Ukrainian national cuisine

Tourists are impressed by Ukrainian national cuisine with its traditional tomato red and sorrel green borsches, several kinds of Ukrainian vareniki (pierogis) stuffed with all kinds of meat, cheese, potatoes with mushrooms; golubtsi or cabbage rolls (cabbage leaves with a mixture of rice, meat, carrot and fried onion inside usually served with sour-cream); jellied meat with horse-radish, suckling pig, delicious stuffed fish and plenty of other Ukrainian specialties.

The traditional Ukrainian cuisine is very rich in natural ingredients. Tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet onion, lettuce, peaches, watermelons, apples, grapes - all vegetable and fruits produced in Ukraine taste really delicious. Ukrainian customs and traditions in cooking are based on a combination of fresh or pickled fruits and vegetables, meat, mushrooms, and herbs.

 Borsch is a Ukrainian national soup. It is not just a regular meal. It is one of the Ukraine’s national symbols. Borsch is based on a beet and mixed vegetable broth that comes in dozens of varieties. The most popular version is a clear broth, but sour cream is often added. Each region in Ukraine has its own borsch recipe. Every hostess can change not only borsch ingredients from time to time, but also the way of cooking every time she cooks Borshch.

Holubtsi are cabbage rolls stuffed with seasoned rice and meat or buckwheat. The dish is usually topped with a tomato-based sauce.

Known to the English-speaking world as Chicken Kiev, kotleta po-Kyivsky is a chunk of boneless chicken stuffed with butter, then seasoned, floured, and deep-fried.

Kasha is basically a grain-based cereal. The most common kind is hrechana kasha (buckwheat porridge), seasoned and eaten with a sauce as a side dish or as a stuffing.

Varenyky (pierogis) are small boiled dumplings made with rolled dough and filled with a special type of potato and cheese or some other filling. Almost all restaurants serve them, usually with either cheese or meat, and almost always with sour cream or a buttery sauce.