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Building on generations of hard-working people, Ukrainian cuisine is homemade-style comfort food at it’s best. With some of the finest arable land in the word, multiple regions, climates and influences, Ukrainian dishes contain a vast array of vegetables and meats. This will make your Ukrainian dinner party not only delicious, but healthy as well.
And because Ukrainian hospitality is legendary, we include tips on how to make sure your guests feel like they’re in an authentic Ukrainian celebration.
Ukrainian cuisine has developed from simple dishes, their surrounding nations have influenced culinary tastes which the Ukrainians have made into their own unique style. With thousands of national dishes, many with unusual combinations, you’re sure to find something you’ll love. Almost 60% of the agricultural land contains a rich dark soil (chornozem) that’s ideal for growing a broad range of crops including wheat, corn, sunflower, soya beans, barley and sugar beets.
The dinner table can be covered by an embroidered tablecloth although both plain and decorated ones are used. Flowers and other decorations were considered to obstruct easy access to the food and all available space should be used.
Candles were often placed on or near the table during festivities to commemorate the deceased. The souls of a family’s departed members would protect the family and were believed to appear in the world disguised as beggars or transients.
A dish of honey is often placed near the host at Christmas time. Ukrainians have kept bees for generations and honey was highly regarded for its natural sweetness. It was also used for many types of honey bread.
Ukrainians are passionate bakers, bread was the staple diet for most of their history and Ukrainian tradition has hundreds of stories and idioms involving bread. Ukraine is known as the “Breadbasket of Europe” with an estimated 70% of the land dedicated to agriculture. Many types of bread, cookies and cakes would be placed on the table during celebrations, we’ve included a recipe for Pampushky, a type of Ukrainian garlic bread, as well as Pliatsok, a Ukrainian poppy cake.
There are many other types of Ukrainian bread you can also add to your table such as wheat and rye bread, buckwheat bread, cob bread, braided bread (kolach) and honey bread (Medivnyk).
”Hist’ v dim, Boh v dim” - “Guest in the home, God in the home”
Traditionally, Ukrainian hospitality was famous, and behavior was highly ritualized with the guests eating modest amounts and the host hovering near them to encourage them to eat more until everyone was full. A lack of encouragement was taken as a breach of etiquette. Guests praised the variety of food and the hospitality of the hosts while the host apologized for such a poor showing. An abundance of food was a sign of respect and a lack of food, or sloppy presentation, a deep insult.
Today, the back and forth of encouragement is still practiced and Ukrainian mothers continue to ensure polite behavior.
If you were not invited as a guest of honor, it was typical to arrive slightly late to not give the impression of being overly hungry, consequently seating was arbitrary and arranged as the guests gradually arrived. The exceptions were the hosts, who sat at the head of the table, and the chief guests, who sat close by. Nowadays, late arrivals create problems in accommodating guests.
When reaching for a dish, it’s considered good manners to offer a serving to your neighbors. There is no culture of clearing your plate as a show of respect, sometimes leaving some food to avoid the impression that you were only interested in the food was best but this depended on the situation, family traditions and regional norms.
With many dishes coming from a peasant background, it’s important that the ambiance matches. Traditional Ukrainian food is homecooking and the table should have the same relaxed, cosy and comforting feel.
If you’d like to add an extra detail, it was common in the past to display wheat at Christmas time, and this could add a little flourish to your decor.
Ukraine has a long history of beautiful folk music that will help to set the right mood. If you’d prefer a classical ambiance, you could also sample any of Ukraine’s famous composers.
This article is taken from our free recipe ebook, Our Delicious World, available here.
