The Ukraine has 1/3rd of its land mass used as a pasture and once was the chief agricultural producer of the former Soviet Union providing it with 1/4 of its total grain. It is no surprise that the Ukrainian people love to eat. Christmas is their favorite holiday considering that nearly 85% of the country's population is, in fact, Christian. It is customary, In the Ukraine, to have large family gatherings where the women do the vast majority of the cooking while the men are jovial and rowdy. The food prepared is hearty, filling and can be considered "farm food" made to to specifically build muscle-mass in order to cope with the rigors of farming. This article will show you set a Ukrainian dinner table for the most shared holiday of the country: Christmas.
Instructions
Setting the Ukrainian Table
1. Begin the festivities on Christmas Eve by serving a menu of twelve mostly meatless dishes which represents one of each of Jesus' Apostles that were present at the Last Supper.
2. Set each place with one plate and, on either side, a knife and fork. Traditionally, the Ukrainian people eat with a fork in one hand and a knife in the other.
3. Cover the table with a table cloth that is beautiful and intricately designed.
4. Scatter hay over the top of the table. They hay symbolizes Baby Jesus in the manger.
5. Place Kolach, the traditional bread, in the center of the table. This is to be shared by all who have gathered.
6. Begin the mean by serving Kutya, which is a small bowl consisting of wheat, honey, poppy seeds chopped nuts and apples.
7. Serve several fish courses after the kutya. Tilapia would be the fish of choice but any fish will do.
8. Follow the fish dishes by serving a dish of fine mushrooms.
9. Serve borsch with the mushrooms.
10. Serve the next course in the menu: typically, holubtsi (stuffed cabbage).
11. After the stuffed cabbage, serve varenyky (dumplings). Serving fruits and cakes (especially poppy seed) follow and, then, finally bread.
Tags: mushrooms Serve, stuffed cabbage, Ukrainian people
