Cuisine of Central Ukraine

Cabbage soup, or kapusnyak is a traditional dish of Ukrainian cuisine, made of sauerkraut. Cabbage ingredients can vary by region. It can be vegetarian, or with meat, fish or mushrooms. But in any case, the dish has a special sour taste, typical of sauerkraut.

The components of cabbage soup also vary depending on the season. During Lent or Fast, the dish was prepared without meat, with the addition of vegetable oil. In winter and on holidays, the broth for cabbage soup is made of fatty parts of pork. In the early twentieth century, when tomatoes began to be actively cultivated, they were also added to the dish.

Borsch is a signature dish of Ukrainian cuisine, which is greatly enjoyed all over the world. The dish has dozens of variations, due to the wide geography of Ukrainians. The most common are red, green, mushroom, cold borsch and other variations.

The etymology of the word "borsch" comes from the name of the borschivnik plant and literally means “notch, tip". After all, the leaves of this plant were originally used to make borsch. Much later, potatoes and beets came to Europe and Ukraine, without which it is difficult to imagine the main dish of Ukrainian cuisine today.

Ingredients for borscht vary significantly depending on the region of Ukraine. For example, in Podillia housewives add beans to a dish, in the Poltava region — dumplings, in the South — flour, and in Slobozhanshchina there is a variation of borsch with beer.

Are there many dishes in the world monuments to which are erected? It is halushky that have their monument! Not to mention the title of one of the symbols of the Ukrainian national cuisine.

Haluchky are a dish made of boiled dough without filling. They serve as a separate dish or soup ingredient. Despite its apparent simplicity, halushky are a very nutritious dish. Previously, they were prepared from a mixture of buckwheat and wheat flour. Simple dough made of flour, salt and water was kneaded, rolled out and cut into strips. If the dough was plucked from the strip by hand, the halushky were called "pinched", and if cut with a knife, then "torn". Regarding the origin of the word "halushky", the most probable version is the origin of the word "halka", ie "pebble stones", "glob".

And although halushky are common throughout Ukraine, it is in Poltava that they are considered the main local dish.

The best meat is pork, the best fish is flax. This proverb aptly describes the attitude of Ukrainians to meat, and especially pork. It is impossible to imagine authentic Ukrainian cuisine without gourmet meat dishes. One of these original meat dishes is kruchenyky, or zavyvantsi.

The name of the dish is unpretentious and comes from the word “twist" (krutyty): to cook kruchenyky, the filling must be twisted into meat. By the way, both the filling and the meat can be different, it all depends on the region.

Most people have heard about the Chicken Kyiv, but not everyone knows about the existence of the capital's fish delicacy. Pike perch  à la Kyiv is a fish baked with potatoes and cheese in a creamy mushroom sauce. Local housewives have been cooking it for over half a century. And this is only the first entry in a cookbook, published in 1965 and entitled "A book about delicious and healthy food." In fact, cooking this dish started earlier. In general, fish dishes occupied an honorable place in the diet of Kyiv natives. Which is not surprising, because the city is located on the banks of one of the largest rivers in Europe, which has long been famous for fish resources.

There is no Ukraine without willow and viburnum! As well as without fragrant and healthy pies with viburnum. Our ancestors knew about the healing properties of this berry and used it not only in medicine but also as a delicious filling for pies.

The main secret of the Ukrainian housewives was the specific timing of collecting viburnum. It was collected after the first frosts, because it is due to the cold that the characteristic bitterness disappears from the berry. The ancient recipe for pies with viburnum is almost never used today. And it's a pity! After all, viburnum contains a huge amount of vitamin C, which has an immunostimulatory and antiviral effect on the body.

Uzvar (compote) or, as it was also called kisselitsa, var, zvar, still remains one of the most popular drinks of Ukrainians. It is made from dried berries: pears, apples, plums, cherries, blueberries, in the southern regions uzvar made of apricots is quite widespread. Ukrainians dried the fruits in the sun, in ordinary or special ovens - dryers or baths.

The uzvar was cooked mainly in the oven both on holidays and on weekdays. Compote was the second most important dish after Christmas. The liquid was poured into a beautiful jug and placed next to the corner. The thick of the berries was poured into a bowl and also served to the table.

Kalganivka is one of the most popular traditional Ukrainian nastoikas, which is a horilka infused with the root of galangal (a herbaceous plant that grows mainly in forests). The drink has a reddish-amber color, a pleasant floral scent and is quite easy to drink. Kalganivka was often used for medicinal purposes and as a simple drink for the table.

Kotlyarevsky even mentioned it in the Aeneid, which indicates that it really is a drink with a long history.

With the advent of horilka in Ukraine in the fifteenth century, soon began to appear also many nasktoikas and liqueurs prepared on its basis. They were made mainly on berries (plums and cherries) or on herbs and roots of plants using 20-degree vodka, left to ferment in a warm room. Compared to liqueurs, tinctures were stronger and were considered a privileged drink. It was drunk and made by well-off people.

Horilka (vodka) is an alcoholic beverage made from a solution of ethyl alcohol (usually 40%). The name (from Ukrainian “hority” - “to burn”) is explained by the fact that to check the alcohol content in the drink it was set on fire. If the amount was sufficient, the liquid burned with a green-blue flame.

The first analogue of horilka was made in the X century by a Persian doctor. In Ukraine it appeared in the XV - XVI centuries. during the Cossacks. Moreover, at first it was called "hot wine", "bread wine" because it was made from cereals. And the word "horilka" began to be used only in the XVIII century. By the way, Ukrainians made horilka from wheat, while Russians made vodka from rye or a mixture of oats, rye and barley. In the Zaporozhian Sich, the production and export of "Cherkasy wine" (as it was then called) to various countries, including Moscovia, was established.

The classic value of ethanol content in the drink was 38%, but later a standard of strength of 40% was set for convenience.

Today Ukraine is considered one of the countries of the so-called "vodka belt" and is known for its classic wheat horilka infused on pepper.

Spotykach is a sweet alcoholic tincture with spices, (30 degrees in strength). In Ukraine, this drink appeared in the XVIII century. The name obviously comes from the effect that the “spotykach” (meaning “stumbling”) had on consumers. There are also options for preparing the drink not on spices, but on berries or with the addition of fruit juices.

The honey—based drink is perhaps the oldest known Slavic alcoholic beverage. Honey as a drink was incredibly popular in the days of Kievan Rus, when no feast or reception was held without it. Only during Lent did religion forbid drinking this drink. At the wedding, it was a tradition to give the newlyweds a tub of honey, which they had to drink during the first month of married life, perhaps this is where the term "honeymoon" comes from. In addition, honey had a ritual significance. It was shared with the gods and compared with the rivers of the afterlife, where honey and milk waters flow.

At first, it took years to prepare mead, because then honey was mixed with the juice of sour berries and left to ferment in tubs or vats. Then the liquid was poured and sealed in barrels underground for decades. This method was called put.

Later, hops were added to the honey—berry mixture before the fermentation process to speed up the process. This mead was stronger and could be drunk after two years.

Later, boiled honey appeared, when honey was first boiled with water (this decoction was called a sieve and was an independent non—alcoholic honey drink and an addition to many dishes).

In the 17th century, with the advent of wine and beer, mead lost its popularity. But in the twentieth century, the drink of mead became widespread, which continued the tradition. Then beekeeping became very common, a lot of so—called "immature honey" appeared, which could not be sold and they came up with a drink made by fermenting it with yeast.

Today, beet kvass is rather strange, but in fact it is an unfairly forgotten drink that our ancestors drank more than a thousand years ago. Well—known Ukrainian chef Yevhen Klopotenko believes that the history of this drink dates back to the ninth century, when the Scandinavian princes Rurikovich came to Russia. Beets were then quite common in our lands and in Scandinavia. But in Russia, beets could not be stored for long due to hot summers and later people came up with fermenting beets, making kvass from it.

It was prepared in the fall, during harvest and stored until spring, until new beets grow. Kvass was fermented under pressure in wooden barrels, which were placed in the cold.

The drink quenched thirst in summer, was used for medicinal purposes, because it is rich in vitamins, iodine, iron. In addition, beet kvass was the basis for many traditional dishes, cold soups and even borscht. Kvass prepared by natural fermentation (without the addition of yeast) can be consumed within several months with gradual adding of water.

Compote is a traditional drink of Eastern European peoples, including Ukrainians. It is prepared from fruits and berries with sugar. Can be prepared from fresh, dryed (uzvar), canned or frozen fruits and berries. With the spread of freezers in households since the second half of the twentieth century the latter option has gained popularity.

Compote could be prepared from one type of berries or fruits, or from their mix. Apples, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, apricots, plums, and grapes were most often used in Ukraine.

In Soviet times, compote was also called a dessert, which was a berry (fruit) cooked in compote. They were served chilled in glasses or cups.

The history of the sweet symbol of the Ukrainian capital and one of the most famous national desserts and souvenirs dates back more than 60 years. There are two main versions of its creation. First, the confectioners of the Karl Marx Factory forgot to put egg whites for the biscuit in the refrigerator. To cover up the incident, the factory manager and his assistant smeared the frozen cakes with butter cream, decorating the cake with cream flowers. According to another story, the recipe for the Kyiv cake has been developed for a long time and finally got approval in 1956. The following year, the dessert won bronze at the confectionery competition, and a year later won first place. The recipe was patented only in 1973.

Periodically, confectioners experiment with technology and ingredients, but the base has remained unchanged since 1956: cakes layers are made with fermented proteins.

By the way, before the confectioners of the factory had their own unique "cream handwriting", but to avoid forgery, the picture on the cake was standardized.

During the Soviet era, "Kyiv Cake" was a delicacy. You could buy it only in the capital, and the queue had to be occupied at 4 am!

And this dessert of 70 cake layers weighing more than 5 kg served as a gift of Ukrainians to Brezhnev for the 70th anniversary. The Secretary General praised the gift, but the original recipe of the Kyiv cake is still known only to confectioners of the Roshen factory.

More than a century ago, thick first courses were called gamula, but apple gamula is a simple ancient dessert, the recipe of which was passed down by Ukrainian housewives from generation to generation. It was most often prepared in autumn with the onset of frost, when the stove was lit in the houses. Gumula was most often made from soft and beaten apples, as they could not be stored in cellars. This dessert was usually served with honey or tea, so it was prepared mostly without sugar.

Verguny is a traditional Ukrainian cookie made of fresh unleavened dough, fried in oil. Depending on the regions, the dough and shape of the cookies could differ. For example, traditionally the dough was cut into small rhombuses, then an incision inside was made and the dough was wrapped inside the incision. Also verguny could be cooked in the form of rolls or roses. In the Kyiv version of verguny, in addition to the standard components, rum and almonds were added, in the Konotop version - lemon peel, and so on.

Verguny are often prepared for the holidays, even those that fell during the period of fasting: the girls baked them at the party, the hostess cooked them for Christmas and for the carol-bells singers, the grandmothers - for the grandchildren.

Recently, a museum dedicated to verguny was even opened in the village Chechelevo, Poltava region, where you can learn about the origin of this dessert and the stories associated with it. In addition, the owner of the museum teaches guests to cook traditional cookies

Most people have heard about the Chicken Kyiv, but not everyone knows about the existence of the capital's fish delicacy. Pike perch  à la Kyiv is a fish baked with potatoes and cheese in a creamy mushroom sauce. Local housewives have been cooking it for over half a century. And this is only the first entry in a cookbook, published in 1965 and entitled "A book about delicious and healthy food." In fact, cooking this dish started earlier. In general, fish dishes occupied an honorable place in the diet of Kyiv natives. Which is not surprising, because the city is located on the banks of one of the largest rivers in Europe, which has long been famous for fish resources.