How to Make 12 Amazing Dishes of Ukrainian Christmas

Christmas may be over for much of the world, but for Ukrainians, the festivities have just begun! Wouldn’t you like to know how to make 12 amazing dishes of Ukrainian Christmas? January 7 marks Christmas day for Ukrainians around the world, even those who no longer reside in Ukraine. So why does the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrate Christmas in January? Are they going against the grain just because? Let’s take a deeper look at the reasoning behind this January Christmas celebration.

History of the Solar Calendar

To put it succinctly, the Eastern Orthodox Church decided to follow the Julian calendar. Even though this solar dating system is over 2,000 years old, the church still abides by it. When the Julian calendar was created, it was realized that the length of the solar year was 11 minutes off. That was a huge concern because, over time, it would put the calendar consistently out of sync with the actual solar year. The Gregorian calendar was created to correct the time inconsistencies of the Julian calendar, which is why most of the world follows it. Currently, the Julian calendar is 13 days out of sync with the Gregorian calendar, making Christmas on January 7 instead of December 25. 

Now that we know why Ukrainians celebrate Christmas in January, let’s discuss what Ukrainians eat and how to make 12 amazing dishes of Ukrainian Christmas.

12 Dishes of Ukrainian Christmas

Kutya

The first and most anticipated dish for Christmas is Kutya (Kutia). This authentic sweet grain dish is typically served during the Christmas Eve dinner (also known as Svyata Vecherya). But Ukrainians don’t just anticipate this dish because it tastes good. Kutya is a symbol of good harvest and abundance for the entire year. No wonder why Ukrainians want this dish so bad!

Pickled Herring

Pickled Herring is eaten at midnight on New Year’s Eve to represent prosperity in the New Year. It is a great way to transport and store fish, as pickling is a traditional way to preserve herring. 

Beet Salad

Third on the list of 12 Dishes of Ukrainian Christmas is beet salad. This salad is made by boiling the beets and other vegetables like potatoes and carrots. Lightly seasoned with vinegar, vegetable oil, salt and pepper, this dish is a main staple during the Ukrainian Christmas holiday.

Bean Salad with Garlic

This dish is versatile, as it can be served cold or hot with meat/fish. The beans are boiled to preserve all of the vitamins. Because the beans absorb the flavor of the garlic and other ingredients, it can be rather flavorful. 

Marinated Mushrooms

These mushrooms are a favorite amongst the Ukrainian Christmas supper. 

Vinaigrette Salad

Similarly, the vinaigrette salad is much like the beet salad. Both contain beets and other vegetables to make the meal heartier and more flavorful. 

Cabbage Rolls Stuffed with Buckwheat and Mushrooms

Following that, we have the stuffed cabbage rolls. Since Ukrainians did not eat meat in the olden days, it’s no wonder why most of the recipes are stuffed with vegetables. Buckwheat can be used for a variety of purposes and Ukrainians use it in many of their dishes. 

Borscht

Ultimately, borscht is a favorite food in the Ukrainian culture, much like Russians. This is a classic beet soup that is as authentic as it gets!

Deep Fried White Fish

Next on the list of 12 amazing dishes of Ukrainian Christmas is the deep fried white fish. Fried fish, as a rule, is served as a second course. The best way that Ukrainians make it is to roll the fish in flour and then fry it in vegetable oil. For the most part, fish is fried in Ukraine.

Oven-Roasted Cabbage

This savory dish has all of the flavors one could ask for: juicy, sweet and sour. It is very simple to make and is considered a comfortable, classic dish. 

Perogies with Potatoes or Sauerkraut

If you have never had perogies, you can think of them as dumplings filled with anything you want to stuff it with. For Ukrainian Christmas, they are usually stuffed with potatoes or sauerkraut.

Uzvar (Special Dessert)

Last but not least, we have to mention dessert! Ukrainians love to have uzvar, a sweet dried fruit compote. Essentially, you combine all the dried fruit (prunes, raisins, apple slices, pear slices) into a bowl and fill the bowl with apple cider. Then you add lemon, cinnamon, cloves and honey. This special dessert is reserved for Ukainian Christmas, which makes it even more significant.