Dishes you must try in the Carpathians

The Carpathians are not only mountains, but also a place where every day is delicious. Find out what to taste in the Carpathians in 2025: top traditional dishes of the Carpathians, Hutsul cheeses, banosh, mushroom soup, medovukha and more. Discover authentic Carpathian cuisine, farm products and gastronomic tours of Ukraine

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The Carpathians are not only mountain landscapes, fresh air and cozy villages. This is also a region with an extremely rich culinary heritage. Traditional Carpathian cuisine is sincere, nutritious, prepared with love and generosity. If you are planning a trip to this region, be sure to get acquainted with the gastronomic pearls - because the food of the Carpathians speaks about the local culture no less than folk songs or traditions. Read about the dishes that you definitely need to try and culinary tours of the Carpathians in this article.

Read about the most picturesque routes in Ukraine in 2025 for traveling by car here. Little-known Ukrainian resorts that are worth the attention of tourists in 2025 at the link.

Top 29 things that you should definitely do in Ukraine at the link.

What should you know about Hutsul cuisine?

Hutsul cuisine is the embodiment of the philosophy of simplicity, naturalness and respect for nature. All traditional Carpathian dishes are prepared with seasonal ingredients, most of which are grown or collected by hand: potatoes, corn, mushrooms, sheep cheese, meat, honey, berries. Food here is not just a way to get full, but part of the cultural code passed down from generation to generation.

This is a cuisine in which there is nothing superfluous: everything is simple, but at the same time extremely tasty. Dishes are cooked slowly, often in an oven or on an open fire, which gives them a unique taste. Hutsuls have long known how to turn even the most modest products into a real culinary masterpiece.

The region is particularly proud of its farm products, which tourists can taste on site or buy as souvenirs. Among the most popular are authentic Carpathian cheeses (brynza, vurda, budz), homemade wines, liqueurs, herbal teas, smoked meats and honey.

In 2025, the traditions of cooking are preserved, so you can taste the dishes of Hutsul cuisine on one of the family farms, in a cheese factory or wine cellar.

Uzhhorod is a city that knows how to surprise with its cozy atmosphere and easy-going charm. Learn more about the Uzhhorod tour with Visit Ukraine, which will help you discover this pearl of Transcarpathia in a new way.

Banosh - the main star of the Carpathians

If you ask a local what to try in the Carpathians first of all, the answer will be unequivocal - banosh. This dish has long become a gastronomic symbol of the region and a real pride of Hutsul cuisine.

Banosh is made from corn grits, which are cooked in fat sour cream or cream, often - just on a fire, which adds a unique aroma of smoke. The dish has a delicate creamy consistency and rich taste. The secret of banosh is in the ingredients: real cream, fresh groats and natural additives.

Banosh is traditionally served with:

- Sheep cheese – salty, aromatic, locally produced.

- Cracklings – crispy pieces of fried lard.

- Fried mushrooms – mostly white, collected in the Carpathian forests

This is a perfect example of how authentic Carpathian dishes combine simplicity and sophistication of taste.

Kulesha – simple and delicious traditional porridge

Another dish that you should definitely try when you are thinking about what to eat in the Carpathians is kulesha. At first glance, it may resemble banosh, but it has its own characteristics that make it no less unique.

Kulesha is a thick porridge made from corn flour or groats, which is cooked not in cream, but in water or milk. Due to this, it has a denser consistency and a less creamy taste. It is often prepared in large cauldrons for holidays, fairs or just at home.

It is customary to serve kulesha with:

- Bryndza or vurda - it is rubbed on top or placed in pieces.

- Fried garlic or onion.

- Mushrooms or smoked meats - for a deeper taste

This is a classic example of traditional Carpathian cuisine, which allows you to fill up on simple but extremely nutritious food.

Mushroom soup – the aroma of the Carpathian forest

Speaking of Carpathian dishes, one cannot ignore mushroom soup – an aromatic, thick and rich dish that embodies the taste of mountain forests. Mushrooms in the Carpathians are not just an ingredient, but a real symbol of the region. Locals have been passing on the traditions of “quiet hunting” for generations – collecting porcini mushrooms, boletus, chanterelles, which are then dried or used fresh.

For mushroom soup, dried porcini mushrooms are usually taken – they give the dish a characteristic rich aroma. The soup is cooked with the addition of potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, butter and herbs, sometimes with the addition of cereals or homemade noodles.

A separate ritual is serving the soup in a clay pot, which not only retains heat, but also emphasizes the authenticity of the dish.

Roast in pots – Hutsul “slow food”

Among the authentic dishes of the Carpathians, roast in clay pots holds an honorable place – a dish that embodies the philosophy of slow cooking and a generous mountain table. This is a classic example of Hutsul slow food: people don’t rush here, because they know – the best taste comes from time and patience.

The roast traditionally includes:

- Potatoes, cut into large pieces

- Meat – pork, veal or sometimes lamb

- Carrots, onions, garlic

- Lard, spices, bay leaf, herbs

The ingredients are laid out in layers in clay pots, poured with homemade broth or sour cream sauce, covered with a lid and stewed in the oven or stove for several hours. Thanks to this preparation, the dish retains natural juices, aromas and has an extremely delicate texture.

The taste of roast is deep, rich, with a slight smoky tinge that cannot be achieved in any frying pan.

Transcarpathian cuisine is international, it has been formed over the centuries. The most popular dishes of Transcarpathian cuisine: bograch, banosh, mushroom soup, lecho, rokot-krumpli, padded shoulder blades, kremzlyki with porcini mushrooms, gombowtsi... We invite you to taste these and other traditional Transcarpathian dishes in one of the craft restaurants of Mukachevo as part of a tour of the cuisines of Transcarpathia.

Carpathian cheeses - not only bryndza

When we talk about what to taste in the Carpathians, among the first answers there is always cheese. But Carpathian cheeses are not only the familiar bryndza, but a whole world of unique tastes that are born high in the mountains, on the mountain passes. Here are three main types worth knowing (and tasting!):

- Budz – a soft sheep cheese that is smoked in the smoke of spruce wood. It has a rich, smoky aroma and is stored for a long time.

- Vurda – a delicate cheese made from whey that remains after making brynza. Light, slightly sweet, ideal as a dessert or a light snack.

- Smoked cheese – more often made from cow's milk, denser in consistency, with a golden crust. Delicious both on its own and with wine.

All these authentic Carpathian dishes are created by hand: milk is collected from ecologically clean alpine meadows, the cheese is cooked in copper cauldrons, shaped and dried in the traditional way.

You can try and buy such cheeses:

- At local fairs.

- In farm shops.

- Directly at the cheese factories during a culinary tour of the Carpathians.

Carpathian tea and mead

After a hearty meal in the Carpathians, it's time for special drinks that emphasize the authenticity of local gastronomy. Both Carpathian tea and mead are not just delicious, but also healthy, aromatic and with a soul.

Carpathian tea is a real gift from the mountains. It is usually prepared from a mixture of local herbs that are hand-picked on the mountain slopes and in the forests. Most often you will find: thyme, mint, willow-tea, linden blossom, lemon balm, elderflower or chamomile flowers.

Such tea not only warms you after a mountain walk, but also heals, soothes and inspires.

But for those who want something stronger, there is mead - a traditional drink made from honey, water, yeast and fragrant herbs or spices. Mead can be both soft, dessert, and with character - up to 12-15% alcohol.

It is served: as an aperitif before dinner or as a souvenir - in bottles with engraving or Carpathian ornament.

During gastronomic tours to the Carpathians, you will be able to taste both tea mixes from Polonyn herbs and real mead - from the hands of those who make it according to family recipes.

Read about safe regions of Ukraine, where to travel and where to stay during the war in this material.

How to choose a tour that will definitely have a gastronomic component?

The Carpathians are an ideal place to combine active recreation with gastronomic experiences. But to really taste the best dishes of the Carpathians, it is important to choose the right route. After all, gastronomic tourism in Ukraine is not only about food, but also about immersion in culture, nature and traditions.

Here are some tips on what to pay attention to when choosing a tour:

- Locations. It is best to go to places where authentic traditions have been preserved - Verkhovyna, Kosiv, Yaremche, villages of Rakhiv or Bukovina.

- Tour program. Choose routes that include ethno-manors, farms, cheese factories, tastings of local products and traditional dinners.

- Food format. Pay attention to whether home cooking, culinary master classes, dinner by the fire or a picnic in the meadow are provided.

- Guide support. Local guides know where to eat best in the Carpathians, where to go for real mead or where to look for budz with smoke.

Where to go to make it both tasty and beautiful?

Choose mountain areas with minimal impact of mass tourism - that's where Hutsul cuisine and authentic Carpathian dishes are preserved in their original form.

On Visit Ukraine you will find thematic tours to the Carpathians that combine gastronomy, nature and traditions of the region. Choose a ready-made route and taste Ukraine for real!

Let us remind you! Today, Transcarpathia is not only a tourist and multicultural center, but also one of the safest regions of Ukraine. And that is why it is an ideal place for a summer vacation. In this article, we will tell you about the best locations in western Ukraine that are worth visiting during your trip.

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