Dishes to Try in UkraineAlex Korchmar

IntroductionBased in Brooklyn, New York, Aleksandr “Alex” Korchmar manages Alkor

Capital, which he has operated since 2011. A native of Odessa, Ukraine, Alex Korchmar enjoys returning home and indulging in the local cuisine. 

Travelers to Ukraine should be sure to taste some of the national dishes, which include the following:

- Borsch. A traditional soup also found in Russia, borsch (also spelled borscht) is made primarily from beetroot and tomatoes. Recipes can call for up to 20 other ingredients in addition to these bases, including onions, carrots, cabbages, and almost any other vegetable the home cook might have on hand. 

- Halushky. Potato dumplings with a consistency similar to gnocchi, halushky feature both cooked and raw potatoes and are often seasoned with caraway and served with butter or sour cream. 

Ukraine- Varenyky. These dumplings, also known as pierogis,

are extremely common in Ukraine. They are often served alongside borsch and are stuffed with pretty much anything, from mushrooms to minced meat. 

- Banosh with brynza. Travelers visiting the highlands of the Carpathian Mountains should be sure to sample this dish from one of the Ukraine’s premier culinary regions. Banosh is a traditional dish for the local shepherds and contains corn flour cooked in sour cream and combined with brynza (sheep cheese), wild mushrooms, and bits of pork fat called shkvarky.