Ukrainian traditions, culture, art and cuisine are an inexhaustible source of curiosities and age-old wisdom. And if most ordinary citizens do not know much about culture and art, then they consider themselves experts in matters of Ukrainian cuisine. Although in reality this is not always true, because a large number of dishes that we are used to considering traditional Ukrainian are far from Ukrainian in origin. So let's take a culinary tour of picturesque Ukraine!
Flasks, or flasks
A delicious and very nutritious dish that came to Ukrainian cuisine from Poland. In general, flyachki is a rich soup made from simple ingredients, the main of which is beef tripe, all the necessary ingredients can be easily found in the nearest store or market. This dish has gained special love and popularity due to its bright and rich taste and nutritional value.
You can try this delicious dish at the Vinnytsia restaurant "Hospitable Master", located at 3a General Arabeya Street, Vinnytsia, where flasks are a specialty dish, the cost of the dish is approximately 35-40 UAH.
Banos
Everyone who has traveled to the Carpathians at least once has tasted real Hutsul banosh. In general, this dish is a thick porridge made from corn flour, cooked in cream or sour cream. According to the beliefs of local residents, it is banosh that can rightfully be considered fuel for a perpetual motion machine, because for all its simplicity it is extremely nutritious and tasty. Even a small amount of such porridge is enough to feed a large Ukrainian family. Traditionally, Banosh is prepared only by men and only on an open fire, stirring it with special wooden spoons.
Most cafes and restaurants in the Carpathian region offer banosh, for example, you can stop by and enjoy Ukrainian delicacies at the Filvarok tavern in Bukovel. The cost of a portion is approximately 30 UAH + 12-15 UAH for various additions to the dish, such as cracklings, mushrooms, and more.
Books
Small round pies made of delicate and thin puff pastry with a rich filling are gaining more and more fans. Although this dish is served as an addition to hot and meat dishes, you can also find knishes as a dessert option. There is a lot of debate about the origin of this dish, but still, according to the beliefs of most researchers, we should be grateful to the inhabitants of Belarus for knishes. The most common filling options for Ukrainian knishes are: buckwheat porridge with onions and cracklings, feta cheese, mashed potatoes, cheese, mushrooms, cabbage, and sweet fillings are dominated by fruits and berries, sweet cheese and various jams.
You can treat yourself to these fragrant and delicious pies in most restaurants and cafes in Sumy, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Volyn, and Zhytomyr regions. The approximate cost of the dish is from 20 UAH.
Hitting
A drink that has a thousand-year history, this drink was popular and well-known long before the appearance of tea in the territory of Kievan Rus. Interestingly, the very first samovars were created specifically for making sbiten, and later became a device for making tea. Sbiten is prepared on the basis of flower honey with the addition of various spices, spices and herbs. This drink is considered healing, giving vitality and strengthening health. Today there are a large number of flavor variations of this drink, these can be alcoholic and non-alcoholic options, they can be consumed both hot and cold.
You can enjoy this healthy and tasty drink in the Kyiv pub "Tovstiy Lev", at 18 Velyka Vasylkivska Street, the approximate cost of a 0.5 liter drink is 35-40 UAH.
Marinated thing
Mezhyvo is an example of a real Ukrainian dish that has accompanied Ukrainians for many centuries. This dish is something between vegetable caviar and stew. Mezhyvo is extremely tasty both hot and cold. The traditional set of products for this dish is as follows: zucchini, beets, pumpkin, carrots, onions and tomatoes. One of the most popular options for this dish is eggplant mezhyvo. The peculiarity of this Ukrainian dish is that it becomes even tastier a few days after cooking, because during this time the vegetables have time to marinate additionally and create an extraordinary symphony of taste and aroma. Sometimes there are also fruit variations of mezhyvo.
You can taste mezhyvom in all corners of the country, because every Ukrainian-style restaurant offers this dish to its visitors. The cost of this delicacy ranges from 40 UAH.
Bograch
A dish that came to Ukrainian cuisine from Hungary, and is similar to traditional goulash. The name of this dish comes from the Hungarian word "bograch", which means cauldron, and therefore the recipe for the dish wandered with travelers through the villages of Transcarpathia. Bograch is prepared on an open fire and in a cauldron, it is these cooking conditions that fill bograch with a unique taste and aroma. One of the important components of this dish is paprika, and the appearance of this ingredient in this recipe is told by a folk legend, about the times of the war between Hungary and Turkey. According to this legend, the Turks were preparing food for themselves and added too much paprika, but the dish did not suit them and they gave it to Hungarian prisoners, since then paprika has been widely used in Hungarian cuisine.
You can treat yourself to traditional goulash at the restaurant "Bograch", located at 10/12 Mira Square, Mukachevo. The price of a portion of the dish is approximately 40 UAH.
Chovlent (chulnt, cholnt)
The inhabitants of Transcarpathia borrowed chovlent from Jewish cuisine. The dish is traditionally prepared in a pot in the oven from meat, vegetables, beans and cereals, however, the Jewish recipe has undergone Ukrainian adjustments and in the Transcarpathian version, garlic and hot pepper are added to the dish, and a variety of meat types are used, the dish is especially tasty if you add smoked ham or brisket.
We offer to taste Ukrainian chovlent at the cafe "Kiflik", at the address Kyiv, Shota Rustaveli Street 4. The cost of a portion of the dish is approximately 75-80 UAH.
The rumble of crumples
Rakott Krumpli, another dish of Hungarian cuisine that has long been loved by Ukrainians. It should be noted that Hungarian cuisine is rich in various vegetable dishes and casseroles, but this dish is quite simple to prepare, nevertheless incredibly tasty and nutritious. In literal translation, "Rakott Krumpli" means potatoes baked in layers. To prepare such potatoes you will need: potatoes, egg, cheese, smoked sausage, red pepper.
You can enjoy such a biscuit in most restaurants in Western Ukraine, the price of one serving is approximately 40-50 UAH.
Toucan
Another favorite dish of Ukrainians, tokan, came to us from Romanian cuisine. Oddly enough, this dish is often confused with mamalyga. However, mamalyga is simply porridge made from corn grits, and tokan is a meat dish that was always served with that porridge. Over time, the recipe and appearance of tokan has changed, and today this dish is served as follows: a layer of porridge is placed on a plate, a layer of cheese on it, then another layer of porridge (there can be as many such layers as the cooked porridge will last), and on top of the last layer of porridge, fried pork or cracklings, or any other meat, are placed.
You can enjoy such a dish in almost any restaurant in Transcarpathia, the cost of the dish varies and starts from 35-50 UAH.
Hominy
Mamalyga, although quite common in Ukrainian cuisine, is still a Moldovan national dish. First of all, mamalyga is a coolly mixed porridge made from corn flour, which is cooked in a cast-iron pot. The peculiarity of this dish is that it is completely unlike any other porridge known to us in terms of taste and visual characteristics. Initially, mamalyga was made from millet, but when corn began to be distributed in the Principality of Moldova, it quickly and easily replaced millet. Another factor in the use of corn flour was the fact that the Turkish occupiers did not tax it. Mamalyga was the basis of the peasant diet, it was used both as a main dish and as bread. To easily cut mamalyga, either a special wooden knife or a waxed thread was used.
You can taste real mamalyga in an interesting and unique place in the geographical center of Europe, namely in the Kolyba Museum, located in the village of Dilove. The average cost of a portion of the dish is 35 UAH.
Curlers or curlers
Ukrainian national dish, which is found throughout the Transcarpathian region. Here, almost every settlement has its own special and unique recipe for kruchenyky. In general, kruchenyky is a type of vegetable roll, where the filling is wrapped in a layer of meat or fish. Not a large number of ingredients are used to prepare this dish, but nevertheless the unsurpassed taste of Transcarpathian kruchenyky makes you fall in love with it and constantly beckons you to treat yourself to them again. The fillings can be the simplest and most diverse, from vegetables and mushrooms to dried fruits. Usually, zavivantsy is served hot, but they taste great cold.
You can taste these rolls in almost every kolyba in Transcarpathia, the average cost of a portion is 40-50 UAH.
Gombovtsi
An amazing dish that also came to us from Hungarian cuisine is gombóvtsi. However, their strangeness is mainly based not on the recipe, but on the identity of the Chinese steamed buns "baozi", which are popular in Southeast Asia. Although, given that the Hungarians were a nomadic people, it is not entirely surprising that this dish appeared in their culinary tradition. In general, gombóvtsi are prepared from yeast dough and various fillings, giving these products a round shape. Then these buns are cooked in a steam bath, and before serving, they are necessarily sprinkled with toasted breadcrumbs.
You can try the most delicious gombowtsi at the Ungvarsky restaurant in the city of Uzhhorod, at 29 Elektrozavodska Street. A portion of these delicacies costs about 40 UAH.
The wives of Kiflya and Flodny
The following desserts also came to us from Hungarian cuisine. These well-known sweets are prepared according to ancient recipes of Hungarians of Jewish origin. So, Ponozhy Kiflí are fluffy, crumbly and tender bagels, in the preparation of which both yeast and baking powder are used. This dessert simply melts in your mouth.
You can taste this delicate dessert in any pastry shop in Beregovo, the average cost of a portion of dessert is 40 UAH.
Flodni is a shortcrust pastry pie with an interesting filling consisting of layers of nuts, poppy seeds, and apples. Hungarians usually prepare this dessert for Christmas, and Jews love this dessert so much that it is a traditional decoration of the wedding table. And the main feature of this delicate pie is the mandatory use of goose, duck, or chicken lard.
Lviv coffee
It is appropriate to consider the history of coffee in the glorious city of Lviv from the mention of Franz-Yuri Kulchytsky, because it was he who opened one of the first European coffee houses in Vienna, and given that Mr. Kulchytsky was a native of Lviv, it is not surprising that the coffee tradition quickly reached this city. Today, the concepts of Lviv and coffee exist almost inextricably. Everyone who walks through the cute streets of this beautiful place feels the tart and unique aroma of coffee, which comes from the open windows and doors of countless coffee houses, confectioneries and cafes. A real coffee mania swept the city of Lviv at the end of the 18th century, when confectioneries and coffee houses began to appear en masse. Since then, Lviv has not been able to recover from its coffee passion, and has worthily held the title of the coffee capital of Ukraine for many centuries.
You can treat yourself to coffee in Lviv almost at every step, but we recommend visiting the "Vienna Coffee Shop" on Svobody Avenue, where they serve coffee with a surprise, it is definitely worth trying. The approximate cost of a cup of coffee is 20 UAH.
The information provided does not contain advertising intentions, but is based on the author's own preferences and travel experience. The prices indicated in the article are for informational purposes only and may not be current at the moment.
We hope that our culinary journey will inspire you to travel around Ukraine and gain new experiences!
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