Tasty and fragrant borsht is the rich Ukrainian cuisine's trademark, in regard this original dish was described in literary works by Ukrainian and Russian classical writers for a reason. You won't find a housewife in Ukraine, who can't cook borsht, although it's not the simplest dish at all. It has plenty of components and complicated cooking technology. Borsht has many varieties and is cooked differently in different regions of Ukraine. Everything depends on products' combination and they can be very different. However, its main component - beetroot - is used in any kind of borsht without fail. It is beetroot that gives borsht its distinctive red color. Another first course's invariable ingredient is meat: it might be pork, beef or poultry depending on cooker's preferences. There is vegetarian borsht, though, where meat is usually replaced with kidney beans. Containing multitude of ingredients - mainly meat, various vegetables and seasonings, as well as pork fat with garlic in some recipes - borsht definitely helps to strengthen immune system and keeps from catching cold in winter. However, Ukrainian borsht's main advantage is its unbelievable taste! Freshly cooked borsht has an incomparable scent, and there is no substitute for its rich taste in the world. Borsht is regularly served with sour cream and pampushkas with garlic.

The mezhivo is an authentic Ukrainian dish. It can be cooked with pepper, eggplant, pumpkin, tomatoes, plums, beetroot, marrow, etc. The mezhivo is frequently made during fast.

Shynka (baked ham) is a traditional Ukrainian dish. It is cooked of piece of meat (chiefly of pork) seasoned with salt, pepper, minced garlic and other spices before baking it in the oven. As many Ukrainian dishes, the shynka has it overseas analogues. Therefore, Austria and Germany boasts Schweinsbraten, and Quebec has rôti de porc, which literally means “baked pork”. In Russia, it is made of mutton or even bear meat and it is called buzhenina. The shynka is traditionally baked in aluminum foil. Therefore the meat is wholly steamed; then it is baked soft and almost melts in the mouth. Some housewives prefer to cook shynka in the pastry. It tastes best both hot and cool.

This salad is a common guest at the Ukrainian feasts and it became the indispensable component of the holidays in many families long ago. The good combination of meat and mushroom is responsible for nutritious properties and magnificent flavor.