Dishes you have to try in Ukraine
This list may look like bullshit, naive, I respect your opinion. So, why am I writing it? Simply because I can’t count anymore how many people I’ve seen coming to Ukraine without having a clue of what’s borsch and Kvas, for example.Then, here we go! I know there are much more dishes, I have to admit my difficulty to memorize all their names LOL!
“PS: let’s not talk about vodka on this post!”
Borsch
Borsch is a traditional Ukrainian vegetable soup made with betroot as a main ingredient.
It is usually made with potatoes, cabbage, beets, tomatoes, carrot, dill, onion and garlic. It may include meat or fish. In the end, there are about 30 varieties of Ukrainian borsch and I didn’t try all them :(( The most popular is red cooked.
Varenyky
Similar to the Polish dish pierogi, it’s a mix of water, flour and salt. And inside, it can be any ingredient such as minced meat, mashed potatoes and everything else the cooker decides. Varenyky can be stuffed for example with cherries, cheese, cabbage, potatoes, mushrooms, strawberries, poppies, etc.
Kompot
A drink made out of dried fruits, such as dried apples, apricots and pears adding some honey and other ingredients by who makes it. It can be made of fresh fruits and berries, too (thanks for the feedback Searge Boremchuq).
Kvas
Drink made from bread — yes, from bread — with a sweet-sour taste. It kinda remembers a beer, but it’s not alcoholic.
Uzvar
Uzvar is a sweet broth made from dried pears, prunes, and perhaps — apples (thanks for the feedback Searge Boremchuq). Since old times, it symbolized fertility, a sweet life and wealth. During its production, the fruits are not brewed, but only heated to boiling point.
Pampushka
A pampushka is a small round bun of wheat, rye or buckwheat flour. Since ancient times pampushka was made on Sundays, at holidays or at memorial dinners with borsch and soup.
Okroshka
A cold soup originally from Russia and commonly eaten in Ukraine. It is a mix of vegetables like radishes, spring onions, cucumber, plus boiled potatoes, cooked meat, ham or sausages.
Do you have any suggestion of what to eat in Ukraine? Feel free to comment!
PS2: You can check the pictures I take on my Instagram account andref.anjos and through the hashtag #feelukraine.
For travel tips and questions, you can reach me on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook.
