Far beyond the borders of Ukraine is famous for generous Ukrainian kitchen. Scorching borscht, dumplings and dumplings, homemade sausages and burgers Kiev - these dishes are known and loved not only in his homeland. A bacon has become a real symbol of Ukraine - this product along with beet and cherry is indispensable in order to give the dish a national flavor.

Key Features

The national cuisine of Ukraine was formed quite late, absorbing the national traditions of different regions of the country. Ukrainian cuisine has absorbed the Russian, Belarusian, German, Hungarian and Turkish tradition. Adopting this or that idea, Ukrainian chefs interpret it in their own way, and as a result, for example, Turkish cuisine dyush bar resembling dumplings, dumplings turned out, that was prepared including the unthinkable in Turkey bacon from pork fat. Generally, the raw material for dishes chosen from a variety of reasons, often far from the cooking. For example, eggplant long been popular only because they prefer in Turkey. A invalid in Oriental cuisine lard, on the contrary, has become a cult product, and even the unofficial symbol of Ukraine.

Fat used for the preparation of many dishes, including some sweets. Also readily uses chicken eggs Chicken eggs: a universal and irreplaceable product Which are an essential component of many foods. Attention is drawn to a large number of baked dishes, mostly made from unleavened dough. Flour is usually used wheat, much less - buckwheat. From the most popular cereal millet and rice. In general, Ukrainian cuisine is hardly light and diet - foods generally quite fatty and high-calorie. This is not surprising when you consider that thinness in Ukraine never appreciated.

Actively using vegetables grown on the fertile Ukrainian lands: potatoes, cabbage, carrots, pumpkin, tomatoes, corn, and especially beets. Popular and legumes.

From spices in the kitchen Ukrainian preference for onions, garlic, cumin, fennel, anise, mint, savory, red pepper, bay leaf, cinnamon. As a condiment to many dishes served as vinegar. Popular fruits and berries, especially cherries, plums, pears, apples, watermelon and currants.

For the Ukrainian cuisine is characterized by a combination treatment of food: cooking, stewing or baking is usually preceded by rapid frying in lard or vegetable oil. Many in the Ukrainian menu and dishes of chopped products - meatballs, rolls, hamburgers and casseroles.

Ukrainian borsch

Hardly Slavic cooking there is a famous dish than Ukrainian borscht. Borscht recipes, like any true national dish, known to abound: every region is preparing a dish in its own way. Thus, the Kiev soup is brewed from a mixture of beef and lamb with the addition of beans; Poltava borsch is cooked broth of duck or goose; Chernigov in the soup add sour apples and courgettes, and in Lviv borsch - sausages. Additionally, different and prepare the main component of the dish - beets. Sometimes it is stewed, baked and sometimes before cooking.

In addition to the basic components of beet borscht considered as onions, carrots, potatoes, cabbage and tomatoes (tomato paste). Also in the dish often add beans, turnips, apples, squash and even prunes in various combinations. Vegetables for borscht prepared separately. Onions, carrots and parsley root saute, then add them to the tomatoes and stew for a few minutes. Boil the beets in their skins until soft, or stewed with lemon juice or vinegar. Potatoes and cabbage is cut and added to the broth raw. Typically, first add the potatoes, ten minutes later the cabbage, then stewed beet and roasted vegetables, seasonings and then at the end of cooking, a minute before removing from heat - garlic. Typically, the garlic is added to the dish and mashed with salt until smooth fat mass.

The food is obtained a thick, flavorful and hearty. Serve soup to the table hot with sour cream necessarily (in any case not with mayonnaise) and donuts - wheat bread rolls with herbs and garlic. With rye bread soup Ukraine has not accepted.

Dumplings and dumplings

Dish of boiled dough occupy a place of honor in the home Ukrainian cuisine. Dumplings - a dough lumps, boiled in broth, milk or just water. The dough for them is usually used fresh, made from wheat or buckwheat flour, sometimes - in conjunction with semolina, potatoes or cottage cheese. Often directly into the dough add apples and fried onions.

Prepare dumplings fast food for their most basic needs, so it is not surprising that this unpretentious dish remains popular. Served hot dumplings, usually with sour cream Smetana: untold riches of Russian cuisine   or with bacon.

Dumplings - a dish more complicated. It is also made from unleavened dough on eggs, but unlike dumplings stuffing is enclosed in a thin dough shell. There are many secrets of cooking dumplings, which must be fully cooked, but not to pieces, do not stick together and not fall apart at the same time.

The dough for the preparation of dumplings Vareniki. Do the world something tasty?   It should be flexible and soft enough so that you can roll out thinly. Only for the dumplings with cherries thicker dough is rolled out to the liquid filling does not leak. There are two ways kneading: hot water, or vice versa, on ice. Of great importance is the quality of flour - it must be very finely ground, not too dry.

Dumplings are cooked in salted boiling water until tender (surfacing), then liberally lubricated with butter. To the table dumplings served with sour cream or sweet syrups, honey. The most popular fillings are considered to cottage cheese and cherry, but also dumplings cooked with potatoes, mushrooms, cabbage, beans and liver, and sweet varieties with poppy seeds, fresh and dried plums, apples.

Maria Bykov