Ukraine is a country in the east of Europe. It is the largest country completely located on the European continent. Ukraine borders on seven other countries: Russia, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova. It also has access to the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov in the south.
The Ukrainian cuisine has influences of various European cuisines, the main parts come from the Old Slavic cuisine. The dishes of the Eastern European country are often characterised by their variety of food used.
Popular dishes are Soljanka, a sourly hot soup with meat, fish or mushrooms and sour pickled vegetables, borscht, also a soup, mostly based on beetroot, or Wareniki, cooked dumplings with various fillings.
Several dishes, such as borscht, are also very popular outside the borders of Ukraine. However, exotic delicacies such as Salted Pig Fat are less popular.
The most common surname in the country is Melnyk. Melnyk has its origins in the profession “miller”. Other common surnames among the over 40 million inhabitants of Ukraine are Shevchenko, Boyko and Kovalenko.
