humble and simple, but they delight with their unique flavors and aromas. They are characterized by simplicity and are based on fresh, pickled, and smoked ingredients. The basis is flour dishes, bread, and dishes based on groats and vegetables. Fish and meat (pork, beef, lamb, poultry) also play a significant role. Ukrainian dishes are extremely easy to prepare.
The distinctive features of traditional Ukrainian food have been forming over centuries. The neighboring countries, climate conditions, rich soil and diligent locals have influenced the complexity of the dishes. Ukrainian dishes are generously flavored (with garlic often the main seasoning) and, despite the contradictory tastes being used, come together in a harmonious blend.
Borscht with garlic fritters
Ukrainian dishes often use a number of ingredients. Borscht is immediate proof of this. Initially, this dish was made of 30 ingredients but, of course, over time that number has decreased. However, the technique remains unchanged. Beef is placed in icy water to make a meat broth. Then the meat is taken out and other ingredients are added and cooked in a closed saucepan. Garlic fritters are given instead of bread and called Pampushky by locals. Traditionally, every Ukrainian girl learns how to cook borscht before getting married.
Chicken Kiev
Chicken Kyiv is the dish that has brought fame to Ukraine, it is Kyiv is considered a culinary business card of the Ukrainian capital. The simple combination of fresh chicken filet with a piece of butter is considered to be quite exquisite all over the world. To ensure that butter does not flow during the frying, you’ll need a lot of practice and true professionalism. Nowadays, chicken Kyiv is served in fashionable restaurants across London and New York. Once you’ve tried Chicken Kyiv for the first time, you will fall in love forever.
Zharkoye
this is an exceptionally tasty stew – meat (preferably pork) is baked with potatoes and onions in a clay pot. They are seasoned only with salt, pepper, and bay leaf. The whole flavor comes from the way the dish is prepared – the meat is baked long and slowly in a clay pot. In restaurants (and in some homes) they are served in small clay pots – the same ones they were baked in.
Blinis
In the past, pancakes, i.e., yeast pancakes made of buckwheat-wheat or buckwheat-rye flour, were eaten mainly in the fasting period. Nowadays, they are eaten all year round and rightly so because they are simply delicious! Recipes for Ukrainian blinis differ from each other – in some regions, for example, kefir or groats are added to them. Pancakes can be served in many ways. They are served salty with fish or a spoonful of cream, and sweet – with preserves.
Deruny
or potato pancakes. Deruni is particularly popular in the northern part of Ukraine. They are usually freshly fried or baked. Most of the time, Deruni are served with sour cream or baked yogurt. You can prepare a sour cream sauce with fried onions and mushrooms and pour it over the potato pancakes. In Ukraine, this is often a Sunday dish, served for breakfast or dinner.
If you want to make a good batch of Deruny, first off, you should make sure the potatoes are finely grated. Then, to diversify the flavor, add meat, slices of chopped onions, mushrooms, fresh herbs, or a variety of spices. Alternatively, you could just keep it simple: potatoes and a pinch of salt.
Salo
This unusual snack is often considered one of the main symbols of Ukraine. It is made of fatback slabs, salted with spices. While usually the skin is retained, many Ukrainians prefer to eat Salo without the skin. slabs are rubbed with salt and spices, such as black pepper, garlic, dried dill, bay leaf, marjoram, cardamom, and cumin. The meat is then placed in a Tupperware sprinkled with spices and put in a fridge for 3-4 days. Salo is traditionally served with rye bread, borscht, and Ukrainian alcoholic drink horilka. Pork fat is reportedly a source of vitamin D and A, both of which foster brain activity, digestion, and detoxification. Put it on rye bread with spices or greens and have yourself a surprisingly healthy snack.
Vareniki
Vareniki is a kind of dumpling. It is made of dough, but the filling depends on the imagination and taste preferences of the chef and their guests. Cabbages, meat, mushrooms, cottage cheese, cherries, currant, or potatoes are the most typical fillings, but you can try them with some of the more unique like olives, pumpkin, nettle, or strawberries.. Savory or sweet, Vareniki turns out to be succulent. Ukrainians put sour cream almost in every dish, and these dumplings often get the same treatment. Begin your meal with one of these—you won’t regret it. The preparation process for Varenyki or Pirohi is time-consuming. However, this is probably the most unpretentious recipe in terms of filling.
Golubtsi/ Holubtsi
Stuffed cabbage rolls. Traditional stuffed cabbage rolls, Golubtsi, take many hours to prepare properly. There are two ways to make them: bake them in the oven or stew them in a pan. Minced meat with rice wrapped in cabbage leaf requires fine culinary skills and passion. Otherwise, the form and the taste of the rolls will suffer. Golubtsi is an excellent choice for dinner—top with some sour cream to give it ever more gusto.// According to the classic recipe, Holubtsi is cooked from boiled cabbage, where you take every other leaf to make a new roll filled with boiled rice and meat. A variation of the dish is to use boiled vine leaves for the rolls, but then you make Dolma.
Okroshka
Okroshka is a refreshing soup that is mostly cooked during the summer period. The ingredients vary: it may be prepared with kvass ( popular Slavic drink known since the Kievan Rus times. Made from rye or barley malt) or kefir, both of which are sour in taste. The accompanying sausages, cucumbers, greens, carrots, and radishes should be chopped in relatively large pieces to give it texture. Once you tried Okroshka it’ll soon become your savior from sultry weather.
Ukha
is the name of a fish soup, the specificity of which is that it is made of many different types of fish by cooking the heads very slowly together with soup vegetables and onions. Finally, the whole fish is added, pieces of which then decorate the soup plate.
Banosh
Traditionally prepared over an open fire, this velvety Ukrainian corn porridge originated in the Carpathian highlands. It consists of corn flour cooked in a mixture of sour cream and Bryndza cheese. In the past, it was associated exclusively with the Hutsul minority, where the task of preparing the dish was reserved for men. Today, the dish is an indispensable part of traditional Ukrainian cuisine, and it is commonly consumed throughout the country. Found on menus of most traditional restaurants, it usually comes served with fried bacon bits, crumbled Bryndza, mushroom sauce, or crispy cracklings.
Holodets
it is the central dish served at all celebrations. Holodets is made of meat broth, set to a jelly state, with pieces of meat inside. One of the main components of this kind of aspic is pork leg. To be more specific, the lowest part, is the one that ends with hoofs. It might sound strange to Western people, but in the East, this dish is very popular. But the result is so satisfying that it is worth it.
Syrniki
Fans of sweet flavors for breakfast will fall in love with Syrniki. Made of cottage cheese, flour, eggs and sugar, the dish is nourishing and airy. After being gently fried in a pan, Syrniki is topped with jam and sour cream. It literally melts in the mouth and will fast become your favorite dish.
Kolyva /koliva
is a traditional dish made of wheat berries that is shared as part of memorial services in the Greek Orthodox church. It symbolizes everlasting life and is based on a Bible verse, John 12:24, which reads: “…unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.”
Paska
It is special Easter Bread. This sweet bread is usually taken to church to be blessed on Easter morning. The classic paska shape is cylindrical, with creamy frosting and sprinkles on top. It is made with yeast, milk, eggs, butter, and sugar. Cheese paska is made from cottage cheese, and its shape imitates the Tomb of Jesus. Many Ukrainians are religious, so always greet guests with bread and salt, and Paska is cooked in literally every kitchen before Easter. Every small or large market throughout the country sells Paska on the holidays. According to tradition, when working the dough, the cook should whisper positive thoughts to achieve the most delicious result.
Borscht
Borscht – one of the most popular Ukrainian dishes – is presented in a bowl on a table and served alongside rye bread, garlic, and sour cream
Borscht is the original staple of Ukrainian cuisine. This hearty soup is made from meat broth, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and beets, which give borscht its signature red color. Traditionally borscht is served with sour cream on top.
Every region and nearly every family in Ukraine has its own spin on the classic recipe. There is also a summer version of borscht, called “green” for its distinctive color ( see below – Sorrell soup)
Kruchenyky
Kruchenyky (also known as zavyvantsi) is a traditional Ukrainian dish involving stuffed meat rolls. Pork is the most common type of meat used for Kruchenyky, but beef, chicken, or even fish can be used instead of it. The stuffing vary from region to region, and some of the most common ingredients for the stuffing include mushrooms, carrots, onions, cheese, cabbage, and prunes.
These rolls are typically topped with sour cream and baked in the oven, then served hot as an appetizer, although Kruchenyky can also be served cold.
Hrechanyky
Buckwheat Cutlets are a traditional dish of Ukrainian cuisine, especially popular in the Lemko region. In fact, these are boiled buckwheat cutlets. They can be lean, but usually still contain minced meat. Mixing meat with buckwheat was invented to make the dish cheaper, but at the same time preserving both taste and nutritional value.
Solyanka
It is a hearty, spicy soup made of distinct types of meat, including smoked ribs and pickles, and olives. The soup is served with sour cream and a slice of lemon. This traditional soup will blow your mind with the combination of tastes, and it will make you feel warm and full after just one small bowl.
Olivye Potato Salad
The salads in Ukraine have traditionally been prepared from simple ingredients that are always at hand. The farmworkers of the area prefer a salad of fresh or salty cucumbers and sauerkraut with onions and oil. A popular salad with a greater number of ingredients is this humble potato salad, the king of any Ukrainian feast (such as a New Year party, wedding, or birthday).
Walnut Stuffed Prunes
What springs to mind when you look back on your childhood – your birthday party, friends all around, the cake with candles, and Mom setting out the desserts? One dish that reminds Ukrainians of these truly carefree days is walnut-stuffed prunes. Ukraine is the country of walnuts and plums, so the ingredients are easy to find, and the dessert is easy to make. It tastes otherworldly.
Nalysnyky
Thin pancakes called Nalysnyky are the most popular dish for Shrovetide. There are various fillings for these pancakes – from sweet cottage cheese or canned berries to fried mushrooms or bryndza. Traditionally, Ukrainians take wheat, buckwheat flour, or cornmeal to prepare nalesniki. You eat nalesniki at the end of the main course before the dessert.
Kyivski tort/ Kyiv Cake
The most famous dessert in Ukraine is tort Kyivski. It was created in Kyiv in 1956 by the Karl Marx Confectionery Factory (now a subsidiary of the Roshen corporation). This Kyiv cake became very popular all over the Soviet Union and every time someone had to come to Kyiv the main thing that they brought back home was tort Kyjivskyj. The origin of the cake and its recipe is unknown, nevertheless, the key ingredients are mostly settled: meringue, hazelnuts, buttercream, eggs, sugar, and cocoa. The Kiev cake is known for its airy texture and colorful flower ornaments on top of multiple meringue layers. Kiev cake has light sponge layers, followed by a crunchy layer of meringue with hazelnuts, and then filled with jam and rich buttercream-like frosting.
Gamula
More than a century ago, thick first courses were called Gamula, but apple Gamula is a simple ancient dessert, the recipe of which was passed down by Ukrainian housewives from generation to generation. It was most often prepared in autumn with the onset of frost when the stove was lit in the houses. Gamula was most often made from soft and smashed apples, as they could not be stored in cellars. This dessert was usually served with honey or tea, so it was prepared mostly without sugar.
Korovai
is a traditional Bulgarian, Ukrainian, and Russian bread, most often used at weddings, where it has great symbolic meaning and has remained part of the wedding tradition in Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and by the Russian and Ukrainian diasporas. Its use in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine dates back to hospitality and holiday customs in ancient Rus. Round Korovai is a common element of the bread and salt ceremony. The bread was traditionally prepared in the home of the bride by women who sang traditional songs to guide them through the making.
The embellishments served a symbolic function. Two birds, made out of dough, represent the couple, and other birds represent family and friends. The entire arrangement is surrounded by a wreath of periwinkle, a symbol of love and purity. The Korovai receives blessings before it is placed in the oven for baking.
Lagman
Lagman is a traditional oriental dish. In Ukraine, Lagman has become widespread in the Crimean Tatar cuisine.
What is a Lagman? Depending on the method of preparation, it can be soup or the main course. It all depends on how much broth you add to the dish. The word “Lagman” itself means “stretched dough” because to make this soup one must use homemade noodles. Due to the fact that the dish is widespread, there are many recipes and ways to cook Lagman. It can be with or without meat, hot or cold.
Gombovtsi
Gombovtsi is a little-known dish of Ukrainian cuisine, which remains quite common in Transcarpathia. This dessert is interesting because its recipe is almost identical to the national Chinese dish Baoji. Therefore, some researchers believe that the roots of Gombovtsi should be sought in the era of nomadic lifestyle.
This dessert is small pies stuffed with the sweet and cooked on a steam. Fruits or berries are usually added to pies, but not necessarily. An integral part of Gombovtsi, without which this dish is impossible to imagine, are breadcrumbs.
Gutsul Varya
Beetroot salad – Hutsul Varya is a dish native to Bukovina. Its main ingredient is boiled beets. This salad is usually prepared during Lent because it does not contain meat and other animal products. At the same time, the dish turns out very hearty and tasty.
Palushky
This dish is known by many names: sticks, fingers, lazy dumplings, cats – all these are the names of potato dumplings. It is a traditional dish made of potato dough, which is boiled in the form of elongated pieces resembling fingers. The dish has become especially popular in the western regions of Ukraine.
Polyadvytsya
Polyadvytsya or polyadovytsya is a dish of Western cuisine, which is also common in Belarus and Poland.
Actually, the word “polyadvytsya” means a special part of the carcass of an animal. It is cut from the femur so as not to damage the ham muscles. Pork, beef, and even horse meat can be used as the main raw materials. Traditionally, our ancestors cooked Polyadvytsya for several months. The meat was prepared during the autumn slaughter, marinated in a distinct way, and dried in boxes until spring. Modern housewives do not have so much time to cook, so the recipe has become much simpler and faster.
Bublik
Bublik is a name that is commonly used in Eastern European countries, predominately Ukraine and Russia, when referring to a round, yeasted bun, in many ways similar to a bagel. Before baking, it is shortly poached in water and dusted with poppy seeds, sesame, or sugar.
It is believed that Bublik was created among the Jewish population in czarist Russia but got its present form in Ukraine. It was originally sold from street carts, where it was lined on a string and offered to the customers. Bublik is typically consumed as a snack or as an accompaniment to coffee or tea.
Kapusniak
Kapusniak is one of the oldest and most significant dishes in Ukraine. It used to be prepared for weddings, funerals, and Christmas dinners. Nowadays, Ukrainians enjoy this soup throughout the year. The key ingredient of Kapusniak is sauerkraut, which is thoroughly washed before cooking to give the soup its transparent color. It is cooked in meat or mushroom broth with potatoes, onions, carrots, and bay leaves. Traditionally Kapusniak is served with sour cream and chopped parsley.
Pyrizhky /piroshki
Also known as “pyrizhky” these patties are often considered Ukrainian comfort food. The boat-shaped pastries have an impressive range of fillings from sweet fillings such as cherries or apples to savory fillings such as ground meat and mushrooms. Piroshki are typically baked, though some families in Ukraine opt for frying. The preparation includes making the dough, which is then flattened, filled with a preferred filling, and pinched around the edges.
Cheburek
Cheburek is a traditional dish of the Crimean Tatar cuisine. It is believed that its roots go back to the Mongol-Tatar nomadic tribes. That is why Cheburek is eaten wherever nomads set foot in ancient times. Even in the highlands of Tibet, you can taste a similar dish! But the name itself is purely Crimean Tatar and means “meat pie”. In Ukraine, Chebureki is also common among the Greeks of Mariupol, but under a different name – “chir-chir.”
Mazuryky
Mazuryky is a traditional Ukrainian dish, which is a small turkey sausage with cheese and butter. They were most common in northwestern Ukraine, especially in Volyn. Usually served with potato garnish in the form of boiled potatoes or Deruny (potato pancakes).
Shovdar
Shovdar is a delicatessen meat product prepared in Transcarpathia. Like borscht, each household prepares its own, special Shovdar. So, there are many recipes. Shovdar is an integral part of the Easter basket. This dish is quite difficult to prepare: you will need a lot of salt, a lot of time and your own smokehouse. Not surprisingly, it is prepared only for major holidays, such as Christmas. In Uzhhorod, even a monument in honor of this remarkable dish was erected.
Horishky
Translated as walnut-shaped cookies, these dough pastries are so irresistible you cannot stop after you’ve had one. They truly represent every major Ukrainian holiday and are, without a doubt, signature cookies of this cuisine. Horishky is crumbly cookies stuffed with condensed milk cream and walnuts and glued together with condensed milk. They look mouth-watering, especially when coated in powdered sugar.
Kasha Porridge
Ukrainian kasha or buckwheat. While the Ukrainian word “kasha” can mean any porridge, it usually is used for a specific dish – buckwheat porridge. The flavors are versatile. This dish can be sweet when served as a main dish, or savory as a side dish served with meat or fish. The classic buckwheat kasha recipe is simple. Buckwheat is boiled for 10 minutes and mixed with milk. Kasha is then boiled for another 10 minutes. A slice of butter and sugar is added at the very end for an extra creamy texture.
Trubochky
Along with Horishky, trubochky is a dessert to die for. Well, they are also quite similar. Both are filled with a condensed milk mixture and covered in powdered sugar. The main difference lies in the dough: while the basis of the walnut-shaped cookies is shortbread pastry, wafer rolls are made with puff pastry. They are slightly reminiscent of the Italian cannoli, albeit having a unique filling.
Rosolnyk
An essential element of Rosolnyk is pickled cucumbers. Ingredients may also include meat, different cereals (rice, buckwheat, barley), vegetables (potato, carrot, onion, roots parsley, celery root or parsnips), spices, and greens.
Kiflyky
These crescent-shaped cookies will satisfy your craving for sweets when you have nothing else to make a fancy dessert at home. You only need flour, sour cream, and dairy butter. While Ukrainians would normally bake Kiflyky with nuts and jam, they’re not mandatory; just very scrumptious additions.
Kutia
His is a Christmas porridge, traditional in so many homes across the Eastern countries. One of the most well-known Ukrainian foods is Kutia. This Ukrainian Christmas porridge is served the first out of twelve traditional Christmas Eve dishes. To make Kutia, wheat is boiled for a couple of hours, and poppy seeds are ground either with a mortar and pestle or in a coffee grinder. Afterward, the ground poppy is added to the softened wheat along with honey, walnuts, and raisins.
Kulesha
in central Ukraine, this porridge is commonly known as Mamalyga, while in the Carpathians, it is often called “Kulesha.” The recipe for this Ukrainian cuisine dish, however, stays the same. Polenta is made with corn flour, water, butter, and salt. The corn flour is slowly boiled with butter and salt until thick. The dish is considered ready for consumption once it can be cut with a knife. Hearty polenta is typically served with pork rind, bryndza cheese, mushrooms, or bacon.
Perekladenets
Perekladenets in Ukrainian cuisine usually mean dessert, which is a cake of many cakes smeared with different fillings. In general, the word “perekladanets” or sandwich cake was used for multi-layered closed sandwiches, popular in Ukrainian, Polish and Swedish cuisines. Sweet Perekladenets are most often prepared with nut, poppy seed filling or jam.
Garlic Pampushky
Pampushky are small, round buns made from yeast dough. These shiny pastries are traditionally served with Ukrainian borscht but can also be a small snack. Before baking pampushky in the oven, the batch is greased with whipped egg to give it extra shininess and crunchy brown top. After the pastry is baked, the pampushky are covered with olive oil, parsley, and garlic sauce. The latter gives it spiciness and complements borscht.
Galushki
Along with Vareniki and Salo, Galushki is a very popular Ukrainian dish. It is a dumpling made of dough then boiled in water, milk, or broth. They are cooked mostly with flour, adding semolina, cottage cheese or grated apples.
The Galushki are easily cooked, and their recipes aren’t very varied. However, there are some variants that depend on the region; for example, Southern Ukraine boasts galushki in tomato sauce. The galushki is a second course, and they are served with sour cream, sometimes with gravy.
Baba-Sharpanyna
Baba-sharpanyna is a traditional Ukrainian freshwater fish casserole. This dish is over two centuries old. The name is associated with the word “sharpaty” meaning to tear to pieces. Traditionally, baba-sharpanyna was prepared from ram or chub. Pike perch was sometimes used for holiday treats.
Zelenyj borshch / shchavlevyj borshch
This is a healthy tradition at it best – sorrel soup water or broth-based soup with sorrel and various vegetables, served with chopped hard-boiled egg and sour cream. It is to note the word “borscht” is not implying beet’s presence.
Kulish
The main purpose of this porridge-based dish was to strengthen the Cossacks and give them strength to fight. Kulish is a long-cooked millet (or now millet) with the addition of vegetables, spices, bacon, and meat. Often, millet is replaced by buckwheat or corn groats. It is best to prepare Kulish in a cauldron over the fire.
Vatrushkas
Just another cottage cheese dessert – cottage cheese is definitely the dessert king in Ukraine. These fluffy brioche buns are made of sweetened yeast dough and feature a crater inside that is filled with smooth, sweet cottage cheese. You’ll often find raisins thereto, for a more particular taste.
Nachynka
Nachynka Baked Ukrainian Cornmeal Dish. Except for the onions, this is a baked dish made of almost the same ingredients as a homemade cake, including butter, sugar, eggs, milk, baking powder, and cornmeal. What does it taste like: It is both sweet and salty and tastes best when consumed hot since it is then that the combined aroma of egg and butter is released.
Lviv Vinegret
or Russian vinaigrette is a salad in Russian cuisine that is also popular in other post-Soviet states. This type of food includes diced cooked vegetables (red beets, potatoes, carrots), chopped onions, as well as sauerkraut, and or brined pickles. Other ingredients, such as green peas or beans, are sometimes also added. The naming comes from the vinaigrette, which is used as a dressing. However, in spite of the name, vinegar is often omitted in modern cooking, and sunflower or other vegetable oil is just used. Some cooks add the brine from the pickled cucumbers or sauerkraut.
Pasulya Pidbyvana
Pasulya Pidbyvana — a traditional soup of Transcarpathian cuisine. The word “Pasulya” in the region refers to the ordinary beans, so it is not difficult to guess the main ingredient of the dish. In addition to beans, the dish must include milk. These two products were widespread in the region and available to ordinary peasants. Wealthier people added smoked and other meat to the beans.
Kovbasa
A traditional recipe of the Ukrainian Carpathians, the homemade sausage demands patience and accuracy. The ingredient list includes pork, Ukrainian fatback Salo, garlic, black pepper, and a casing made from a pig’s small intestine.
The meat and the Salo are mixed with garlic and spices, minced, and stuffed inside the pig small intestine casing, which is thoroughly cleaned beforehand. The sausage can be separated into smaller parts with a thread. Afterward, the sausage is boiled and fried. This dish is commonly sold on Ukrainian food markets and served in national cuisine restaurants all over the country.
Uzvar
This is a dry fruit compote. This beverage is made by boiling dried apples and pears, raisins, prunes, and honey — the fruit can vary, as long as it’s dried. The resulting brew has a golden-brown color and a sweet-and-sour taste, often with notes of smoke. It’s the smokey flavor that makes the drink haphazard among people who try it, but if you like prunes and mezcal, you’ll likely enjoy Uzvar.
Linyvi Varenyki
If you translate the words “Linyvi varenyky” it will be “lazy dumplings” ( it is the same idea as the Polish ones, also called Lazy Pierogi) and that perfectly describes the dish. Lazy dumplings are Brynza cheese dumplings just not put together. How is it cooked then? Very easy, you boil small pieces of dough and then just mix with cheese and add sour cream. Super easy, right? All the ingredients that dumplings have and minus all the work of putting the filling inside the dough.
Carpathian trout
People, there are very proud of the nature and quality of food and water in this area. Carpathian trout is usually grilled with herbs and butter and served with grilled potatoes and other vegetables, and it is definitely must-try dish in Ukraine.
Bograch
Turning around the Carpathian Mountains, we find ourselves in Zakarpattia, the hallmark of which is considered to be Bograch. This is goulash made of three types of meat, which is seasoned with Carpathian herbs and Magyar (Hungarian) paprika. It is believed that the appearance of this dish was significantly influenced by the nomadic tribes of the Finno-Ugrians, who brought it with them to this land. Even the name “Bograch” is Hungarian and means “cauldron.” Therefore, just like Banosh, Bograch is traditionally cooked in an open area in a cauldron.
Lviv plyatsky/Syrnik
For dessert, as should be the case, what remains now is a Ukrainian treat called Lviv Syrnik. However, not to be confused with traditional cheese pancakes or casserole, even though they are all made from cottage cheese. Pastry chef Dariya Tsvek invented the recipe for this dish. Nowadays there are more than 30 variations of Syrnik: with raisins, dried apricots, chocolate, poppy seeds, orange peel and so on. Only fatty cottage cheese and homemade eggs, as well as good butter, remain unchanged. Because of this, the dessert is very tender and practically melts in the mouth.
Liver cake
The liver cake is one of the favorite Ukrainian food. One which any self-respecting grandma cooks on big holidays. What is it exactly? Ground liver with spices, some flour, and fried into thin crepes. These are stacked on each other with homemade mayonnaise, garlic, and spices between the layers of liver crepes.
Tovchanka
Tovchanka is one of the most common side dishes in Ukrainian cuisine. It is believed that it comes from the Ternopil region and is a puree of boiled potatoes and beans that are cooked separately and then crushed (Ukrainian: “tovchut”). Hence come the name of the dish. The third main ingredient in the mash is poppy seeds. In addition to beans, other legumes can sometimes be used.
Perepichka
Perepichka is an iconic Ukrainian street food item consisting of a soft, not overly seasoned sausage that is enclosed within yeasted dough. The whole combination is deep-fried, and it is usually served piping hot without any condiments. The first version of this favorite Kyiv Street food appeared in 1981 at a small kiosk on Bohdan Khmelnitsky Street.
