“Tunnel of Love” in Rivne, Ukraine – by serhei
“A dream is sweeter than honey.”
Proverb from Ukraine
This week we’re ambling over to Ukraine, in Eastern Europe. We can get there on foot, by car, or plane, but why not chug-chug-chug through Ukraine’s ‘tunnel of love,’ a 3-mile section of lush, green train tracks?
Seriously. What a dream.
And then there’s the food.
Wheat fields in Midsummer in Ukraine, Oblast Lviv-by Raimond Spekking
The food of Ukraine is hearty, spirit-warming vittles. Wheat porridge, called (Kutia/Kutya) is the traditional dish for Christmas eve. All year round, there’s lots of bacon, pasta casseroles [Recipe], dumplings (called Varenyky), and potatoes (caviar-potato pancakes, anyone?).
On any given day, there will be roasts. And plenty of them. If all that sounds heavy, it is. This kind of food helps locals weather through chilly winters in the northern highlands.
Carpathian Mountains of western Ukraine-by Roman Zacharij
Where there is a Ukrainian, there is an apparent love for beets. Locals serve beets in salads [Recipe], roasts, and even in the ubiquitous borsch. We made borscht back when we cooked Belarus [recipe]; the main difference here, is that there are more vegetables and some added meat, like pork and beef.
Then there’s stuffed cabbage, like the what we made for Romania [recipe]… yummm.
Is this your kind of food? Are you in the mood for some stick-to-your-ribs vittles? Or are you still enjoying the crisp bite of a summer salads?
Maps and flag courtesy of the CIA World Factbook.
