Ukrainian cuisine 4

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Holiday and ritual foods of Ukrainians were divided into family ritual (which was prepared for marriage, birth or wake) and the ritual calendar (which was prepared according to tradition, on a religious holiday, or holidays, connected with field works).

Holiday meals had better quality, and our ancestors had more prepared dishes. For example, in the soup they added a lot of meat. Many dishes were prepared with fish. Traditional dishes were more varied. And depending on the type of family holidays, were preparing some special dishes.

Visit woman who had a baby (a woman in labor), people could only when they bring to her bread or things with dough. This tradition is very common today. Bread or biscuits, or other grain elections – needed to be. A "woman-midwife" (old woman who assisted women in her childbirth) had to bake a loaf and cook porridge.

In the late 19th-early 20th century traditional food at the wedding was Korovaj. Korovaj was prepared from best wheat. And dough and butter were added to it. Preparing of this dish was the special performance, accompanied by ritual songs. Korovaj was decorated with berries, ribbons, fruit trees or branches molded dough figures. History of Korovaj is very long. Each region had a different kind of it. In the villages, these features are shown the most. In cities often work special factories, which produce cakes or Korovajs, so catch the authenticity Korovaj in the city can be difficult.

 

Small Korovaj

In some ethnic groups were their own specific customs. One of them is to give a couple some eggs or cook noodles with chicken. In some ethnic groups were traditions to give chickens to a couple.

In wedding ceremonies often was used honey. Spouses smeared lips to each other with it.

Traditionally, memorial lunch were held on the day of the burial. And it was held on the 9th, 40th day and the 1 year after death of someone. In these days important was to prepare traditional to this type of events dish - Kolyvo. Kolyvo - is cold cereal porridge, made from wheat or barley, which is filled with honey. Also were baked Knyshi - small breads. In days of burial of single unmarried girls or boys, our ancestors made Korovaj.

What about holiday - most dishes were made on Svyatvechir (or Holy Evening) - the evening before Christmas day. Traditionally were made from 9 to 12 meatless dishes, and in some parts of the country 17. The main dish was (and still is) Kutya - wheat porridge with honey, walnuts and mashed poppy. Usually dinner is begun after eating Kutya. Important for the festive table was Uzvar, garlic.

Each region has its own characteristics of cooking kutya. For example, Volyn kutia is thick, and south - in the Ternopil region - liquid. Now, except for the traditional ingredients, people can add raisins, chocolate or shredded coconut (very common in stores).

 

Kutya

Christmas was a family holiday and was celebrated on 7 January. Nowadays it’s also celebrated on 7 January. But he date of New Year celebrations changed.

Our ancestors celebrated the New Year on January 14, and the 13th they celebrated “Generous evening”. In Generous evening, on the table were dishes such as kovbasa and meat. To this day were prepared Knysh and varenyky with sour cream.

Epiphany was and is celebrated on January 19th, and 18th evening was festive. It was called the Hungry Kutya and meals prepared the same as on Holy evening.

Special meals were prepared on Easter (Velykden). One of these dishes was Paska - ceremonial bread with butter, eggs and sugar, which baked in the day before Easter.

According to representations of our ancestors, the prosperity in the whole year was depended on quality of sintered Paska. Before eating, paska was blessed in the church.

As for our ancestors and for us, Easter is a big holiday. There are many ways of cooking paska, and kinds of it. Today Ukrainians believe that well-baked cake in the family will bring wealth and luck.

 

Today's Paska looks like...

Also were prepared Kalachi - long braided breads and Easter eggs - boiled and later painted chicken eggs. They symbolized the rebirth of nature and procreation. Like today, in our ancestors were common kinds of decorated Easter eggs: Pysanka and Krashanka. The difference is in the method of coloring. Krashanky are dyed with natural substitutes eggs, when Pysanky – are painted and drawing with special tools eggs. Also on the table were delivered meat, kovbasa, butter, cheese and horseradish.

 

Pysanky

On holiday Makoveya (14 August) were prepared cakes with poppy seeds and honey (Shulyak).

Other holidays included only traditional Ukrainian cuisine.

It was a short description of authentic Ukrainian cuisine. Almost everything written above exists today. Our ancestors carried through the century’s skills and ability to produce tasty and useful dishes. History of Ukraine had a lot of sad episodes, division of the country and loss of independence, but Ukrainian, as a nation, stands and is building their own state.

Also common in Ukraine are dishes of the countries with which Ukraine borders geographically. Also, well known are Crimean Tatar dishes and dishes of fewer other ethnic groups, who inhabit our country. I will write about them later. Maybe ;)

 

Big Korovaj