(feature article)

Haven’t you noticed that every dish that you order in a restaurant or cafe, which refers to Ukrainian cuisine, will be delicious? Sometimes one gets the impression that our dishes will be unsurpassed in any variations of cooking. Unlike dishes from other cuisines: pasta can be overcooked and it will be tasteless, sushi can have a strange taste or fall apart, burgers can be very dry. I’m not saying that Ukrainian borscht can’t be spoiled. Of course you can do it, but have you ever tasted bad borscht? Yes, it can be prepared differently, some add vinegar, some don’t, some add beans – and some don’t, but the dish still turns out tasty.

Borsch is an important aspect of Ukrainian cuisine. I offer to consider cooking in various regions of Ukraine.

Perhaps this information will be new for many, but beet kvass is still used in Galicia. Mushrooms and prunes are also added there. At the same time, Hutsul borscht is made from white beets in Prykarpattia.

In Polissia, as well as in Prykarpattia, mushrooms in borscht are commonplace. This happened historically, because people from this region love mushrooms and have a knack for finding them.

Borscht without cabbage is considered traditional for Lviv, but it still has a red color and is quite tasty. Variations of borscht with lamb and beef and, of course, donuts are possible for Kyiv, where can we go without them.

It is traditional for Poltava to cook borscht on goose broth, it adds flavor and piquancy. It is astonishing that beer is added to borscht in the Kharkiv style, but it in no way spoils the incredible taste of borscht, to which sugar and vinegar are added.

In Crimea, borscht has always been loved and prepared according to the classic recipe, as it is throughout Ukraine. But before serving, meatballs are added to it. They are prepared separately from different types of meat, put on a plate with food and can be added separately to the dish.

Sour borscht is not liked in Odessa, it is made tender on tomato paste, eaten together with lard and pampushkas. Where would you go without lard, sour cream, and a slice of brown bread? It is these products that unite all borscht tastings in all regions. The recipes may differ slightly from each other, but the set of products remains constant, it’s just that sometimes something new is introduced.