Vereshchaka

Vereshchaka is an old Ukrainian meat dish, especially popular in the Poltava region and in Cossack cuisine. Its base is pork ribs, brisket, or sausage, which are braised in a slightly sour gravy of beet or bread kvass.

The sour base gives the dish its characteristic piquant taste, and the gravy is often thickened with flour or toasted bread. According to tradition, the name comes either from a cook's surname or from the “sizzling” (vereshchannia) of fatback in the pan during frying. Vereshchaka is served hot, usually with pampushky, buckwheat porridge, or boiled potatoes, so that they can be dipped in the tasty gravy. This hearty, aromatic dish is a vivid example of old Ukrainian cuisine, in which sour kvass served not only as a drink but as a base for cooking main courses.