This blog post offers practical guidance on supporting Ukrainian newcomers in accessing culturally appropriate food in the United States. It covers topics such as familiar foods, grocery shopping, and finding ingredients for traditional Ukrainian dishes. You will gain an understanding of how to assist Ukrainian newcomers in maintaining their culinary traditions while adapting to their new environment, with a focus on cultural sensitivity and practical support.
Nearly 187,000 Ukrainians have made their way to the United States under the Uniting for Ukraine program, creating new lives while maintaining connections to their heritage. These newcomers, arriving with humanitarian parole status, face both opportunities and challenges as they adapt to life in America. For many, food represents more than mere sustenance—it’s a vital link to home, identity, and cultural preservation during a time of significant transition. Supporting access to familiar foods and ingredients can play a crucial role in easing the adjustment process and fostering a sense of belonging in their new communities.
Ukrainian Cuisine: Celebrating Regional Traditions
Ukrainian cuisine reflects the country’s rich cultural heritage and geographic diversity. While maintaining a coherent national identity, it showcases distinct regional variations shaped by historical influences and local resources. From the potato-rich dishes of the northern Polissia region to the sheep-milk specialties of the Carpathian Mountains, each area contributes its unique flavors to Ukraine’s culinary tapestry.
Traditional Ukrainian cooking methods are deeply rooted in historical practices, with dishes typically being boiled, stewed, or baked—techniques that evolved around the traditional Ukrainian pich (brick oven). The cuisine also features distinctive preservation methods, particularly fermentation and salting, which have given rise to internationally renowned products like the famous Nizhyn cucumbers.
Considerations for Supporting Ukrainian Clients with Food
Understanding the cultural significance of Ukrainian food is essential for service providers. The act of sharing meals holds particular importance in Ukrainian culture, where hospitality is expressed through generous portions and warm welcomes around the table. Throughout the year, specific dishes carry deep cultural meaning, especially during holidays and celebrations, such as kutia (wheat pudding) at Christmas or paska (sweet egg bread) at Easter. It’s also important to note that regional variations in dishes may hold special significance for individuals, as Ukraine’s diverse regions each contribute their own unique culinary traditions.
Essential Ukrainian Dishes
Traditional Ukrainian meals typically feature a well-balanced combination of proteins, grains, and vegetables, often structured around seasonal availability of ingredients. This connection to seasonal eating patterns remains important to many individuals, reflecting deep-rooted cultural practices. Additionally, fermented foods play a significant role in Ukrainian cuisine, not just for their flavor but also for their traditional role in food preservation and health benefits. Bread holds a special significance in Ukrainian culture due to historical hardships, including the Holodomor, and is commonly enjoyed with most meals. Rye bread is one of the most beloved types.
Many Ukrainians observe religious fasting periods throughout the year, which may involve specific dietary restrictions that are important to respect and accommodate. Ukrainian Catholics observe four main fasting periods: Pylypivka (pre-Christmas, November 15–December 24), the Great Fast (Lent, 40 days plus Holy Week), Petriwka (Apostles’ Fast in June), and Spasiwka (Dormition Fast in August). The most common fasting practice is abstaining from meat on Fridays and during specific periods, with stricter rules during Lent that may include abstaining from dairy and eggs. While these are traditional guidelines, modern observers often adapt the practices based on personal circumstances and spiritual guidance.
The following is a sampling of Ukrainian cuisine, organized by category:
Soups (First Courses) (Pershi stravy, Перші страви)
- Borscht (Borshch, Борщ): The national soup of Ukraine, made with beets, cabbage, other vegetables, and meat. Available in regional variations, including green borscht (зелений борщ) made with sorrel.
- Sauerkraut Soup (Kapusniak, Капусняк): Traditional soup made with fermented cabbage, often with meat or mushrooms
- Mushroom Soup (Hrybna yushka, Грибна юшка): Light soup made with wild mushrooms, especially popular in fall
Appetizers
- Cured Fatback (Salo, Сало): Cured pork fatback, often served with black bread (dark rye bread) and garlic
- Beet Salad (Vinehret, Вінегрет): Traditional vegetable salad with beets
- Meat Aspic (Kholodets, Холодець): Savory jelly made with meat, especially popular in winter
Main Dishes (Druhi stravy,Другі страви)
- Dumplings (Varenyky, Вареники): Traditionally shaped into crescent or half-moon forms with various fillings (potatoes, cheese, cabbage, meat, or berries), often served with sour cream
- Cabbage Rolls (Holubtsi, Голубці): Cabbage leaves stuffed with rice, meat, and vegetables
- Potato Pancakes (Deruny, Деруни): Grated potato fritters, often served with sour cream
- Cheese Pancakes (Syrnyky, Сирники): Tender pancakes made from farmer’s cheese (tvorog, творог), flour, and eggs, often enjoyed as a light meal with sour cream, jam, or honey. Note: Tvorog can be found at Whole Foods or made at home.
Side Dishes and Staples
- Buckwheat (Hrechka, Гречка): A fundamental grain in Ukrainian cuisine, served multiple ways:
- As a savory side dish with butter, salt, and herbs
- Combined with meat and vegetables (carrots, onions, bell peppers)
- As a warm porridge cooked with milk and optionally sweetened
- Stewed Cabbage (Tushkovana kapusta, Тушкована капуста): Often prepared with mushrooms or meat
- Potatoes (Kartoplia, Картопля): Prepared in numerous ways, including mashed (Mashchena kartoplia, мащена картопля) and fried (Smazhena kartoplia, смажена картопля)
- Semolina Porridge (Manna kasha, Манна каша): A versatile dish made with milk, often topped with butter, jam, or fresh fruits. Available in most U.S. grocery stores near flour.
Desserts
While desserts may not be as prominent as main dishes in Ukrainian cuisine, there are several traditional sweets that are cherished during holidays and special occasions:
- Cheese Pancakes (Syrnyky, Сирники): Fried cheese pancakes made from cottage cheese, eggs, and flour. They are usually served with sour cream, jam, or honey and resemble blintzes.
- Honey Cake (Medivnyk, Медовик): Cake that incorporates honey as a primary ingredient, often layered with cream or jam.
- Sweet Dumplings: (Varenykygs, Вареники с сладкой начинкой): While vareniki are primarily savory dumplings, they can also be filled with sweet ingredients like cherries or berries and served with sour cream or sugar.
- Fruit Jelly (Kysil, Кисіль): A thick fruit drink or dessert made from fruit juices and starch, resembling a jelly-like consistency. It can be served cold or warm.
Beverages
Ukrainian beverages are diverse, ranging from non-alcoholic drinks to traditional spirits:
- Traditional Dried Fruit Drink (Uzvar, Узвар): A drink made from dried fruits, such as apples and pears, boiled in water and often sweetened with honey. It is especially popular during Christmas and is typically served warm.
- Fermented Bread Beverage (Kvas, Квас): A fermented beverage made from rye bread, often flavored with fruits or herbs. It is slightly alcoholic and refreshing, commonly enjoyed in summer.
- Fermented Milk Drink (Ryazhenka, Ряженка): A fermented milk drink similar to yogurt but thicker and creamier, made by baking milk in an oven before fermenting it.
- Honey-Based Drink (Varenukha, Варенуха): A honey-based drink that combines vodka or liquor with dried fruits and spices, traditionally served warm.
- Sweet Berry Beverage (Spotykach, Спотыкач): A sweet alcoholic beverage infused with berries and spices, known for its unique production method that involves heating the ingredients.
- Low-Alcohol Honey Drink (Medovukha, Медовуха): A low-alcohol honey drink that has been popular since ancient times, often flavored with spices or herbs.
- Herbal Teas (Travyani nastoi, Трав’яні настої): Various teas made from local herbs like chamomile and mint, commonly consumed for their health benefits.
- Fruit Liqueur (Nalyvka, Наливка): A type of fruit liqueur made by infusing vodka with fruits such as cherries or plums, typically served as a digestif.
Holiday Foods
- Christmas Wheat Pudding (Kutia, кутя): A ceremonial dish made from wheat, poppy seeds, honey, and nuts, typically served during Christmas. It symbolizes prosperity and is often enjoyed as a dessert.
- Easter Bread (Paska, паска): A sweet, braided bread traditionally baked for Easter, often decorated with religious symbols. It is rich in eggs and butter, giving it a soft texture.
- Dyed Easter Eggs (Krashenky, крашенки): Ukrainian Easter eggs are typically dyed in solid colors, such as red, yellow, blue, or green. A more ornate form of egg decoration called pysanky involves decorating eggs with intricate wax-resist patterns.
- Filled Buns (Pyrizhky, пиріжки): Various filled pastries for celebrations
Finding Ingredients in the U.S.
Many ingredients for Ukrainian dishes can be found in regular American supermarkets, while others may require visits to specialty stores or online ordering. Here’s a guide to finding key ingredients:
Consider these other practical steps:
1. Orientation to Local Shopping:
- Help clients locate stores carrying familiar ingredients
- Explain American grocery store layout and organization
- Assist with understanding food labels and pricing
2. Kitchen Setup:
- Ensure access to basic cooking equipment
- Explain any unfamiliar appliances
- Provide guidance on American kitchen safety. You can use Switchboard’s In-Home Health and Safety Checklist for additional support with this.
3. Community Connections:
- Connect with local Ukrainian communities for food resources
- Organize community meals featuring Ukrainian dishes
- Facilitate recipe sharing between newcomers
4. Cultural Celebration:
- Support access to special ingredients for holidays
- Recognize and assist with preparation for important celebrations
- Create opportunities for sharing traditional foods with host communities
Additional Resources
This comprehensive resource list, compiled by Switchboard and the Cultural Orientation Resource Exchange (CORE), provides you with multilingual materials (in Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, and English) to support Ukrainian newcomers in the U.S. The materials cover essential topics like cultural awareness, employment, federal benefits, health services, mental health support, and community sponsorship.
More broadly, these resources from Switchboard can help you begin thoughtful conversations about nutrition with newcomer communities:
