Many yummy local foods can only be found in Ukraine! Examples include котлета по киевская (chicken Kiev), борщ (borscht), плов (sorta’ like fried rice), and a personal favorite пирожный картошки (pirozhny kartoshky!!) There is no US equivalent for pirozhny kartoshky!! But it’s chocolate and tastes better than brownies!! There are all sorts of different beet and cabbage salads, plenty of fresh herbs, as well as more chocolate candy than any where in the US. (President Poroshenko, the current president, owns the largest candy company in Ukraine. When he ran for presidency in 2014, I said to many people “That would be like Hershey or Willie Wonka running for president in the US.” He had an unfair advantage!)
When people gather, there always seems to be tea and something good to eat. Look at the pictures below for a few examples of local foods that I enjoy. I am not starving!!

Melon ball for Vitalya’s baby shower 
Tort to celebrate with Rhema Sevastopol students 
Thanksgiving at Rhema Bible Church Sevastopol 
Thanksgiving at Rhema Bible Church Sevastopol 
Svetlana’s spread for New Years’ Eve 
Tort to celebrate with Rhema Vinnitsa students 
Students and staff celebrating with tort and all kinds of food: Rhema Vinnitsa 
Easter egg coloring with the Jensen boys 
Easter table at the Jensen’s house with Vita and Lena 
A shepherd’s pie I recently made. 
Baked apples with tvorok (творок). 
Борш! Borscht! 
Борш! Borscht! 
пирожныи картошки!! Pirozhny Kartoshky: Better than brownies! 
плов! Plov: sorta’ like fried rice!
