Українська традиційна кухня / Ukrainian Traditional Cuisine

Спираючись на віковий кулінарний народний досвід, сучасні кухарі винаходять нові страви, що відрізняються вишуканістю смаків та форм. Кожна господиня зможе зробити різноманітним меню своєї сім'ї: оригінальні секрети приготування борщів, ковбас, вареників та безліч неповторних національних рецептів дбайливо зібрані автором у різних регіонах України.

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The history of a nation goes beyond the history of a royal dynasty and it is definitely not about the constant stream of coup d'etats, international and civil armed conflicts, successful or abortive revolutions and changes of state regimens.

What makes the real history is the everyday life of common people and their strife for a better future for their offspring. For centuries nations have been developing their cultures, adopting them to the geographical conditions of their countries. Their creative activities ranged from the ingenious invention of a wheel to improving the designs of national costumes.

There is no denying the fact that with time all the household goods have experienced drastic changes. Yet, something that remains unchanged despite every fluctuation in fashion is the adherence to the tradition. And it is the national dietary habits which have demonstrated a particular standing. Foreign culinary tastes, unwillingly integrated into a national cuisine, were soon adopted to the local dietary customs, improved and rendered a national flavor.

Although characterized by some distinctive features, the Ukrainian national cuisine, as the very traditions of any other nation, is far from being a unique phenomenon. Being an integral part of the European cuisine, it has accommodated some of the culinary traditions of Asian nations. Peoples do not seal themselves off from other nations. Intermingling with neighboring countries, people adopt new dietary habits along with other cultures. In addition to this, similar geographical and climate conditions predetermine similar culinary ingredients. Thus, foods comparable to Ukrainian specialties are found in the cuisines of other nations. Such are Ukrainian varenyky, which are slightly reminiscent of Italian ravioli. Ukrainian ovochevy pecheny (stewed vegetables) might remind one of French saute. Many similar dishes are c ked in Ukraine and Poland, especially along the frontier regions, where identical festive foods are served on similar occasions. For exampled, on Christmas Eve the red-beet borsch is served with vushka ("ear" dumplings), etc. Meanwhile, borsch, the masterpiece of Ukrainian culinary traditions, has become part of the world cuisine. Mistakenly, however, the Ukrainian red beet soup is known under other names - "Russian borsch", "Moscow borsch" or even "Siberian borsch".

This being said, it should be noted however, that despite all the similarities in recipes, each nation boasts the original culinary habits. In Ukraine, most of the dishes are either boiled or stewed, while among the diversity of the ingredients vegetables and groats still prevail. Of all the variety of meat, a Ukrainian will definitely pork.

The traditional folk recipes presented in the date back to the 18th through the early 20th centuries, with flashbacks to the earlier periods of the llth and 17th centuries. The wheel of the history never stops to rotate. Inventing new recipes for dishes distinguished by refined form and taste, modern try to incorporate the culinary experience accumulated by the mankind throughout the centuries. Famous for its outstanding, a vivid example being the above-mentioned borsch, the Ukrainian cookery can easily rival the Chinese or Italian cuisines, which have been gaining in popularity in recent years.

Some of the recipes in the book are not recipes in the full sense of the word. Written down some fifty, a hundred or even one hundred and fifty years ago, they include only the main ingredients and general cooking technologies. This leaves room for both professional and amateur cooks to embark on further culinary investigations, which might shed light on our ancestors' long forgotten culinary secrets.

The book will prove a fascinating reading for those interested in Ukrainians' historical and modern dietary habits, local lore scientists and cooks who might continue restoring some of the national traditions. We sincerely hope that the present-day interest to the Ukrainian culture, with the culinary traditions being its integral part, will never fade away.