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I grew up in Ukraine, spending the first 15 years of my life living and breathing Ukrainian culture, traditions and ways of life. But after being out of the country for almost 15 years, the memories of my life there are getting more and more blurry.
If there is one thing that I continue to remember very vividly and miss often, it’s Ukrainian food. And specifically my favourite dish – Varenyky (not to be confused with their Polish/Eastern European cousin, Pierogi ). Varenyky (from word vareny, meaning boiled) is the Ukrainian version of stuffed dumplings, made with basic dough on the outside, and a variety of meats, cheese, cabbage, and other fillings on the inside. They can be boiled in hot water, or sometimes steamed, and served with butter, sour cream and some fried onions.  My favourite, are varenyky with minced beef and fried onion filling.
Varenyky, one of the most popular dishes in Ukraine
If made from scratch, making the dough, the stuffing and the varenyky dumplings themselves can take a few hours.  Needless to say, in many Ukrainian homes, the dish is reserved for special occasions.
Cultural Close-ups is a series of photographs and stories from around the world that go beyond the pretty sights and famous attractions. If you’d like to contribute a photo and a short story to Cultural Close-Ups, please email your submission to oksana@drinkteatravel.com
Have you ever had varenyky before or tasted any other Ukrainian dishes?
Share your stories with others in the comments section below.
Oksana is the Editor-in-Chief, writer and photographer at DrinkTeaTravel.com. Canadian by passport, world citizen at heart, Oksana has lived on four continents and traveled to over 70 countries. Together with her husband, Max, they live an unconventional life, striving for an eco-conscious lifestyle. In her spare time, she can be found in a hammock with a good book and a cup of freshly steeped Earl Grey tea.
5 thoughts on “Cultural Close-Up: Varenyky, a Popular Dish in Ukraine”
I love learning about cuisines from different cultures, especially ones I know very little about like Ukraine! Vernyky look delicious, I like the idea of them being served with sour cream, yum!
Hi Katie, depending on where you live, you might be able to find a traditional Russian/Ukrainian restaurant nearby. They will most likely have varenyky on the menu! Let me know what you think if you do end up trying them! 🙂
I love learning about cuisines from different cultures, especially ones I know very little about like Ukraine! Vernyky look delicious, I like the idea of them being served with sour cream, yum!
Yeah, they are definitely not the healthiest type of food, but so delicious. I never go easy on the sour cream!
Thanks for the intresting insite into a little traditional culture from Ukraine. I loved to try some of these!
Hi Katie, depending on where you live, you might be able to find a traditional Russian/Ukrainian restaurant nearby. They will most likely have varenyky on the menu! Let me know what you think if you do end up trying them! 🙂
Thanks for informative sharing,