Ukraine

Ukrainian cuisine is quite tasty, but just as other cuisines in the region uses a lot of fat ingredients, especially in the festive dishes. Traditional local food includes "salo" salted lard and soups like "borshch" борщ in Ukrainian made of red beets or "solianka" солянка in Ukrainian which is a delicious meat soup. The first, salo, is perhaps something you might not make yourself try - however is a delicious side dish, as for the soups being a must-have dish.

If you are outside a big city or in doubt about food, exercise caution and common sense about where you buy food. Try to buy groceries only in supermarkets or large grocery stores, always check the expiration date, and never buy meat or dairy products on the street you can buy them at the market but not near the market.

In most towns in Ukraine there are some very good restaurants. Read the menu boards posted by the entrance of every establishment to help you to choose.

You may also find nice places to eat not by signs, but just by the smoke of traditional wood fires. These are often places where they serve traditional Ukrainian food, including very tasty shashlyky шашлики in Ukrainian. Restaurateurs are very friendly, and, more often than not, you will be one of their first foreign visitors. Next to the "borshch", you might also ask for "varenyky" вареники in Ukrainian, dumplings filled with meat, vegetables or fruits or "deruny" деруни, potato pancakes. You have to try varenyky with potatoes and cottage cheese in a sautéed onion and sourcream sauce, a fantastic dish. These are just starters, but ones that might fill you up quickly.

Puzata Hata

Ukrainian restaurant chain with lovely atmosphere and cheap, tasty, good quality food and delicious dark 'kvas' non-alcoholic drink. There are several in each of the main cities