Cuisine of Post-Soviet Countries

Ukrainian Cuisine

Ukrainian Borsch

This deep red, meaty soup is almost a national symbol of Ukraine and Russia. Sugar beets are the main ingredient; you simply cannot call the soup “borsch” without them. Many other vegetables are added to the mix, depending on what village the recipe originated from. These include: cabbage, tomato, onion, carrot, celery, and potato. Borsch is traditionally served with a spoon of sour cream and an ample stack of black bread slices.

Lard

Lard or Salo is a traditional Ukrainian food: cured slabs of fatback, with or without skin. In post-soviet humour, salo is a stereotypical attribute of Ukrainian culture, analogous to vodka for Russians.

Varenyki

Varenyky (also known as Perogies, Pyrohy, Pedehey or heaven on a plate), a staple Slavic fare for centuries. They are dumplings stuffed with a variety of delicious fillings.

Holubtsi

Holubtsi (stuffed cabbage) is a dish consisting of cooked cabbage leaves wrapped around a variety of fillings.

Chicken Kyiv 

Chicken Kyiv (kotleta po-kyivsky) is a popular dish of boneless chicken breast pounded and rolled around cold garlic butter with herbs, then breaded and either fried or baked. The dish has traditionally been considered Ukrainian in origin and the name of it comes from the name of the capital of Ukraine, Kiev.

Moldavian Cuisine

Mamaliga

 A famous dish in Moldova is "mamaliga" (polenta). It’s made of fully cooked corn flour, and served with brynza, sour cream, salted fish, and cracklings. 

Placinta

This is a traditional meal, representing a dough envelope with some sort of filling, usually vegetarian. The traditional fillings include potatoes, cabbage, cottage cheese, cherry.

Eggplants with garlic

Moldovan Eggplant With Garlic and Walnut Sauce

Zama

One of the most favorite dishes of Moldovan people is a chicken soup with vegetables ("zama de gaina")

Mititei

"Mititei"  (Romanian words meaning "small things") is a traditional Moldavian dish of grilled ground meat rolls made from a mixture of beef, lamb and pork and spices such as garlic, black pepper, thyme, coriander, anise, and sometimes a touch of paprika.

Moldovan Wine

None of traditional holidays is organized without Moldovan wine. Moldovan wine is very well known even abroad. Wines are commonly used for cooking of national dishes and are always there at the festive dinner. Wines accompany almost every meal.

Belarusian Cuisine

Draniki

Draniki is a belarusian style shallow fried potato pancakes made of grated potatoes.

Potato Babka 

.A meat pie with potato crust

Machanka

Mochanka is a thick meat based soup mixed with lard accompanied by hot pancakes or "draniki".

Zrazy

Classic "zrazy" have a rolled shape and are made of thin slices of beef, which is flavoured with salt and pepper and stuffed with vegetables, mushrooms,eggs, and potato.

Pirozhki

Meat or cabbage pasties.

Kvas

Kvas is a traditional drink in Belarus, made from fermenting bread baked with wheat, rye or barley.

Russian Cuisine

Salad Olivie

A mayonnaise-based potato salad distinguished by its diced texture and the contrasting flavours of pickles, hard-boiled eggs, and peas.

Solyanka

Solyanka is a thick, piquant soup that combines meat, pickle water and cucumbers, spices such as olives, capers, tomatoes, lemons, lemon juice, kvas, salted and pickled mushrooms make up a considerably strong sour-salty base of the soup. 

Shashlyk

Shashlyk is a form of Shish kebab (marinated meat grilled on a skewer) popular in former Soviet Union countries, notably in Georgia, Russia, Armenia,Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan. It often features alternating slices of meat and onions.

Pelmeni

Pelmeni  are a traditional  Russian dish usually made with minced meat filling, wrapped in thin dough.

Kholodets

Kholodets (or Studen'): Jellied chopped pieces of pork or veal meat with some spices added (pepper, parsley, garlic, bay leaf) and minor amounts of vegetables (carrots, onions). The meat is boiled in large pieces for long periods of time, then chopped, boiled a few times again and finally chilled for 3–4 hours forming a jelly mass, though gelatine is not used because calves' feet, pigs' heads and other such offal is gelatinous enough on its own. It is served with horseradish, mustard, or ground garlic.

Blini.

Blini are thin pancakes r which are often served in connection with a religious rite or festival.  Blini had a somewhat ritual significance for early Slavic peoples in pre-Christian times since they were a symbol of the sun, due to their round form. They were traditionally prepared at the end of the winter to honour the rebirth of the new sun during Maslenitsa (Масленица, Butter Week; also known as Pancake Week). They may be topped with butter, sour cream, fruit preserves or caviare.