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.
Ingredients
Dried apples 200 g
Dried pears 300 g
Raisins 100 g
Prunes 200 g
Honey 250 g
Water 2 l
Stages of cooking
1
Cover dried fruits with cold water for 10 mins; then rinse them.
2
Add the pears into the boiling water and cook for 20 mins. Then add the apples, prunes and raisins. Cook for 15 mins more.
3
Add the honey. Bring to the boil and set the pot aside. The beverage should rest. Serve it cooled.
4
The fruits from the uzvar can be served in a plate.
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The cold soups are very popular during summer season. Two most famous Ukrainian cold soups are okrosha and beetroot soup (commonly known as kholodnik or svekolnik). There are both lean and meat beetroot soups.
Yushka is a traditional Ukrainian pottage. Earlier 'yushka' was a name for meat and fish broths that were basis for the majority of liquid dishes, in particular for ukha. Later, however, potatoes and other vegetables, pasta, beans, mushrooms and various cereals became yushka's components.
Yushka is cooked differently in different regions of Ukraine
It is a common beverage throughout Western Ukraine – the dried plums were soaked in water and cooked until the fruits almost dissolve. The drink bears strong resemblance to a dense kissel.
