Vegan in Ukraine

2010 has been a year of great change.

Having graduated college this past May, I decided to take some time off and travel. From August until January, I lived on Kibbutz Ein Gev in Northern Israel, volunteering and learning Hebrew. While in Israel, I decided to give up eating and buying all animal products and adopt a vegan lifestyle. I had already been vegetarian for some time, and had been curious about going completely vegan. Using my move to an entirely new country as momentum for change, I vowed to give up dairy, eggs, honey, and of course meat.

Anyone who has visited Israel can confirm when I say that it might be one of the most convenient countries for someone living a vegan lifestyle. Living on a kibbutz, there was never any shortage of fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as nuts, beans, hummus, breads and all sorts of wonderful, nutritious foods. The local supermarket even had soy milk and tofu on hand! Because a kibbutz is a socialistic community, most meals were provided by the communal chadar okhel, or dining hall (which was where I volunteered during my stay). Not only were there vegetarian and vegan options available, but meat and vegetarian foods were served on separate carts, and there was always a non-meat entree option available for lunch, the heaviest meal. Also, when I decided to leave the Kibbutz and venture to Jerusalem or Tiberias, it was certain that I would at least be able to buy some falafel from a street vendor should I have difficulty finding a vegan-friendly restaurant. All in all, my vegan lifestyle in Israel was pretty sustainable, but I knew that come January, my life would change completely.

After finishing my time in Israel, I packed my things and left to go live with my girlfriend, Melissa, in Ukraine. Having also graduated this past spring, Melissa left for Odessa to conduct research on a US Fulbright grant. Before I left for Israel, we both agreed that I would come and live with her in mid-January. A long-time vegetarian, she decided to switch to a vegan lifestyle with me upon my arrival to the country. Since arriving in Odessa, I have begun teaching English at a language school in the city center and am also learning Russian. It has taken me a few weeks to find my bearings here, but Odessa has shown itself to be a wonderful city and I can't wait to explore all the culture, language, and of course good food that it has to offer.

Unlike my experience in Israel, being vegan in Ukraine is not so easy. Most traditional foods are made with some sort of meat, or at least with butter and eggs. Many meals are started with a piece of black bread and pig sallow (salted fat). Borscht, perhaps the most famous Ukrainian dish, is a beet soup with a pork-broth base (although I have found a vegan borscht, but more on that later), and I feel like I am constantly telling servers at restaurants to "hold the sour cream," Ukraine's favorite meal topper.

I decided to start this blog in order to document my experiences of being vegan in Ukraine. I will post pictures and recipes, stories and anecdotes, recording all the obstacles as well as pleasant surprises that I experience during my time here.

За здоровье!!!


SaM.