National Ukrainian Food

Ask ten Ukrainians about the most popular Ukrainian food, and you’ll probably get ten different answers—because there’s just too much good stuff to choose from! Some will swear by borsch, a deep red beet soup loaded with meat, potatoes, cabbage, and a generous dollop of sour cream on top. Others will argue that nothing beats a plate of varenyky (you might know them as pierogi, but let’s be real—Ukrainians perfected them first). Stuffed with potatoes and crispy pork cracklings, mushrooms, cherries, or even sweet cottage cheese with raisins, they’re little pockets of happiness.

Then there’s holubtsi—cabbage rolls filled with rice and meat, slow-cooked in a rich tomato sauce until they practically melt in your mouth. And let’s not forget deruny, crispy potato pancakes that are golden on the outside, soft on the inside, and absolutely irresistible with sour cream. Oh, and if you’re feeling adventurous, try salo—cured pork fat that Ukrainians treat like a delicacy (yes, really).

My two grandmothers—Baba Liuba from the Vinnytsia region and Baba Dora from the Kharkiv region—cooked like they had a direct line to heaven (assuming heaven has a five-star restaurant). And here are the dishes I loved most:

• Borsch (not the same!)

Baba Liuba’s version was thick, sweet, and loaded with beets, beans, and smoked pork (mmmmm!). Baba Dora made hers tangy, with a deep garlicky kick and a handful of dried mushrooms.

• Varenyky with Crispy Pork Cracklings—Shkvarky (Baba Liuba)

Soft, homemade dumplings stuffed with mashed potatoes and topped with golden-brown, crunchy pork cracklings. Comfort food level: legendary.

• Kartoplianyky (Baba Liuba)

Potato pancakes? Please. These are stuffed with cheese or mushrooms and fried until crispy. Try one, and you'll never settle for basic hash browns again.

• Holubtsi with Millet (Baba Dora)

Forget boring rice! In eastern Ukraine, they stuff their cabbage rolls with millet, making them nuttier, heartier, and, let’s be honest, better.

• Krovyanka (Baba Dora)

Blood sausage might sound scary, but one bite of this peppery, rich, and slightly crispy delicacy, and you’ll understand why Ukrainians have been making it for centuries.

• Mlyntsi with Cottage Cheese & Dill (Baba Liuba)

Thin, golden crepes filled with creamy cottage cheese and a hint of fresh dill. Sweet? Savory? Why not both?

• Kutia (Baba Dora, Only for Special Occasions!)

A Christmas Eve classic—boiled wheat mixed with poppy seeds, honey, and nuts. It’s sweet, symbolic, and the only time you're officially allowed to eat dessert before dinner.

• Chicken Kyiv (Baba Dora, But She’d Never Call It That)

Juicy chicken breast stuffed with herb butter, breaded, and fried until golden. The world knows it as "Chicken Kyiv," but to Baba Dora, it was just "panski kotlety".

• Pampushky with Garlic (Baba Liuba)

Fluffy, oven-fresh rolls drenched in garlicky oil. Warning: You’ll need a breath mint after, but it’s 100% worth it.

• Medovyk (Both Grandmothers, and They Would Fight Over It!)

Layers of honey cake with creamy filling. Baba Liuba’s was extra sweet and buttery, Baba Dora’s was tangier with sour cream. Either way, it disappeared fast.

Think it’s too fatty? Try spending a whole day working outside in the freezing cold, when the temperature drops below -20°C (-4°F). Ukrainian food isn’t exactly light, but it’s hearty, comforting, and guaranteed to keep you warm. And whatever you do, save room for dessert!

So, you want to eat like a true Ukrainian? Buckle up, because this isn’t some dainty, three-leaf salad kind of menu. Ukrainian food is hearty, flavorful, and unapologetically filling. Here’s how a full day of traditional Ukrainian meals might look—trust me, you won’t be hungry anytime soon.

Forget boring cereal—Ukrainian breakfast foods must be warm, rich, and comforting. Syrnyky are thick, golden cottage cheese pancakes, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, usually served with sour cream, jam, or honey.

Kasha (basically the granddaddy of oatmeal) can be made from millet, barley, or fried buckwheat, and is often drowned in butter. And if you're in the mood for something extra, go for eggs with homemade kovbasa—a smoky, garlicky Ukrainian sausage that puts store-bought versions to shame.

Lunchtime is serious business in Ukraine. Borsch isn’t just soup—it’s a legend. This deep red, beet-based masterpiece is slow-cooked with meat, potatoes, cabbage, and garlic, then topped with a generous dollop of sour cream.

And let’s not forget the pampushky—fluffy garlic bread rolls that make sure no drop of borsch goes to waste. If you're still hungry (and you will be), there’s deruny—crispy, golden potato pancakes that pair perfectly with sour cream.

By the time dinner rolls around, you’re probably thinking you can’t eat another bite. But then comes kruchenyky—thin slices of beef or pork rolled up with a surprise inside (mushrooms, cheese, or even prunes), seared to perfection, and cooked in a savory sauce.

A side of buttery mashed potatoes makes it all even better. And to cut through the richness? A plate of Ukrainian pickles—crunchy, tangy, and made to wake up your taste buds.

If you have room left (or if you just accept your fate and go all in), it’s time for dessert. Medovyk is a honey cake layered with a creamy filling, the kind of thing grannies bake when they want to show off. And then there’s nalysnyky—thin crepes rolled up with sweet cheese, berries, or poppy seeds. Light, delicate, and just the right amount of indulgent.

So, there you have it—a full day of eating like a Ukrainian. Ready to give it a try?

Ukrainian cuisine has way more tricks up its sleeve—some Ukraine food dishes just never got their fifteen minutes of fame. Let’s fix that. Have you ever heard of:

• Kholodets – The Ultimate Meat Jello

Meat in jelly? Sounds weird, tastes amazing. This dish is made by slow-boiling pork or beef with bones until the broth turns into a natural gelatin. Served cold with mustard or horseradish, it’s a winter classic. Some love it, some fear it, but one thing’s for sure—it’s the most controversial dish on the Ukrainian table.

• Krov’yanka – The Ukrainian Blood Sausage

Not for the faint-hearted, but an absolute must-try. Krov’yanka is a sausage made from buckwheat, pork blood, and spices, stuffed into a natural casing and fried to crispy perfection. It’s rich, flavorful, and pairs insanely well with pickles and a shot of homemade horilka.

• Verhuny – The Crispiest Ukrainian Dessert

Forget doughnuts. Verhuny (a.k.a. Ukrainian angel wings) are light, crispy pastries deep-fried to golden perfection and dusted with powdered sugar. They disappear faster than you can say “just one more.”

• Sichenyky – The Ukrainian Take on Meatballs

Think meatballs, but better. Sichenyky are juicy minced meat patties, often mixed with grated potatoes or bread soaked in milk for extra tenderness. Fried to crispy perfection, they make a killer combo with mashed potatoes and pickled cabbage.
So, next time someone tells you Ukrainian food is all about borsch and varenyky, hit them with this list. These hidden gems deserve a spot on every foodie’s radar!

Let’s get one thing straight—perogies or pierogies are Polish. In Ukraine, we call them varenyky, and they’re more than just a meal. They’re tradition, nostalgia, and (if you ask your babusia) a little bit of magic. What goes inside them isn’t random—it reflects the region, the season, and sometimes even the occasion:

• Potato & cheese – The ultimate comfort food combo. Soft, creamy, and perfect with caramelized onions.
• Meat & fried onions – A hearty option for those who need serious fuel (or just an excuse to eat more sour cream).
• Cherries & berries – Sweet, juicy, and slightly tart, these were a summer treat in every babusia’s kitchen.
• Poppy seeds & honey – A ritual filling for Christmas Eve, tying back to pagan traditions of honoring ancestors.

Ever noticed that a perfectly shaped varenyk looks like a crescent moon? That’s not a coincidence. In ancient Ukrainian culture, these little dumplings symbolized prosperity and fertility. Women would make them during special occasions—harvest festivals, weddings, even before big battles—to bring good fortune. Some even believed that the more plump and well-shaped your varenyky, the more luck you’d have in life (so, no pressure on your folding skills).

How to eat varenyky like a pro: there are rules. Well, kind of.

• With butter – Because everything is better with butter.
• With sour cream – The classic move. Some say it's essential, others drown their plate in it.
• With fried onions & pork cracklings (shkvarky) – For those who like a little crunch and a lot of flavor.
• Boiled or fried – Boiled is the standard, but if you fry leftover varenyky in butter the next day… congratulations, you’ve unlocked the next level of deliciousness.

So, next time someone calls them perogies, give them a knowing smile, hand them a plate of proper varenyky, and let them taste the difference.

So, you’re hungry and ready to dive into real Ukrainian cuisine? Good news—whether you’re in Ukraine or thousands of miles away, you can still find those soul-warming dishes бабуся would approve of. But be warned: not all “Ukrainian” food is actually, well… Ukrainian. Let’s make sure you’re getting the real deal.

If you’re lucky enough to be in Ukraine, congratulations—you’re about to eat well. From cozy village kitchens to hip urban restaurants, here’s where to start:

• Kyiv – Head to Ostannya Barykada for a modern rebel take on classics or Tsarske Selo for a royal feast of borsch and varenyky.
• Lviv – A city that treats food like art. Try Baczewski Restaurant for elegant Galician flavors or Kumpel for rustic, beer-friendly Ukrainian comfort food.
• Odesa – Famous for its seafood, but don’t skip Kompot, where they serve killer deruny and homemade compote like your babusia used to make.

Luckily, Ukrainians have brought their food (and strong opinions about it) to every corner of the world. Check out:

• New York City – Veselka in the East Village is a legendary spot for late-night varenyky cravings.
• Chicago – The Ukrainian Village neighborhood is packed with delis, bakeries, and hidden gems like Shokolad for stuffed cabbage rolls and honey cake.
• Toronto – Home to one of the largest Ukrainian communities outside Ukraine. Try Borscht Kitchen for borsch just like in Kyiv.

Fun fact: Not every place that slaps a trident on the menu knows how to make real borsch. Here’s how to spot the real stuff:

• If the menu has “pierogi,” run. (Unless it’s a Polish restaurant, then stay and enjoy.)
• Look for real homemade sour cream. If it’s just store-bought, they’re not doing it right.
• Ask if they have salo. A real Ukrainian joint won’t hesitate to serve you a plate of cured pork fat with rye bread and garlic (and of course, some horilka.)
• Check for a babusia in the kitchen. Okay, maybe not literally, but if the place has that warm, slightly chaotic, family-run energy, you’re in the right spot.

Wherever you are, one thing’s for sure: Ukrainian food isn’t just about eating—it’s about history, family, and a little bit of culinary rebellion. Now go find yourself some proper varenyky and enjoy!

It’s time to roll up your sleeves and get cooking! If you ever find yourself in a Ukrainian babusia’s home, chances are you’ll be served at least one of these. And these aren’t just any recipes—these are straight from my family’s kitchen.

Think pancakes, but better. Syrnyky are crispy on the outside, soft and cheesy on the inside, and dangerously easy to eat way too many of.

What You’ll Need:

• 1 cup farmer’s cheese (or ricotta if you’re improvising)
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp flour (+ more for dusting)
• 1-2 tbsp sugar
• A pinch of salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• Butter for frying

Crispy, golden, and made for dunking in sour cream—deruny are the definition of comfort food. If you love hash browns, welcome to your new obsession.

What You’ll Need:

• 4 medium potatoes
• 1 small onion
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Oil for frying

Traditional medovyk takes hours, but who has time for that? This version keeps all the flavor without the extra work.

What You’ll Need:

• 2 eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup honey
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
• ½ cup butter (softened)
• ½ cup chopped walnuts