Ukrainian gastronomy goes to PH

Chef Yurii Kovryzhenko

Food is a universal language. People can talk all day about food and when talk leads to the topic of comfort food, it brings a deeper understanding of another culture, and can share the delight comfort food brings.

That’s what members of media experienced recently when Chef Yurii Kovryzhenko from Ukraine visited Manila to bring a glimpse of Ukrainian culture through its gastronomy, specifically its comfort food.

Called the “ambassador of Ukrainian cuisine,” Chef Yurii said during a masterclass with members of Philippine media : “I think it’s very important to share your cultural heritage with other countries, with other nationalities [through food].”

During his masterclass at Enderun Coworking in Pasig City, the renowned chef demonstrated how to cook Borscht and Varynyky—comfort food of the people of Ukraine.

Ingredients of Borscht are simple, but cooking it takes time. The red-colored soup is made of beetroot, cabbage, potatoes, beans, and tomato paste. Any boiled meat may be mixed for added protein, and some sour cream for a thick and milky flavor.

The chef said that to make sure Borscht is more flavorful, Ukrainians wait for at least three days before serving it. Kovryzhenko called it a “marriage” or a “union” of flavors. The Borscht he served to the media was cooked several days before the event.

After the soup, Chef Kovryzhenko served Varynyky, which he prepared on the spot.

Preparing Varynyky looked easy, although it took a Chef Kovryzhenko to make its simple ingredients stand out.

Varynyky is basically a dumpling. It is a dough filled with mashed potatoes boiled until cooked with a perfect dash of salt and pepper. Oil from caramelized onion spices the flavor.

The Ukrainian dumpling is best paired with a sour cream or a carrot puree, which Kovryzhenko served.

He said Filipinos would love Boscht and Varynyky as much as Ukrainians do as he observed that Filipinos are very “open-minded to trying new things.”

The event was hosted by the Consulate of Ukraine in Manila. Kovryzhenko was in the Philippines for a week, joining other activities such as the international bazaar. He also prepared a reception for the diplomatic community in Manila.

“Ukrainian gastronomy is starting to grow very fast,” he said of the importance of introducing Ukrainian cuisine to other countries.

“Food is like a language. It changes all the time, depending on the time, depending on the situation,” he said.