The national cuisine of any nation owns its identity and uniqueness, as well as such basic features as language and culture. The traditional cuisine of the Ukrainian people has gone through centuries of development, absorbing the tastes of historical eras, the preferences of social groups, and the flavour of individual regions.
The formation of traditional cuisine, like the Ukrainian people, began about one and a half thousand years ago. Despite the stormy times of the Mongol-Tatar yoke, and the expansion of the Lithuanian-Polish, Hungarian, and Russian feudal lords, Ukrainian cuisine and culture have not lost their identity.
On the contrary, the national cuisine of Ukrainians with the taste of a refined gourmet selected and introduced from the national cuisines of other nations new techniques of processing and using products, new taste combinations, the use of spices and “overseas” seasonings. That is why the traditional Ukrainian menu features the colourful tastes of Tatar, German, Hungarian, Turkish, Polish and even French cuisine. What is worth the variety of names of dishes and drinks of traditional cuisine: borscht, kapusnyak, golubci, pampushki, varenyky, halushki, kruchenyki, zavyvanki, roast, buckwheat, pies, porridge, derun, zrazy, banosh, kvass, uzvar, medovukha, varenukha, etc.
Influence on the formation of Ukrainian cuisine
The favourable natural and climatic conditions of Ukraine became a significant factor influencing the formation of Ukrainian cuisine, which still impresses with the variety of local products. By the middle of the 19th century, the Ukrainian people got the opportunity to consolidate within the borders of one state. At that moment, the main traditional Ukrainian dishes were formed.
Along with the commonly used ones, there were also products of a local nature, which even today dominate the dishes of one or another region. So, for example, Carpathian cuisine abounds with dishes made from mushrooms and wild berries, which create a local flavour and are the highlight of the region.
Slobozhanshchyna is famous for its popular game dishes. The traditions of introducing fish and seafood into the diet are a strong brand of the seaside regions of Ukraine.
Today, Ukrainian cuisine, having its origins in easy-to-prepare country dishes, is confidently stepping towards multicultural recognition. It impresses the hearts of foreigners with a colourful combination of tastes of the past using a fusion format. In this way, the world’s perception of the national cuisine of Ukraine is spreading.
