Learn where to get delicacies in Kyiv
Making short tourist visits to foreign countries, I don’t feel especially disappointed about the absence of the food products that I’m used to in Ukraine, although when I’m abroad for an extended period of time, I become bored with the local cuisine and gradually begin feeling a strong nostalgia for traditional Ukrainian products.
I remember what joy I felt finding canned vegetables with labels in Cyrillic in one Italian shop. It was then I started to understand the difficulties that a person has to face when living in a strange country for a longer period of time. And I have often heard ex-pats in Ukraine complaining about the absence of certain products that they are so used to at home and that keeps them from preparing their favorite dishes.
However, it is still possible to find some rarities in the central stores and largest food markets. Still, the assortment is limited to fruit, vegetables, a few kinds of herbs, cheese and beverages.
Truly exotic fruit and seafood are not that easily found, simply because they are too delicate and difficult to preserve for a long period of time. Moreover, the transportation and all kinds of controls that these products have to undergo before reaching the customer make such products exceedingly expensive. In Kyiv, the widest assortment of food rarities can be found in the center – at the Bessarabskiy and Volodymyrskiy markets, Furshet Gurman (Gourmet) at Mandarin Plaza, and at the rather distance Lybidskiy market. Other products are more widespread and can already be found in numerous stores, with some dishes being prepared right on the spot.
Cheese
Being a great lover of various kinds of cheese, I was on the verge of going crazy with excitement when I saw the wide assortment of cheeses at Furshet Gurman for the first time. Usually everything that I could get at nearby stores and supermarkets were some variations of Feta, Parmesan, Roquefort, Emmentaler and Cheddar, some of which were not even produced in their native countries according to original techniques, but in Ukraine, as a result of which the taste and flavor differ significantly from the original.
While in Furshet the assortment focuses on European cheeses and doesn’t resemble the assortment in the shops of true “cheese countries,” such as France or Italy, it remains the widest in the city as well as the most expensive. Except for the examples of various kinds of spiced cheese, cheese in ash, and covered in white or blue mould, I found Danish Blue at Hr 84, and Camembert (Hr 20) of a bit higher quality than the kinds usually sold at supermarkets, and which are very close to the taste, and not only the smell, of the French originals.
Another French delicacy was Saint Agur at Hr 143, Brie (Hr 123), Roquefort of different producers at various prices of up to Hr 208, and Mimolette at Hr 66. The combination of French Camembert and Italian Gorgonzola, Cambozola, is offered there at Hr 112, and Emmental, at Hr 92.
And of all the existing varieties of Greek cheese, I was able to find only Feta (for a maximum of Hr 85). Of the Italian cheeses, it’s possible to buy Ricotta in small packs; Mozzarella, Parmesan, and Mascarpone of different quality levels can be found in numerous stores throughout the city. Among the rarities in Kyiv is Grano Padano (Hr 99) and Gorgonzola (Hr 127). Cheeses such as Gouda, Maasdam, Edam, and Jarlsberg, though sold in every shop, in Furshet are said to be transported directly from their countries, where those cheeses are produced – Norway and the Netherlands – and sold at higher prices here.
Pasta
Notwithstanding that every big store now has at least a narrow assortment of authentic Italian pastas, in Ukraine, it’s usually limited to spaghetti and colored macaroni. While walking around Furshet, I could find a larger choice of pastas, like capelli dangelo, gnocchi, rigatoni, spaghetti, spaghettini, spirali tricolore, tagliatelle and lasagna, all sold at approximately at Hr 5 to Hr 20. The number of Italian pasta products will surely increase before long, taking into account the growing of special types of pasta wheat in the south of Ukraine, and of course the popularity of Italian cuisine in this country.
Meat and Seafood
Raw meat kinds that are favored in the West and are not so common in Ukraine are limited to turkey and rabbit. Others, such as pork, chicken, beef and mutton are popular all over the world, including Ukraine.
As for meat products, like various kinds of sausages, the choice in Kyiv is not that great. The only special foreign meat products that I could find in the abovementioned Furshet were Jamon (Hr 140-375), Prosciutto (Hr 150), and different kinds of German sausage.
The seafood market is not that large either. In Kyiv, it is impossible to find eastern, southern, and northern species of fish. All that you can buy is taken from the Black Sea; since the fish offered at stores, which is purportedly from the Baltic Sea and the northern parts of Russia, has nothing in common with the fish that is sold in those regions – here, the fish is much smaller and usually not very fresh.
The better choice for fish and seafood can be found at the Bessarabskiy and Volodymyrskiy markets, and in the Furshet Gurman and Metro supermarkets.
If you decide to buy caviar, which also differs from that sold in the regions of its manufacture, be careful while buying it at the market – ensure it’s of the proper quality and is not fake. Unfortunately, you won’t find any specialties, like fresh oysters and octopus here, but it is possible to buy squid, mussels, and crab. If you are buying live fish, try to choose a day for shopping, when the fish has just been brought to the market or store, as sometimes it may be preserved for several weeks in and aquarium and won’t be as fresh as fish bought right on the day that it is delivered.
Sweets and Pastry
Though I don’t buy sweets and pastry too often (trying to keep my diet, you know), I am a true sweet tooth and love exploring confectionary departments in all stores. Such sweet products, as peanut butter and Nutella spread, were a rarity several years ago, but are now as popular as local Ukrainian chocolate butter or condensed milk in cans.
Foreign chocolate is less popular, but if you still prefer it to different kinds of spreads, it is possible to buy Schneekoppe, Lindt and Fazer chocolates, which will cost you around Hr 8 to Hr 30. Candies similar to those sold in France, Spain, or the Czech Republic – small bonbons of various forms covered with chocolate, filled with different stuffing, and decorated with nuts can be found in one of the tiny kiosks at Noviy Proyizd, Metrograd, right under the entrance to the Arena Entertainment complex.
Some special sweet dishes, like baklava, Turkish Delight, and tiramisu are gradually gaining popularity in eateries and have only started appearing in local stores.
Once a friend from Turkey brought me some traditional Turkish baklava, and since then I have been looking for it in Kyiv for a long time. Now I will share with you two spots where you can buy this Turkish desert.
You can buy baklava packed in boxes in Furshet for Hr 34, but it tastes a bit unnatural because of its long preservation time.
Fresh baklava, although produced in Ukraine, is much more delicious. You can buy it at Billa, where it is made right on the spot every day and sold approximately at the same price as in Furshet.
If you feel like some Turkish Delight, I don’t recommend that you buy it in Ukraine – the Turkish Delight sold here tastes very different from the traditional kind and would hardly bring you any delight.
The Italian dessert tiramisu has became so popular that it’s now possible to get it not only at cafes and restaurants, and supermarkets in the center, but in small stores on the outskirts of the city.
However, in Furshet Gurman, it can be found in several variants – in a cup, like a dessert, and in the form of a biscuit cake (Hr 11 to Hr 25). Of course, it is not the freshly-made tiramisu or the one produced in Italy, yet still it can be a lovely addition to an evening tea in warm company.
Another good choice for a tea party is butter cookies, which are sold in practically every store.
Once having visited Great Britain, my friend Anya became a real addict to this pastry, and it has already become a tradition in our small company to buy a box of butter cookies to sweeten our regular talks. In Ukraine, you can find butter cookies manufactured in the Netherlands (Hr 22 to Hr 58) packed in tin boxes and made up in “ladies’ style,” as Anya likes to say, because of their pink coloring.
Among other sweet pleasantries uncommon to Ukraine are coco milk (Hr 8) and maple syrup, which can be found at Furshet for Hr 99.
Another sweet product that I cannot avoid mentioning is Italian gelato. It is impossible to buy it in any store, and buying it in large quantities at a small ice cream parlor, La Gelateria Italiana in Globus, is impractical, as gelato will melt before you get home. The only remaining possibility is to buy a special cooling box for gelato transportation, or be satisfied with smaller portions (Hr 10 per 100 grams) eaten in the same parlor. In addition to gelato, in La Gelateria Italiana you can buy cold desserts and Italian pastry, which will be a nice addition to a morning espresso.
Fruit and Vegetables
Though such fruit, as bananas, coconuts, kiwis, pineapples, oranges, lemons and the like have already became part of regular meals for Ukrainian citizens, there are lots of exotic fruit that you simply cannot find in Kyiv. Even those species that are sold at markets, like avocado, should be examined properly before buying.
Such fruit are brought into Ukraine while it is still green and cannot achieve the necessary stage of ripeness due to the absence of the special conditions needed for their preservation, and can remain partially green even if they have spent some time in boxes after being delivered from abroad.
Some berries of European origin, like strawberries, blueberries, currant, watermelon, and melons are considered rare because they are sold even in wintertime, but are still possible to buy at the central markets.
More widespread vegetables and herbs are also of European origin, and among the kinds to be found on display are usually asparagus, cherry tomatoes, mint, celery, sage, peas, and other special herbs. You can find a modest choice of these at the Bessarabskiy or Volodymyrskiy markets.
Eastern food
One of the most popular cuisines now – oriental and far eastern – is also the most difficult to prepare at home, since it’s not easy to find the necessary ingredients. Still, while there are no peculiar Turkish and Indian products offered at Kyiv stores thus far, you can easily buy special types of seaweed, soy, rice, ginger, and wasabi, which is necessary for preparing sushi.
Having a book on sushi-making at hand, you can easily make this popular Japanese food at home whenever you like. The necessary “equipment” for rolling sushi, as well as all the ingredients, can be bought at a small Chinese shop at Lybidskiy market. In addition to standard sushi ingredients, it also sells various kinds of sauces and herbs.
The only problem still remaining is finding original eastern fish, which is usually delivered to local sushi bars directly from Asia. In any case, you can substitute these fish with those species sold in local stores. In case you are bored with rolling sushi at home, you can buy a pack of already prepared sushi, which is sold in every supermarket for approximately Hr 20 to Hr 30.
The choice of Asian spices is very poor in Kyiv and doesn’t include those necessary for the preparation of Indian and Turkish dishes. Those offered at Bessarabskiy market, for example, are more characteristic of Crimean cuisine and can be a nice addition to your everyday meal.
The same goes for nuts and candied fruit, the assortment of which is not as great as in eastern countries. However, it is always possible to choose something to sweeten your everyday life at the largest markets, where the choice in Kyiv is the largest.
Bessarabskiy market (2 Bessarabska Ploshcha, 234-9207)
Lybidskiy market (Lybidska metro station, in front of the bus station)
Furshet Gurman (4 Baseyna, Mandarin Plaza, 467-7164)
Metro Cash&Carry (43 Hryhorenka, 230-9898)
Billa (3 Hryshka, 572-5161)
La Gelateria Italiana(Globus entertainment center)
Noviy Proyizd (Metrograd, near the entrance to Arena Entertainment)
