Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ukraine produces some very quaffable beers, most more than able to compete with in-
ternational brands. In fact, the beer market is booming, with many young people turning
their backs on vodka for it. Breweries produce various light, dark, unfiltered and fla-
voured lagers; there are at least 40 different domestic varieties, the leading brands being
Chernihivske, Lvivske, Obolon and Slavutych.
Okroshka
is a kind of Slavic gazpacho. Eaten cold in summer it's a thick concoction of
cucumbers, spring onions, boiled eggs, meat and herbs, diluted with
kvas.
Celebrations
Ukrainian food truly comes into its own during Christmas, Easter and wedding celebra-
tions. Marta Pisetska Farley's
Festive Ukrainian Cooking
(1990) has the low-down.
At Easter, certain foods are taken to church in a covered basket to be blessed. These
usually include hard-boiled eggs, baked cheese and Easter breads like round
paska
(dec-
orated with crosses) or tall, cylindrical
babka
(a sweet egg bread).
On their wedding day, the bride and groom break a spectacular round bread called a
korovay
- whoever gets the bigger half will be the dominant partner in the marriage.
A series of updated and adapted traditional recipes from American-Ukrainian homes is
brought together in
Ukrainian Recipes
(1996), edited by Joanne Asala.
Where to Eat & Drink
Restaurant and cafe sound similar in English and Ukrainian. Some Ukrainian restaurants
specialise in a particular dish, such as a
varenychna
, which serves only
varenyky.
A
sto-
lova
is a Russian-style self-service canteen. Theme restaurants aren't as popular as they
once were, though new ones, especially in Lviv, do still appear.
When eating out, be aware that prices for many meat and fish dishes are listed on the
menu by weight. For example, the
shashlyk
that looks good value at 10uah might actu-
ally be 10uah per 100g, so read the menu carefully and, if in doubt, ask.
Tipping is virtually unheard of except in big-city places where waiters have become
used to foreigners adding something to the bill. Out in the cuds, a tip may even be re-
turned - the staff believing you've overpaid by accident.
