It is a mouth-watering and aromatic soup made from peas. This dish is delicious, pottage-like and rich. Many world cuisines have its own traditional pea soups – the Ukrainian one boasts the lean pea soup, or one made with smoked foods.
The spotykach is commonly confused with liquors however there is a significant difference. The spotykach is sweeter, denser and more aromatic, and it is reckoned to be a dessert beverage. Following these directions any fruits can be used, nevertheless the recipe with blackcurrants is considered to be the classic one.
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.