Cooking
Ukrainian cuisine today is based on a tradition of country cooking, punctuated by the seasons, the winter very long and cold, the summer shorter and hot. It consists of cereals and vegetables (potatoes, cabbage, beets, mushrooms, carrots, squash…). As for meats, Ukrainians mainly consume pork (especially smoked bacon), chicken and beef. The fish are eaten dried or smoked.
Eating in the kolyba (literally, lumberjack house) in the Carpathians is a real pleasure, the food is delicious and not expensive at all. Meat is usually boiled, sautéed, or stewed and broiled. Ukrainians are very fond of Shachliki (pork or chicken skewers). Desserts are often made with honey and fruit (most often cherries, plums).
Soups
- Borsch: traditional soup made from vegetables, in particular beets, which gives it a rather red color. If the soup is green in color, it is made with sorrel (also nettle). Ukrainian borsch is different from Russian borsch. In the Ukrainian recipe, we add smashed bacon at the end of cooking and a clove of garlic. In the Ukrainian recipe, the vegetables are cooked separately before adding them to the soup, while the Russians do everything in the same pot.
Salads, starters
- Kapustianyi: coleslaw or sauerkraut salad to eat cold, with oil and mayonnaise (good but not at all dietetic!).
- Olivye: called the Russian salad, in western Ukraine.
- Oseledets: Pickled herrings, usually served with onions, black pepper and sunflower oil.
- Pid Shuboyu: salad of pickled beets and herring, mixed with mayonnaise.
- Dirouni: potato pancakes which are eaten with crème fraîche.
Breads
Ukraine produces excellent wheat, the flour of which is used to make varied and tasty breads.
- Babka: soft bread with raisins and dried fruits.
- Kolash: Christmas bread, braided.
- Koroval: a round, braided bread often served at weddings. Features designs in the shape of periwinkles or birds.
- Pampushki: fresh rolls that accompany the borsch.
- Paska: Easter bread decorated with motifs in the shape of a cross and roses.
Main dishes
- Some national specialties: borsch soup, and Kiev-style chicken cutlet.
- Galoubtsi: cabbage rolls stuffed with meat.
- Pelmini: they look like Italian tortellini. Stuffed with pork, or other ingredients like chicken, beef, mushrooms, potatoes and cheese. They are usually filled with fruit (cherry).
- Salo: raw salted and garlic bacon, very popular with Ukrainians.
- Chachliks: oriental type meat skewers, pork and chicken.
- Vareniki: This is the favorite snack of Ukrainians. A sort of ravioli filled with meat, mash or cheese. They are often served with fresh cream.
- Accompaniments: they are often to be requested in addition to the main course. They are often potatoes in pancakes, or steamed, sometimes cabbage, kacha (cracked wheat) black or white.
Desserts
Many cookies and yogurts, pancakes (blinechiki), cakes made with butter or cream. Some pastries offer a sweet and savory mix by being covered with cheese.
Good to know
- On the cards the prices are given for a quantity of 100 grams.
- Never order a dish without making sure of the à la carte price, then check the bill.
- The economic formula for a backpacker is to eat in small street kiosks. They often sell kinds of shaourma, good and inexpensive, around 15 UAH. There are also snacks that make hot and inexpensive sandwiches (the Mister Snack chain makes very good hot sandwiches). Sufficient at noon for a little hunger.
- The Pizzaticura Puzata Xata chain offers Ukrainian fast food cuisine.
Drinks
The main brands of Ukrainian beer are Chernigovsky, beer from the Chernihiv region 160 km north of Kiev, Obolon (pronounced “abalon”), beer from Kiev, Rogan, beer made in the west of the country, Lvivsky, excellent beer made in L’viv, and finally the Slavutich. In a restaurant, a beer is worth between 19 and 31 UAH depending on the beer.
- A bottle of vodka is 75 cl or 1 liter. There is also Crimean wine, served by the glass or the bottle. It is dry and / or sweet. Avoid as much as possible the consumption of ordinary Ukrainian or Moldovan wines, they are made from powder and ethyl alcohol is added to it, which is not very good for your health. The more or less drinkable wines come from Koktebel in the Crimea. Some bars and restaurants serve imported wines (France, Argentina, Chile, Spain) which are sold in bottles (expensive) or by the glass.
- Mineral water: good and inexpensive, we prefer it to tap water. The mineral water comes from the Carpathians or Georgia.
