ExploFood · Europe
What to eat in Ukraine
Five dishes to try in Ukraine, the most typical first. Two are vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in Ukraine
Borscht Борщ
Beetroot soup with cabbage, potatoes and usually beef or pork.
How to have it: Eat it with a spoon of sour cream and garlic pampushky buns on the side.
Varenyky Вареники
Boiled dumplings filled with potato, cheese, cabbage or cherries.
How to have it: Order them with sour cream and fried onions; the cherry version is a summer treat.
Salo Сало
Cured pork fat, sliced thin and eaten cold.
How to have it: Served on rye bread with garlic or raw onion, traditionally alongside a shot of horilka.
Holubtsi Голубці
Cabbage leaves rolled around rice and minced meat, stewed in tomato sauce.
How to have it: A home-cooking staple; canteens and traditional restaurants serve it with sour cream.
Deruny Деруни
Fried grated-potato pancakes, crisp outside and soft inside.
How to have it: Best hot with sour cream; some places add mushrooms or meat sauce.
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Questions
What food is Ukraine famous for?
Borscht (beetroot soup with cabbage, potatoes and usually beef or pork) comes first on our list, followed by Varenyky, Salo, Holubtsi and Deruny.
What is the national dish of Ukraine?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Ukraine is Borscht: beetroot soup with cabbage, potatoes and usually beef or pork. Eat it with a spoon of sour cream and garlic pampushky buns on the side.
Which dishes in Ukraine are vegetarian?
Two of the five on this page are vegetarian as usually made: Varenyky and Deruny. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.