When you travel to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, you can get American-style fast food if you want. But why settle for home-grown hot dogs, hamburgers, and fried chicken, when you can have a foodie adventure with such exotic dishes as varenyky, borshch, holubtsi, or chicken Kiev? accompanied by Ukrainian beer or a sweet Crimean wine? If you stay in accommodation in Kiev, get the full experience of Ukrainian life and culture by enjoying local cuisine. You can try something delicious in the dining room of your Kiev hotel, go out to the city’s excellent restaurants, or order something cheap but tasty in one of the many stolovayas (coffee shops). Visitors traveling on a budget and staying in inexpensive apartments in Kiev can go to the markets, a great experience in itself, and pick up the ingredients to cook their own traditional Ukrainian meals.
Authentic Ukrainian cuisine doesn’t have to be the expensive fare served in expensive Kiev hotels and fancy restaurants. Ordinary Ukrainians like a wide variety of tasty foods. Their recipes are simple and use basic ingredients, but the skillful use of spices and seasonings makes meals especially tasty. Beets, cabbages, potatoes, cucumbers, onions, beans, and tomatoes are the most commonly used staple vegetables. Combinations of dill, vinegar and garlic are preferred by Ukrainian chefs who like to cook with traditional flavors.
The Ukrainian word for bread is khlib. Due to its vast fields of wheat and other cereal crops, Ukraine is called the “Granary of Europe”. Each part of the country has its own special type of bread. Whether your local bread is dark, light, heavy, or crunchy, you can be sure that it will be tasty on its own or with whatever you want to put on. A traditional Ukrainian greeting to a guest of honor is accompanied by the gift of a loaf of bread.
The national dish of Ukraine is borshch (also spelled borscht). This beetroot and vegetable soup originated in Ukraine and became popular in Russia and other Slavic countries. Borshch recipes vary from region to region. In one place it could be a thick, meaty stew. In another place it will be a fine vegetable soup. In almost any hotel or fine restaurant in Kiev, borshch will be an appetizer to be served before the main course.
Varenyky is a very popular Ukrainian dish. They are pierogie-type meatballs stuffed with meat, potatoes, cheese or sauerkraut. Varenyky is often served on special occasions. Holobutsi are stuffed cabbage rolls. For a true Ukrainian delicacy, try the salo. It is raw pork fat flavored with herbs or bacon. It is usually served on bread. Chicken Kiev is a boneless, breaded chicken breast filled with herb butter. Of course, it is essential that you try the Ukrainian kolbasy (sausage). If you want to try something a little different for a drink, ask for kvass. It is a low alcohol lemonade-like drink made from fermented rye bread. Then it can be considered an honorary Ukrainian.