THE WAY WE EAT Ukraine Ukrainian cookery has long been noted for its appetizing variety of dishes. These dishes have been made from a wide choice of products: poultry, pork, fish, lamb, vegetables, cereals and fruit. Breakfast is a simple meal of bread and butter and perhaps soft-boiled or fried eggs. Lunch may consist of a fish dish, a salad or vegetables. Dinner is the main meal. Soup is made from available vegetables plus a piece of meat that is removed for serving. Accompaniments may include kasha (buckwheat, pearl barley) and cabbage. Desserts are simple, perhaps small pastries, fruit compote, kvass (a slightly fermented drink from white or brown rye bread, cranberries). Supper is a light evening meal of sausages, cheese, and eggs.

OUR TRADITIONAL DISHES Ukrainian cuisine is rich in taste and nutritional value. But especially known and most favorite dish all over the world is famous Ukrainian borsch. Borsch is cooked of fresh vegetables: cabbage, beet, tomato with the addition of pounded lard with garlic and parsley. The combination of all these groceries give the borsch its piquancy, aroma and unforgettable taste. There are about 30 types of Ukrainian borsch.Borsch is traditionally served with garlic sauce, sour cream and pampushky. Pampushky are Ukrainian garlic bread puffs. Varenyky are dough pockets filled with potato, or potato and cheddar cheese,or sauerkraut, or cottage cheese, or blueberries, or cherries. Served with sour cream and butter or sugar when filled with fruits. Holubtsi are Ukrainian cabbage rolls. The filling is mainly rice with a small amount of meat. Cabbage leaves are steamed to make them soft and then the filling is added. The holubtsi are placed in a large pot, covered with tomato soup (or sauce) and baked. Deruny are shallow-fried pancakes of grated potato, flour and egg, often flavored with grated onion or garlic and seasoning. A favourable note is lard. Ukrainian lard is really good,melts in the mouth and one slice is never enough.

Our festive dishes Orthodox Ukrainians around the world celebrate Christmas according to the Julian calendar (January the 7th). Christmas is the most beloved festival among Ukrainians when the family gathers for a holy supper of 12 symbolic dishes. The meal is traditionally meatless and milk-free and features fish. The recipes differ from region to region, but here are the most well known dishes which are prepared for Sviat Vechir/Christmas Eve: kutya (a dish of honey, poppy seeds, raisins, chopped walnuts or pecans and boiled wheat); a braided, ring-shaped bread (struslya); fish dishes; dried or pickled mushrooms, red borsch, holubtsi with rice or potato filling, varenyky with sauerkraut or potato filling, cooked beans and others. Ukrainian Easter food consists of certain ritual foods that are placed in a basket, covered with a rushnyk (a traditional towel decorated with ornamental patterns), and taken to church to be blessed. These are breakfast foods: hard boiled eggs, kovbasa (sausage), baked cheese, kulich (traditional rich Easter breAd), butter and horseradish. Ukrainians are famous for colouring Easter eggs : pysanky and krashanky. Kulich is baked in tall, cylindrical tins and when cooled is decorated with white icing,colourful flowers, and XB (the traditional Easter greeting of Христос воскресе, "Christ is Risen") is decorated on the side. For Easter dinner, all of the above blessed foods may be served plus a wide assortment of appetizers, ham or roast pork, vinegared vegetables salads, sweet cheesecake, tortes, and other festive pastries. Smachnoho! Enjoy! WELCOME TO UKRAINE!!!