This publication is pan of (he culinary diplomacy project ol the Ukrainian Institute. All rlghis reserved. Ihe contents of ihls publication cannot be reproduced or disseminated in any form or by any means, except with the prior written permission of frhak publishing and Ukrainian Institute.
This book cells the story of Ukrainian cuisine by placing li in Its cultural context and presenting Ukrainian cooking as part of the Intangible cultural homage of Ukraine. The publication also explores the potential of cultural diplomacy and includes recipes that will make you tail m love with Ukraine.
Ukrainian cuisine is becoming recognised across the world, both in high-end restaurants and as part of home cooking traditions. The rapidly developing restaurant industry and artisan food production in Ukraine have attracted international food tourists and foreign investors. Nonetheless, all too often some of the most popular dishes known all over the world are not seen as part of Ukrainian cooking, national culinary traditions and Ukrainian cuisine as a brand. We have produced a publication which both tells the story of modern Ukrainian cuisine and serves as a guide to national culinary practices and regional specialities and flavours.
Traditional Ukrainian views on the flavour, freshness and presentation of food are bom out of age-old experience shaped by local community custom. The same product, depending on the region and on processing, storing and cooking methods, acquires a distinct taste and presentation. Food processing technologies v/ere honed over many generations to ensure that harvested produce (grain, vegetables and fruit), meat of domestic or wild animals, fish, mushrooms and wild berries were utilised efficiently, stored property, complemented the variety of available food and lasted for extended periods of time.
Ukraine has a temperate climate with, at times, bitterly cold winters. As a result fresh garden produce - the basis for traditional staple diets - was only seasonably available and fresh meat, fish and mushrooms had to be prepped for long-term storage. This is why Ukrainian culinary culture adopted and perfected technologies to dehydrate or dry foodstuffs, to pickle them, preserve in salt or cure them with smoke. Such preserved foods have become Ukrainian regional specialities.