If you've read 'Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka' by Russian classical writer Nikolai Gogol, you surely remember how adroitly one of the characters ate vareniki with sour cream that flew into his mouth by themselves. Of course, traditional Ukrainian vareniki don't have such super skills, but their taste is sure to make you think of the Ukrainian cuisine's magic. Ukrainian vareniki are often compared to Russian pelmeni or Italian ravioli. Vareniki's crucial difference from other similar dishes is their dough. Traditional Ukrainian vareniki can't be Lenten, that is, kefir and eggs are always added to the dough. What are vareniki like? Nikolai Gogol wrote that you could eat hat-sized vareniki at some farms. That's, of course, an exaggeration. The classical varenik is around 10 cm large and, contrary to pelmeni or ravioli, has a crescent shape. Vareniki's filling can be very different: potato, cabbage, potato and meat, potato and salo (pork meat), sweet or salted curd, pumpkin, cherries and so on. The filling is warped up in dough and cooked for five minutes or less. Vareniki are usually served with sour cream. Although it's truly Ukrainian dish, vareniki are well-known all over the world. People in different corners of the world took liking of vereniki's unusual and rich taste and installed monuments to varenik. In particular, Ukrainian varenik was immortalized in Canada and Russia.

Ukha is thin hot fish dish, somewhat reminiscent of fish soup. Zaporizhian Cossacks used to cook it during their campaigns, since they could catch fish in the river, and vegetables were always at hand. Different fish - mostly crucian, perch, redeye, carp - is used for making ukha. At the same time it is not recommended to make ukha from herrings, bream, roach, Caspian roach and sea roach. Firstly, the broth is made out of fish: it is boiled at low heat, without bringing to vigorous boil. Boiling time depends not so much on fish kind as on fish size: the larger the fish is, the longer it is cooked. The dish's specific is its totally transparent broth. Then vegetables and different spices - from black pepper to saffron - are added to the broth and attach rich aroma to it. You can also give unusual taste to ukha by adding 50-100 g of vodka. Ukha is the first course that may be served to festive or everyday table. The same as kulish, it is better to cook ukha outdoors.

The uzvar is a national Ukrainian beverage, cooked with dried fruits and berries. Moreover, some housewives tend to add species – cinnamon, star anise and nutmeg – that will give the drink an exotic flavor. The main ingredients of uzvar are dried apples, pears, plums and raisins; sometimes fresh raspberries, blueberries or strawberries might be added. Nevertheless the protagonist and reason of inimitable flavor and fragrance is honey. It substitutes sugar. The uzvar could be consumed both hot and cooled; however it is traditionally served cool.

It’s a light seafood salad, which won’t take long to be cooked. If you want a low-fat variant you can use a sour cream and a pinch of mustard instead of mayonnaise.