Okay, I will admit that there is more to eat here than flavored peanuts. I have had the pleasure of eating "real" Ukrainian foods when invited for lunch and dinner when I first arrived here, and as previously expressed, it was quite varied and delicious. But for my daily nutritional needs, I can find many of my favorite fresh fruits and vegetables, along with great locally-made bread, sausages, salami, and cheeses. There are butcher shops where one can buy beef, pork, and chicken, but since I really don't need to eat much meat, I am good with the other stuff. (I have found some delicious crab cakes here that I enjoy.)
Yesterday my colleague, Lara, surprised me by bringing over some smoked fish and homemade wine and honey, along with some beers. The fish was deliciously smoky and salty, perfect with hot mustard and the homemade wine, which was slightly sweet and strong. Also, in the photos you will notice the large jars of pickles, tomatoes, and borscht. These were all made by and given to me by my generous colleague - Spassiva, Lara!
So here are more pics of food - mostly to prevent my mom from freaking out at the idea that all I eat here are tins of flavored nuts ...
You can not go wrong with some wine,bread, cheese, salami, tomatoes etc. Do you find the local food to be unqiue to the Ukraine, or a lot like the Russian dishes?
ReplyDeleteVery artistic arrangement of the food. The soups I had in Russia were all really good. Have you tried any of the fish soups? Your time seems to by flying fast there. Enjoy every minute.
ReplyDeleteDan, I think the food here is similar to most or all of the Slavic cultures, with slight variations. Like I said, I only ate local foods twice, and it was great. I think some of it is pretty much Russian-style, like their "Russian salad", which is also available in Italy! It is essentially a type of egg/potato salad hybrid that is outstanding.
ReplyDeleteSally, I haven't tried the fish soup, but I have had the smoked fish - good stuff! Yep, less than 8 weeks left...