Food from Puzata Hata restaurant in Lviv

Ukrainian cuisine is the collection of the various cooking traditions of the people of Ukraine, one of the largest and most populous European countries. It is heavily influenced by the rich dark soil (''

chernozem Chernozem (from rus, чернозём, p=tɕɪrnɐˈzʲɵm, r=chernozyom; "black ground"), also called black soil, is a black-colored soil containing a high percentage of humus (4% to 16%) and high percentages of phosphorus and ammonia compou ...

'') from which its ingredients come and often involves many components. Traditional Ukrainian dishes often experience a complex heating process – "at first they are fried or boiled, and then stewed or baked. This is the most distinctive feature of Ukrainian cuisine". The national dish of Ukraine is ''

borscht Borscht () is a sour soup common in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. In English, the word "borscht" is most often associated with the soup's variant of Ukrainian origin, made with red beetroots as one of the main ingredients, which g ...

'', the well-known beet soup, of which many varieties exist. However, ''varenyky'' (boiled dumplings similar to pierogi) and a type of cabbage roll known as'' holubtsi'' are also national favourites and are a common meal in traditional Ukrainian restaurants. These dishes indicate the regional similarities within Eastern European cuisine. The cuisine emphasizes the importance of wheat in particular, and grain in general, as the country is often referred to as the "

breadbasket The breadbasket of a country or of a region is an area which, because of the richness of the soil and/or advantageous climate, produces large quantities of wheat or other grain. Rice bowl is a similar term used to refer to Southeast Asia; and C ...

of Europe". The majority of Ukrainian dishes descend from ancient peasant dishes based on plentiful grain resources such as rye, as well as staple vegetables such as potato, cabbages, mushrooms and beetroots. Ukrainian dishes incorporate both traditional Slavic techniques as well as other European techniques, a byproduct of years of foreign jurisdiction and influence. As there has been a significant

Ukrainian diaspora The Ukrainian diaspora comprises Ukrainians and their descendants who live outside Ukraine around the world, especially those who maintain some kind of connection, even if ephemeral, to the land of their ancestors and maintain their feeling of Uk ...

over several centuries (for example, over a million Canadians have Ukrainian heritage), the cuisine is represented in European countries and those further afield, particularly Argentina, Brazil, and the USA.

Soups

* ''

Borscht Borscht () is a sour soup common in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. In English, the word "borscht" is most often associated with the soup's variant of Ukrainian origin, made with red beetroots as one of the main ingredients, which g ...

'' is a vegetable soup made out of beets, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, dill."Cuisine – Flavors and Colors of Ukrainian Culture."Ukraine.com
Accessed July 2011."Ukraine National Food, Meals and Cookery."Ukrainetrek.com
Accessed July 2011. There are about 30 varieties of Ukrainian borscht. It may include meat or fish. * '' Zelenyj borshch'' (green borscht) or ''shchavlevyj borshch'' (sorrel soup): water or broth based soup with

sorrel Sorrel (''Rumex acetosa''), also called common sorrel or garden sorrel, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Polygonaceae. Other names for sorrel include spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock ('dock' being a common name for the genus '' ...

and various vegetables, served with chopped hard-boiled egg and sour cream. It is to note the word "borscht" is not implying beet's presence. * '' Kapusnyak'': soup made with pork,

salo Salo or Salò may refer to: Places Finland *Salo, Finland, a town in Western Finland ** Salo sub-region, a subdivision of Finland Proper and one of the Sub-regions of Finland since 2009 *An old name of Saloinen, a former municipality in Ostrobot ...

, cabbage, beans, and served with smetana (sour cream). * ''

Rosolnyk Rassolnik (russian: рассольник) is a traditional Russian soup made from pickled cucumbers, pearl barley, and pork or beef kidneys. A vegetarian variant of rassolnik also exists, usually made during Lent. The dish is known to have exist ...

'': soup with

pickled cucumbers A pickled cucumber (commonly known as a pickle in the United States and Canada and a gherkin in Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand) is a usually small or miniature cucumber that has been Pickling, pickled in a Brine (f ...

. * ''

Solyanka Solyanka (russian: соля́нка, initially ''селя́нка''; in English "Settlers' Soup") is a thick and sour soup of Russian origin that is common in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and other states of the former Soviet Union and certain part ...

'': thick, spicy and sour soup made with meat, fish or mushrooms and various vegetables and pickles. * '' Yushka'': clear soup, made from various types of fish such as

carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...

bream Bream ( ) are species of freshwater and marine fish belonging to a variety of genera including '' Abramis'' (e.g., ''A. brama'', the common bream), '' Acanthopagrus'', ''Argyrops'', '' Blicca'', '' Brama'', '' Chilotilapia'', ''Etelis'', '' L ...

wels catfish The wels catfish ( or ; ''Silurus glanis''), also called sheatfish or just wels, is a large species of catfish native to wide areas of central, southern, and eastern Europe, in the basins of the Baltic, Black and Caspian Seas. It has been introd ...

, or even

ruffe The Eurasian ruffe (''Gymnocephalus cernua''), also known as ruffe or pope, is a freshwater fish found in temperate regions of Europe and northern Asia. It has been introduced into the Great Lakes of North America, reportedly with unfortuna ...

Salads and appetizers

* '' Kovbasa'': various kinds of smoked or boiled pork, beef or chicken sausage. * ''

Salo Salo or Salò may refer to: Places Finland *Salo, Finland, a town in Western Finland ** Salo sub-region, a subdivision of Finland Proper and one of the Sub-regions of Finland since 2009 *An old name of Saloinen, a former municipality in Ostrobot ...

'': cured

fatback Fatback (also known as streak of lean or streak of fat) is a cut of meat from a domestic pig. It consists of the layer of adipose tissue (subcutaneous fat) under the skin of the back, with or without the skin (pork rind). Fatback is "hard fa ...

. * '' Kholodets'': aspic ('' Studenetz or richcake'') made with meat or fish (''zalyvna ryba''). * ''

Olivier Olivier is the French form of the given name Oliver. It may refer to: * Olivier (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Olivier (surname), a list of people * Château Olivier, a Bordeaux winery *Olivier, Louisiana, a rural popul ...

'': salad made out of cooked and chopped potatoes, dill pickles, boiled chopped eggs, cooked and chopped chicken or ham, chopped onions, peas, mixed with mayonnaise. * '' Vinigret'': salad with cooked and shredded beets, sauerkraut, cooked and chopped potatoes, onions, and carrots, sometimes pickles mixed with some sunflower oil and salt.

Bread and grain

Bread and wheat products are important to Ukrainian cuisine. The country has been considered one of the traditional "breadbaskets" of the world. Decorations on the top can be elaborate for celebrations. * ''

Babka A babka is a sweet braided bread (not a cake) which originated in the Jewish communities of Poland and Ukraine. It is popular in Israel (often referred to as simply a yeast cake: ) and in the Jewish diaspora. It is prepared with a yeast-leave ...

'': Easter bread, usually a sweet dough with raisins and other

dried fruit Dried fruit is fruit from which the majority of the original water content has been removed either naturally, through sun drying, or through the use of specialized dryers or dehydrators. Dried fruit has a long tradition of use dating back to th ...

. It is usually baked in a tall, cylindrical form. * ''

Bublik Bublik (also ''booblik'' or ''bublyk''; rus, бублик, búblik, plural: ''bubliki''; uk, бублик, lit=, translit=búblyk) is a traditional Eastern European bread roll. It is a ring of yeast-leavened wheat dough, that has been boile ...

'': ring-shaped bread roll made from dough that has been boiled before baking. It is similar to bagel, but usually somewhat bigger and with a wider hole. * '' Kolach'': ring-shaped bread typically served at Christmas and funerals. The dough is braided, often with three strands representing the Holy Trinity. The braid is then shaped into a circle (circle = ''kolo'' in Ukrainian) representing the circle of life and family. * ''

Korovai The korovai ( uk, коровай, russian: коровай before the 1956 reform), karavai (modern russian: каравай, be, каравай, orv, караваи), or kravai ( bg, кравай) is a traditional Bulgarian, Ukrainian, ...

'': a round, braided bread, similar to the kalach. It is most often baked for weddings and its top decorated with birds and periwinkle. * '' Palianytsia'': regular baked bread (famously difficult to pronounce for non-Ukrainian speakers). * '' Pampushky'': soft, fluffy bread portions topped with garlic butter. * '' Paska'': traditional rich pastry.

Main courses

* '' Banush'': a cornmeal stew. *''

Varenyky Pierogi are filled dumplings made by wrapping unleavened dough around a savory or sweet filling and cooking in boiling water. They are often pan-fried before serving. Pierogi or their varieties are associated with the cuisines of Central, Eas ...

'' (also called ''pyrohy'' in some regions of Western Ukraine): dumplings made with fillings such as mashed potatoes and fried onions, boiled ground meat and fried onions, liver and fried onions, fried cabbage with fried onions, quark, cherries, and strawberries. Served with sour cream and butter or sugar, when filled with fruits. * '' Pyrizhky'': baked buns stuffed with different fillings, such as ground meat,

liver The liver is a major Organ (anatomy), organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for ...

, eggs, rice,

onions An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the on ...

, fried cabbage or

sauerkraut Sauerkraut (; , "sour cabbage") is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ferm ...

, quark, cherries etc. * '' Pyrih'': a big pie with various fillings. * '' Holubtsi'': cabbage or vine leaves (fresh or sour) rolled with rice filling and may contain meat (minced beef or bacon), baked in oil and caramelized onions and may contain as a baking sauce tomato soup, cream or sour cream, bacon drippings or roasted with bacon strips on top. * '' Mlyntsi'' or ''nalisnyky'': thin pancakes usually filled with quark, meat, cabbage, fruits, served with sour cream. * Stuffed duck or goose with apples. * Roast meat (''pechenya''): pork, veal, beef or lamb roast. * Fish (''ryba''): fried in egg and flour; cooked in oven with mushrooms, cheese, and lemon; marinaded, dried or smoked variety. * ''Guliash'': refers to stew in general, or specifically Hungarian

goulash Goulash ( hu, gulyás) is a soup or stew of meat and vegetables seasoned with paprika and other spices. Originating in Hungary, goulash is a common meal predominantly eaten in Central Europe but also in other parts of Europe. It is one of the n ...

. * ''Kotlety/Sichenyky'' (

cutlet Cutlet (derived from French ''côtelette'', ''côte'', "rib") refers to: # a thin slice of meat from the leg or ribs of mutton, veal, pork or chicken # a dish made of such slice, often breaded (also known in various languages as a '' cotoletta ...

meatball A meatball is ground meat rolled into a ball, sometimes along with other ingredients, such as bread crumbs, minced onion, eggs, butter, and seasoning. Meatballs are cooked by frying, baking, steaming, or braising in sauce. There are many type ...

s): minced meat or fish mixed with eggs, onions, garlic, breadcrumbs, and milk, fried in oil and sometimes rolled in breadcrumbs. * '' Kotleta po-kyivsky'':

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...

-style chicken

. * ''Kruchenyky'' or ''Zavyvantsi'': pork or beef rolls with various stuffing: mushrooms, onions, eggs, cheese, sauerkraut, carrots, etc. * ''

Kasha In English, kasha usually refers to pseudocereal buckwheat or its culinary preparations. In various East-Central and Eastern European countries, ''kasha'' can apply to any kind of cooked grain. It can be baked but most often is boiled, either i ...

hrechana zi shkvarkamy'':

buckwheat Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum''), or common buckwheat, is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as '' Fago ...

cereal with

pork rinds Pork rind is the culinary term for the skin of a pig. It can be used in many different ways. It can be rendered, fried in fat, baked, or roasted to produce a kind of pork cracklings (US) or scratchings (UK); these are served in small piece ...

and

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion ...

. * Potato (''kartoplia'', also ''barabolia'' or ''bulba''): young or peeled, served with butter, sour cream, dill; a more exclusive variety includes raw egg. * '' Deruny'': potato pancakes, usually served with rich servings of sour cream. File:Potato pancakes.jpg, Deruny in a traditional crockery dish. File:Chicken Kiev - Ukrainian East Village restaurant.jpg, '' Kotleta po-kyivsky'' (Kyiv-style chicken)

Desserts

* ''

Kutia Kutia or kutya is a ceremonial grain dish with sweet gravy traditionally served by Eastern Orthodox Christians and Byzantine Catholic Christians predominantly in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia during the Christmas - Feast of Jordan holiday season ...

'': traditional

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

dish, made of

poppy seeds Poppy seed is an oilseed obtained from the opium poppy (''Papaver somniferum''). The tiny, kidney-shaped seeds have been harvested from dried seed pods by various civilizations for thousands of years. It is still widely used in many countries, ...

, wheat, nuts,

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

, and delicacies.Recipe: Kutia, Star of the Ukrainian Christmas Eve Supper
. Sovabooks.com.au. Retrieved on 2016-12-17. * '' Pampushky'': sweet dough similar to

doughnut holes A doughnut or donut () is a type of food made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and fran ...

. Frequently tossed with

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

. Traditionally filled with rose preserve, but can also be filled with poppy seed or other sweet fillings. * ''

Syrnyky Syrniki ( be, сырнікі; russian: сырники) or syrnyky (Ukrainian: сирники) are fried Eastern Slavic Tvorog pancakes. In Russia, they are also known as tvorozhniki (творо́жники). They are a part of Belarusian, Russi ...

'': fried quark

fritter A fritter is a portion of meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables or other ingredients which have been Batter (cooking), battered or breading, breaded, or just a portion of dough without further ingredients, that is deep-frying, deep-fried. Fritters ar ...

s, sometimes with

raisins A raisin is a dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, the word ''raisin'' is reserved for the dar ...

, served with sour cream,

jam Jam is a type of fruit preserve. Jam or Jammed may also refer to: Other common meanings * A firearm malfunction * Block signals ** Radio jamming ** Radar jamming and deception ** Mobile phone jammer ** Echolocation jamming Arts and ente ...

('' varennya''), honey or

apple sauce Apple sauce or applesauce is a purée (not necessarily served as a true sauce) made of apples. It can be made with peeled or unpeeled apples and may be spiced or sweetened. Apple sauce is inexpensive and is widely consumed in North America and s ...

. *

Torte A torte (from German language, German ''Torte'' ( (in turn from Latin language, Latin via Italian language, Italian ''torta'')) is a rich, usually multilayered, cake that is filled with whipped cream, buttercreams, mousses, jams, or fruit. O ...

: many varieties of cakes, from moist to puffy, most typical ones being Kyivskyi, Prazhskyj, and Trufelnyj. They are frequently made without flour, instead using ground

walnuts A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, ''Juglans regia''. Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true bot ...

or almonds. * '' Varennya'': a whole fruit preserve made by cooking berries and other fruits in sugar syrup. * '' Zhele'': (plural and singular) jellied fruits, like cherries,

pears Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the family Rosaceae, bearing the po ...

, etc. or '' Ptashyne moloko'' (literally ‘birds' milk’)—milk/chocolate jelly. * ''

Kyiv cake A Kyiv cake () is a brand of dessert cake, made in Kyiv, Ukraine since December 6, 1956 by the Karl Marx Confectionery Factory (now a subsidiary of the Roshen corporation). It soon became popular all over the Soviet Union. The cake has become ...

'': creamy dessert consisting of two soft (soaked) cakes and a nut-chocolate cream. File:Holy Eve cooking. Kutia.jpg, ''

'' File:Syrniki6.jpg, ''

Syrniki Syrniki ( be, сырнікі; russian: сырники) or syrnyky (Ukrainian: сирники) are fried Eastern Slavic Tvorog pancakes. In Russia, they are also known as tvorozhniki (творо́жники). They are a part of Belarusian, Russ ...

'' with raisins

Beverages

Alcoholic

Horilka Horilka ( uk, горілка, be, гарэлка, ro, horincă) is a Ukrainian alcoholic beverage. The word ''horilka'' may also be used in a generic sense in the Ukrainian language to mean vodka or other strong spirits and etymologically is ...

(''горілка''): strong spirit of industrial production or its home-made equivalent – ("самогон" or moonshine) is also popular, including with infusions of fruit, spices, herbs or hot peppers. One of the most exotic is flavoured with honey and red pepper. *

Beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...

(пиво, ): the largest producers of beer are Obolon, Lvivske, Chernihivske,

Slavutych Slavutych ( uk, Славу́тич) is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, purpose-built for the evacuated personnel of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant after the 1986 disaster that occurred near the city of Pripyat. Geographically l ...

, Sarmat, and Rogan, which partly export their products. *

Wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

(вино, ): from Europe and Ukraine (particularly from

Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...

), mostly sweet. See

Ukrainian wine The wine industry of Ukraine is well-established with long traditions. Several brands of wine from Ukraine are exported to bordering countries, the European Union, and North America. The regions of wine industry in Ukraine corresponds to its vitic ...

. *

Mead Mead () is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey mixed with water, and sometimes with added ingredients such as fruits, spices, grains, or hops. The alcoholic content ranges from about 3.5% ABV to more than 20%. The defining character ...

(мед, , or медуха, ): a fermented alcoholic beverage made from honey, water, and yeast. Its flavour depends on the plants frequented by the honeybees, the length of time and method of aging, and the specific strain of yeast used. Its alcohol content will vary from maker to maker depending on the method of production. * (наливка): a homemade wine made from cherries, raspberries, gooseberries, bilberries, blackberries, plums, blackthorns and other berries. Berries were put into a sulija (a big glass bottle), some sugar was added. After the berries fermented, the liquid was separated from the berries, and put into corked bottles. The berries were used to make (baked or fried pastry). The wine has about 15% of alcohol.

Non-alcoholic

Mineral water Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. Mineral water may usually be still or sparkling (carbonated/effervescent) according to the presence or absence of added gases. T ...

: well-known brands are Truskavetska, Morshynska, and Myrhorodska. They usually come strongly

carbonated Carbonation is the chemical reaction of carbon dioxide to give carbonates, bicarbonates, and carbonic acid. In chemistry, the term is sometimes used in place of carboxylation, which refers to the formation of carboxylic acids. In inorganic ch ...

. * ''

Kompot Kompot or compote is a non-alcoholic sweet beverage that may be served hot or cold, depending on tradition and season. It is obtained by cooking fruit such as strawberries, apricots, peaches, apples, raspberries, rhubarb, plums, or sour cherries ...

'' (компот): a sweet beverage made of dried or fresh fruits or berries boiled in water. * '' Uzvar'' (узвар): a specific type of kompot made of dried fruit, mainly apples, pears, and prunes. * ''

Kvass Kvass is a fermented cereal-based Alcohol by volume, low alcoholic beverage with a slightly cloudy appearance, light-brown colour and sweet-sour taste. It may be flavoured with berries, fruits, herbs or honey. Kvass stems from the northeastern ...

'' (квас): a sweet-and-sour sparkling beverage brewed from yeast, sugar, and dried rye bread. * ''

Kefir Kefir ( ; also spelled as kephir or kefier; ; ; ) is a fermented milk drink similar to a thin yogurt or ayran that is made from kefir grains, a specific type of mesophilic symbiotic culture. The drink originated in the North Caucasus, in p ...

'' (кефір): milk fermented by both yeast and lactobacillus bacteria, and having a similar taste to

yogurt Yogurt (; , from tr, yoğurt, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial Fermentation (food), fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as ''yogurt cultures''. Fermentation of sugars in t ...

. Homemade kefir may contain a slight amount of alcohol. * '' Pryazhene moloko'' (пряжене молоко): baked milk, a milk product having a creamy colour and a light caramel flavour. It is made by simmering milk on low heat for at least eight hours. * '' Ryazhanka'' (ряжанка):

fermented Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food p ...

baked milk.