Moving to another country is always accompanied by big changes in the usual rhythm of life, and one of the most noticeable aspects of this is gastronomy. For millions of Ukrainians who were forced to leave their homeland because of the war, longing for familiar tastes became an important element of adaptation abroad. It seems that common products such as buckwheat, herring or sour milk cheese acquire a symbolic meaning, turning into a part of home that is so difficult to find in a foreign country.
Despite the geographical proximity of European countries, culinary traditions often differ significantly from Ukrainian ones. This causes not only inconvenience, but also causes a kind of “culinary longing”. Ukrainians who have found themselves in different corners of the world share their stories on social networks, which reveal how simple products can become symbols of national identity. AI “FAKT” collected and summarized information to understand which products our refugees miss most while staying abroad.
Germany: everything is there, but not quite
In Germany, access to products is wider thanks to Eastern European stores, but there is a shortage of certain products familiar to Ukrainians. Yes, you can find buckwheat, but at a high price. There is no sour cream at all, and fermented milk products have a completely different taste. Ukrainians feel particularly nostalgic when they think of marshmallows or borscht with sour cream, because local restaurants serve the latter without this indispensable ingredient.
Poland: usual, but not quite
At first glance, Polish gastronomic culture seems close to Ukrainian. However, the details are often disappointing. For example, dumplings here are replaced with meat dumplings, and herrings, although available, do not have the rich taste that Ukrainians are used to. It is especially difficult to find a white loaf, because Polish shops offer mainly toasted bread or various varieties of gray bread. The biggest challenge is finding authentic Ukrainian lard: what local stores offer has a synthetic taste and does not resemble the traditional product at all.
Hungary, Slovakia and Ireland: another layer of cultural contrast
Ukrainians in these countries often complain about the lack of the usual sweets, pickled vegetables and high-quality meat. Hungary offers many options for sweets, but their taste is significantly different from the Ukrainian one. Ireland surprises with its assortment of tea and fruit, but many traditional Ukrainian products simply cannot be found here.
France: high prices and culinary improvisation
In France, finding sour milk cheese or sour cream is an almost impossible task. Buckwheat is available in eco-shops, but it is very expensive. Even familiar cereals, such as semolina or pearl barley, are in short supply here. Borscht or herring under a fur coat become a luxury, because many ingredients for these dishes are simply not sold in France.
Spain: exotic instead of traditional
In Spain, it is most difficult to find buckwheat, perlovka or sour milk cheese. Beets are sold only boiled or canned, which complicates the preparation of usual dishes. Ukrainian sweets, such as condensed milk or “Red Poppy” candies, are also absent. The situation with honey is surprising: Spaniards use only liquid honey, and the usual candied honey is simply not sold here.
Portugal: the country of the sun, but without dill
In Portugal, buckwheat is absent as a phenomenon. You can’t find sour milk cheese either, and the local analogue, “queijo”, is not at all suitable for preparing traditional Ukrainian dishes, such as syrniki. The biggest cultural shock for Ukrainians was the fact that in Portugal they do not use dill – this seemingly universal herb, which is the basis of many Ukrainian dishes.
The Netherlands: the country of cheeses, but not buckwheat
The Netherlands is a cheese lover’s paradise, but buckwheat, millet and pearl barley are hardly available. Sauerkraut has a completely different taste due to the addition of cumin, and dumplings or dumplings can only be found in stores specializing in products from post-Soviet countries. However, even here the taste often leaves much to be desired.
Denmark and Norway: a gastronomic challenge
In the Scandinavian countries, the situation with buckwheat is even worse: it is not sold at all, and beets are found only in frozen or canned form. Herring is available, but only in sweet marinades, which is not at all suitable for cooking traditional Ukrainian dishes.
General trend
All Ukrainians, regardless of where they are abroad, have one thing in common: a longing for authentic Ukrainian lard and meat products. Lard, which is a symbol of national cuisine, is either absent abroad or has a completely different taste – often artificial and unnatural. Meat products are also different: in many countries, their taste seems less saturated and even “plastic” compared to homemade Ukrainian sausages, ham or bozhenin.
Dairy products, as well as bread and other baked goods, cause special nostalgia. Ukrainian bread, with its characteristic aromatic crust and rich taste, remains unsurpassed for many. Most often abroad, they sell either toasted bread or variants that do not correspond to Ukrainian traditions at all. Even those products, which theoretically should be the same, taste strikingly different in different countries, inferior to the quality and taste to which they are accustomed in Ukraine. This difference reminds us that the taste of native food is not just a habit, but a part of national identity that creates a sense of home even in the most difficult times.
For Ukrainians abroad, food becomes not only a means of nutrition, but also a source of emotional stability. Familiar tastes bring back the feeling of home, create the illusion of normality even in new conditions. However, despite all the difficulties, Ukrainians find ways to adapt by baking their own bread, substituting missing ingredients and even growing dill or parsley on their windowsills.
