Winter culinary tour: what dishes to try in Ukrainian cities

Each Ukrainian region boasts its own bright flavors and unique ingredients. There are places where recipes are carefully preserved and passed down from generation to generation. Thus, to know what is worth tasting while traveling, read on.

Poltava

Located in the center of the country. According to research, the city was founded in 899.

Since ancient times, bread has occupied a central place on the table of Poltava residents. It was baked several times a week and was eaten mostly with soups, lard, and vegetables. The stale leftovers were not thrown away, but dried for breadcrumbs, which were later used for kvass, cottage cheese, and a traditional dish called teterya. It was made from millet and seasoned with liquid buckwheat or rye dough. By the way, the Cossacks simply loved it.

They also often fried small croutons to eat with the soup.

If you're in Poltava, we recommend you try:

Halushky. They are considered to be a kind of a trump card of the region. Boiled pieces of dough are served with various sauces (for example, sour cream or mushroom), or as an addition to borscht. They can be made with meat, liver, potatoes, buckwheat, and even sweet products.

Shpundra. Stewed pork brisket with beets and red kvass. It has a rich, sweet and sour taste.

Lemishka. A thick porridge made from buckwheat or rye flour, usually served with fried onions and lard.

Lviv

The city is considered the capital of Galicia and the center of western Ukraine. It was founded by King Danylo around 1231-1235.

First, try the fliachky. Some historians claim that this dish appeared in Lviv before it became widely known in Poland. Its main ingredient is rumen, a part of the cattle's stomach, namely its muscle tissue. The hardest part of cooking is cleaning the particles from food debris. Then they are boiled for a long time and spices are added to get rid of the specific flavor.

Try the potato and meat pie called pechenya too. The name itself comes from the word "pich," which means oven. Traditionally, it was served at almost every celebration, unless it was during the fasting period. Later, around the middle of the 20th century, tomatoes and tomato sauce were added to the recipe.

Lviv Lenten borsch is over 700 years old. Instead of potatoes, cabbage, and beans, it is made on the basis of sauerkraut broth with mushrooms. And, of course, try the famous Lviv syrnyk, which you can find in almost all the city's restaurants.

Kyiv

Kyiv is located in the middle reaches of the Dnipro River in the northern Naddniprianshchyna. There is a legend that the name of the capital comes from the legendary founder of the city, Kyi.

What exactly every tourist should try? Of course, the Kyiv cutlet. It has a crispy breading and butter inside. The recipe is believed to have originated from French chefs who cooked it for aristocrats in the Russian Empire in the late 19th century.

This dish became known here much later. In the 1970s, it appeared on the menu of the Intourist Hotel and at international events in the United Kingdom and the United States.

You can also visit the legendary Kyivska perepichka. The restaurant was opened in 1986. Today, it is located in the same place - in house No. 3 on Bohdana Khmelnytskoho Street. It is here that the famous sausage pies are sold.

And for dessert, we recommend trying the Kyiv cake. It was first baked at the Karl Marx Confectionery Factory in 1956. It consists of nuts, meringue, and buttercream.

Ivano-Frankivsk

It is located in the southwest of Ukraine. The official date of the city's foundation is 1662, when the former Stanislaviv received the Magdeburg rights.

It will not be a full trip to Prykarpattia without banosh. The most common version of the dish's origin is associated with the life of shepherds in the mountains. Sheep farming was considered an important occupation of the Hutsuls, and they often ate products that they could get from sheep: milk or cheese. The dish was made primarily from corn flour and sour cream. Today, they add cracklings to it.

Also, be sure to try the white borscht. And, no, this is not the one with sorrel - it is the green one. This soup is made from white fodder beets, onions, and smoked ribs. Thyme is often added to it as well.

In local establishments, tourists can try bohrach, a specialty of Carpathian cuisine. It is made with bell peppers, ground paprika, tomatoes, potatoes, and spices. Keep in mind that it is quite spicy.

Odesa

Odesa is located on the Black Sea coast. Around the third century AD, settlements founded by ancient Greek colonists existed on the territory of the modern city.

Start your gastronomic tour with the hallmark of Odesa cuisine - forshmak. The pate is made of herring, apple, onion, and boiled egg. It is served with Borodino bread.

Also, be sure to try the "blue caviar". Its secret ingredient is eggplant. Tomatoes and bell peppers are added too.

And, of course, try the fish stuffed with minced meat.

Ready to taste delicacies? Go on a trip to Ukraine!

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