A ceremonial porridge traditionally associated with Avdiivka and documented as a local culinary heritage tradition. Its name hints at its special status: unlike an ordinary everyday kasha, it was connected with hospitality and important communal occasions. ¹⁾

Cabbage leaves are wrapped around a filling based on grated or finely prepared potatoes and cooked without meat. A particularly interesting Donetsk-region version has been preserved among Lemko settlers, who brought their culinary traditions to the Donbas in the twentieth century. ²⁾

Small pieces of handmade dough are rubbed or pinched directly into boiling water, milk or broth. The technique produces a wonderfully simple dish whose texture is somewhere between noodles and dumplings; a tradition of preparing zatirka is specifically documented in the Donetsk village of Kryva Luka. ³⁾

A festive millet dish traditionally prepared for weddings in the village of Andriivka-Klevtsove. It illustrates how porridge in Donbas could be much more than everyday food, becoming part of ceremonies and communal celebrations. ⁴⁾

A hearty beet-and-cabbage soup prepared with meat, potatoes and other vegetables. Eastern Ukrainian versions may be particularly substantial, and borshch traditionally belongs to the everyday rather than exclusively festive table. ⁵⁾

A thick soup based on sauerkraut, potatoes and other vegetables, often enriched with pork. The pronounced sourness of fermented cabbage makes it especially characteristic of the winter-oriented cooking of eastern Ukraine. ⁶⁾

Buckwheat is combined with minced meat and shaped into small patties before being fried or baked. The dish demonstrates the importance of buckwheat in eastern Ukrainian home cooking while giving a familiar grain a role normally associated with meatballs. ⁷⁾

A cold summer soup made from chopped vegetables, potatoes, eggs and herbs, traditionally mixed with kvass, whey, kefir or another sour liquid. Different families and communities have their own preferred base, making okroshka an unusually flexible dish. ⁸⁾

A pork knuckle is slowly baked until the meat becomes tender and the outside develops a deeply browned crust. Baked ham hock is specifically mentioned among dishes characteristic of the wider Donbas culinary tradition. ⁹⁾

Soft Ukrainian dumplings filled with mashed potatoes and tvorog-style cottage cheese, usually served with fried onions, butter or sour cream. Varenyky are particularly adaptable and can also contain cabbage, mushrooms, meat or fruit. ¹⁰⁾

Pieces of soft dough are boiled and served with butter, fried onions, sour cream or meat. They belong to the broader Ukrainian tradition of flour-based dishes and were especially practical for hearty home cooking. ¹¹⁾

A thick, rustic porridge-soup made from millet, often enriched with pork, lard or vegetables. Its simplicity made it suitable for outdoor work and communal cooking, while millet was historically an important grain in steppe regions. ¹²⁾

Finely grated potatoes are mixed with onion and fried into crisp pancakes. They are often served with sour cream and can be enriched with mushrooms or meat, turning a very simple ingredient into a substantial meal. ¹³⁾

Small yeast buns are baked until golden and brushed with garlic, oil and herbs. They are especially famous as an accompaniment to borshch, and their fluffy texture provides a pleasant contrast to the rich soup. ¹⁴⁾

Sweet dumplings filled with sour cherries and served with sugar, sour cream or butter. Fruit-filled varenyky demonstrate the other side of Donbas cooking, where the same basic dough used for savory dishes becomes a summer dessert. ¹⁵⁾