In 2016 according to Yonderbound, one of the largest travel communities in
the world, Ukrainian cuisine hit the top 10 in the world, finding itself
in 8th place, between Japan and China. Tourists from all over the world
participated in the voting.
Ukrainian dishes are known for their variety and high taste qualities.
Ukrainian cuisine includes hundreds of recipes: pampushki and dumplings,
cutlets and holubtsi, vareniki and sausages, drinks from fruits and honey,
etc. If you ask any Ukrainian to name a few traditional dishes, then this
list will certainly include borscht.
UNESCO
inscribed the Culture of Ukrainian borscht cooking on the List of
Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
Borscht is a soup made out of meat, beets, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes,
carrots, onions, garlic, dill. There are about 70 varieties of Ukrainian
borscht. The classic version is made with pork, veal or chicken broth,
and a reference for rich borshch is such "that your spoon would stand up
in it"; However, the lean version is also common: with mushrooms or
string beans. In some regions, fish is also used instead of meat.
Ukrainian cuisine is rich in flour products, which has been prompted by
the prevalence of wheat and other cereals here. Varenyky are especially
popular in Ukraine: dough in the form of crescents with a salty or sweet
filling. Most often, salted ones are made with potatoes, mushrooms,
stewed cabbage or meat. Among the sweet fillings, cottage cheese, poppy,
fruit and berries are especially popular. Interestingly, the name of the
dish came from the Ukrainian word "varyty", which means "to boil".
Varenyky are traditionally included in the list of twelve lenten dishes
that are prepared in Ukrainian families for Holy Christmas Eve.
Holubtsi is another dish that is traditionally prepared not only for
Holy Christmas Eve, but also on an everyday basis. A mix of millet (now
it's replaced by rice), meat, finely chopped carrots and onions with
spices is wrapped in cabbage leaves and boiled. Like other Ukrainian
dishes, holubtsi are traditionally served with sour cream. A similar
course called Dolma is also popular in the South of the country. This
dish differs from holubtsi only in that the filling is wrapped in grape
leaves, which gives it a slightly sour taste.
