Looking to Learn More About Ukrainian Food? Follow Olia Hercules

Based in London, Olia Hercules is a Ukraine-born activist, author, and chef. She refined her skills in the kitchens of Ottolenghi before becoming an award-winning cookbook author. More recently, she has dedicated herself to raising awareness and funds for victims of the Ukraine war. If you’re keen to learn more about Ukrainian food and culture, Olia Hercules’ Instagram feed is a great place to start.

Traditional Ukrainian Food

Olia cooks many traditional Ukrainian recipes, celebrating Ukrainian seasonal ingredients, traditional techniques and flavors. She offers online cook-along classes where you can learn how to make dumplings, sauerkraut, and other Ukrainian delicacies.

#CookForUkraine

#CookForUkraine is a social media campaign devised by Olia and fellow chef Alissa Timoshkina. It encourages restaurants, other well-known chefs, and individuals to raise funds for UNICEF by cooking Ukrainian cuisine.

Cookbooks

Another way to get to know Olia Hercules is to buy her cookbooks. Summer Kitchens: Inside Ukraine’s Hidden Places of Cooking and Sanctuary, Mamushka: Recipes From Ukraine & Beyond, and her latest book Home Food all offer recipes of rustic Ukrainian and Eastern European food, interspersed with stories of food, culture, and family.