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Borscht: Sampling the Ukrainian Palate

Though Ukrainians never make borscht on Thursdays because the Devil may bathe in it, this mainstay of Ukrainian cuisine is much more than a “beet soup” but a reflection of the richness of the fertile land. Made with meat, cabbage, potatoes, onions, and dill, beets, are added near the end of the preparation to give the broth color. Tart, textured, and preserved in folk tradition, storytelling and political turmoil, food may teach the traveler more about the Ukrainian people than any museum.

Ancient foods like kutia, porridge of buckwheat, poppy seeds, and honey, is traditionally served on Christmas Eve and eaten to honor family ancestors and spirits passed. Varenyky, crescent shaped dumplings filled with potatoes, sauerkraut, and smothered with onions, are considered the national dish, and may also be filled with cherries, stewed apples, or strawberries in the spring. Holubisi, a traditional dish of meat and rice rolled in cabbage leaves and stewed in tomato sauce, is another hardy Ukrainian staple.

Many centuries of the arduous agrarian lifestyle made the land key to a village’s survival, and today, families still tend country plots to harvest food for the cold winter months. Political turmoil redefined Ukrainians reverence for food and the earth, too. During 1932 and 1933 nearly five million Ukrainians were starved as a result of the Great Hunger, Stalin’s manufactured famine orchestrated to finance the Chinese revolution.

Ukrainian hospitality is legendary. Be prepared to stay for several courses if invited into a Ukrainian home. Always take a small sampling of any dish offered as it is rude to decline a host’s generosity. As guests are required to toast the food and the company, be ready to wax poetic. Join in the inevitable singing, too. By the time dessert comes, your spirit will be full as well as your stomach.

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