Ukraine

Main course after soup:

• blyntsi – pan cakes filled with meat, cheese and other fillings
• shashlyk – marinated lamb and vegetable sticks
• pyrohy – fried croquettes. Can be a dessert depending on filling (e.g. fruit, poppy seed, etc.)
• varenyky – croquettes filled with meat and vegetables
• deruny – potato pancakes
• mlyntsi – pancakes filled with fresh cheese, fruit and butter
• holubtsi - sarma with cabbage or wine leaves, minced meat and millet or rice
• kasha hrechana zi shkvarkamy – buckwheat with chopped and fried bacon and onion
• stuffed zucchini or aubergines
• kovbasa - sausage
• pechenya – roast meat (pork, lamb, beef, veal and similar)

Salads are and integral part of a meal and in the Ukraine there is no shortage. For example Olivye is known in the world as Russian salad, containing boiled vegetables and mayonnaise. Vesnianyi salad is made of finely chopped gherkins and tomato seasoned with parsley. Kapustianyi salad is based on sour and fresh chopped cabbage. Pickled vegetables are also consumed as salad, especially in cold winter months that lack fresh vegetables.

Korova and paska are the names of bread served for special occasions. While the first is shaped as a braid and is considered to be wedding bread, the other is an essential companion at Easter.

Sweets are always welcome after a good meal. Here also you cannot come out a loser. You can indulge in pampushky which is very similar to our doughnuts. Syrniki are specific for both Poland and Russia (dough and curds, fried).

As beverages are concerned, we cannot forget mineral water, kefir, compote and kvass which are the main non-alcoholic beverages. Horilka is the name for vodka, and we recommend you try Nemiroff Wodka and Olimp.
The largest producers of beer (pyvo) are Chernihivske, Slavutych, Rogan, Lvivske, Obolon and other.

Travel tips

• The best time to travel to the Ukraine are spring and autumn due to the pleasant climate.
• Little of English is spoken so we recommend you take a phrase book with you.
• The usual tip is 5%.
• Over 20 years have passed since the Černobil catastrophe and Kiev as well as the food produced in Kiev are safe. With all due respect towards these edible Ukraine godsends, mushrooms, venison and berries should be avoided.