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Wedding Food |
For ritual wedding food, there is only 1 item that appears at almost every Ukrainian wedding and one that appears at many. The Wedding bread, the Korovai, has been called a ‘must have’ for any Ukrainian getting married and the Pine Cones – Shyshky often make an appearance either as buns or as decorations on the korovai.
That being said, there are many, many traditional Ukrainian foods and drinks that appear at most weddings. Many of these foods appear for other occasions as well so not specifically for weddings. Again, as with other food related items, variety depends on family, community, regional preferences, location around the world, supply and availability.
A Ukrainian wedding involves numerous opportunities to eat and imbibe. Every gathering has a food and drink component whether it is the delivery and sharing of bread like during the proposal or a full sit-down meal like at the reception. Meals at traditional weddings are served family style which adds to the unity the guests are invited to celebrate. This also depends on feasibility and nowadays, cost, as many reception meals are now prepared by caterers instead of home cooked.
There is one meal that is special to Ukrainian Weddings called the Midnight Perekuska (Перекуска) or Late Lunch. This snack is set out for the late-night revelers in a buffet style to enjoy before they depart for the evening. If the main meal was had non-traditional Ukrainian food then often the Perekuska might have more traditional Ukrainian foods like Ukrainian bigos (sauerkraut), varenyky (filled potato dumplings), kovbasa (Ukrainian sausage), holubtsi (cabbage rolls), pickles with rye bread or rolls. Again, it varies, it could be just cold lunch with salads, deli meat, pickled vegetables and buns.
Ukrainians love desserts and many are accomplished bakers. Tortes, multi-layered, rich, elegant cakes filled with a variety of icings and fillings, often make appearances at Ukrainian weddings. Many modern brides choose to have a "torte" table at the reception. Desserts made with poppyseeds, honey and a variety of cookies also often appear.
One eating related tradition is the splitting of the Korovai. At the reception, the new husband and wife take the Korovai (often a different Korovai is baked for this tradition), in between them and with two hands break it in half. The one who gets the bigger piece is considered the head of the family. Nonetheless, a popular Ukrainian saying states that 'the husband is always the 'head' of the family, whereas the wife is the 'neck', and whichever direction she turns, the husband will follow'.
Toasting usually involves some type of hard liquor – Horilka (Vodka) or Samohonka (Homebrew/Hooch). There are other alcohols that can often be found at a Ukrainian Wedding like, Brandy or wine and now more common toasts with champagne are de rigueur. Most Ukrainians do not mix their liquors throughout the night though, they stick with one type, probably a good idea! As for non-alcoholic drinks, fruits juices (kompot), water (still and fizzy) and especially in the diaspora, soda pop.
One thing we know for sure, you won't end up hungry or sober at a Ukrainian wedding!
Here is a inexhaustive list of the food and drinks that might be served at some point at a Ukrainian Wedding:
Dessert Table
Beverages
If you have suggestions to what should be added to this list, we would love to hear from you!
Go to the next Traditions section: Wedding Songs and Speeches
That being said, there are many, many traditional Ukrainian foods and drinks that appear at most weddings. Many of these foods appear for other occasions as well so not specifically for weddings. Again, as with other food related items, variety depends on family, community, regional preferences, location around the world, supply and availability.
A Ukrainian wedding involves numerous opportunities to eat and imbibe. Every gathering has a food and drink component whether it is the delivery and sharing of bread like during the proposal or a full sit-down meal like at the reception. Meals at traditional weddings are served family style which adds to the unity the guests are invited to celebrate. This also depends on feasibility and nowadays, cost, as many reception meals are now prepared by caterers instead of home cooked.
There is one meal that is special to Ukrainian Weddings called the Midnight Perekuska (Перекуска) or Late Lunch. This snack is set out for the late-night revelers in a buffet style to enjoy before they depart for the evening. If the main meal was had non-traditional Ukrainian food then often the Perekuska might have more traditional Ukrainian foods like Ukrainian bigos (sauerkraut), varenyky (filled potato dumplings), kovbasa (Ukrainian sausage), holubtsi (cabbage rolls), pickles with rye bread or rolls. Again, it varies, it could be just cold lunch with salads, deli meat, pickled vegetables and buns.
Ukrainians love desserts and many are accomplished bakers. Tortes, multi-layered, rich, elegant cakes filled with a variety of icings and fillings, often make appearances at Ukrainian weddings. Many modern brides choose to have a "torte" table at the reception. Desserts made with poppyseeds, honey and a variety of cookies also often appear.
One eating related tradition is the splitting of the Korovai. At the reception, the new husband and wife take the Korovai (often a different Korovai is baked for this tradition), in between them and with two hands break it in half. The one who gets the bigger piece is considered the head of the family. Nonetheless, a popular Ukrainian saying states that 'the husband is always the 'head' of the family, whereas the wife is the 'neck', and whichever direction she turns, the husband will follow'.
Toasting usually involves some type of hard liquor – Horilka (Vodka) or Samohonka (Homebrew/Hooch). There are other alcohols that can often be found at a Ukrainian Wedding like, Brandy or wine and now more common toasts with champagne are de rigueur. Most Ukrainians do not mix their liquors throughout the night though, they stick with one type, probably a good idea! As for non-alcoholic drinks, fruits juices (kompot), water (still and fizzy) and especially in the diaspora, soda pop.
One thing we know for sure, you won't end up hungry or sober at a Ukrainian wedding!
Here is a inexhaustive list of the food and drinks that might be served at some point at a Ukrainian Wedding:
- Korovai
- Shyshky
- Borshch
- Pyrohy/varenyky
- Holubtsi
- Nalysnyky
- Kovbasa and other deli style meats
- Kapusta/Bigos/Sauerkraut
- Cornmeal/Mamalega/Nachynka/Kolesha
- Kanapky/fancy sandwiches
- Pickled vegetables and fish
- Various salads, studenetz
- Meat – schnitzel, patychky, chicken, kabobs, fish
- Rye bread/buns
Dessert Table
- Tortes
- Poppyseed cakes/rolls
- Cookies
- Honey cake
- Pampushky
Beverages
- Horilka (Vodka)
- Samohonka (Home Brew/Hooch)
- Brandy
- Wine
- Medivka (Honey Mead)
- Champagne
- Fruit juice/Kompot
If you have suggestions to what should be added to this list, we would love to hear from you!
Go to the next Traditions section: Wedding Songs and Speeches