On November 13–14, 2025, a landmark event took place in Lviv’s gastronomic and cultural life — a new National Record of Ukraine was officially registered for the largest number of authentic Boyko dishes prepared in a single restaurant.
The record was set by the unique “Boykivska Hostyna” restaurant, which presented more than twenty traditional dishes of the Boyko Highlands, including:
Traditional Dishes (Tasting Menu)
- Sauerkraut Salad
- “Mastyka” with Yas’ka Beans
- “Pіdbyvanyi” Borshch from Boberka – a drinkable borshch, thickened with sour cream and cooked on meat broth and brine from pickled cucumbers.
- Mushroom Yushka – an authentic Carpathian broth made from porcini mushrooms.
- “Carpathian” Kapusniak with pork ribs and millet.
- Tokan – cornmeal cooked in water and cream or sour cream.
- Lуhantsi with Filling (homemade cheese; mushrooms with meat) – a specialty of the Skole region.
- Terchanyky (Tarchanyky) – a dish made from grated potatoes.
- Terchani Pyrohy – grated potato baked in the form of a pie with a filling of homemade cheese.
- Knyshi (with potatoes and cabbage / or minced meat).
- Oshchypok – traditional Boiko bread shaped by hand.
- Budz – a traditional Boiko cheese, made from sheep’s or cow’s milk.
- Carpathian Herbal Tea
- Black Pies
- Dessert “The Stump” – the favourite dessert of Petro Franko, son of Ivan Franko.
- Var (traditional boiled grain or berry-based dish; local specialty).
- Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Grated Potatoes
Dishes Not Included in the Tasting, but Documented, Adapted and Added to the Menu
- Vurda Cheese Salad
- Marinated Porcini Mushrooms
- “White” Borshch with millet and porcini
- Fryha – melted brynza cheese with pork belly and egg
- “Polonynska” Mountain Soup (Mizhhirya style, with veal)
- Hopka (traditional highlanders’ dish)
- “Holi-Bosi” Soup – also known as “Dziama”
- “Wet” Deruny (listed as Deruny in a Clay Pot in the menu)
- Fried Trout
- Grandmother Ancia’s Family Syrnyk (Cheesecake)
- Rye Kvass with Chicory and Rhubarb Kvass
- “Franko’s Three-Layer Coffee” and “Kulchytskyi Coffee” (with milk and honey)
Alcoholic Beverages
- “Franko’s Honey Drinks” – mead-based alcoholic beverages produced in Drohobych.
Local Products
Many varieties of local Carpathian products are also presented in the souvenir shop.
The presentation took place during the 6th International Scientific and Practical Conference “Modern Trends in the Development of the Hospitality Industry,” hosted by Ivan Boberskyi Lviv State University of Physical Culture. For our academic and professional community, this record is far more than a culinary achievement — it is a powerful step toward reviving Ukrainian culinary heritage and returning authentic national cuisine to scientific, cultural and educational discourse.
A United Team Behind a Historic Result
The initiative was led by
Andrii Nimets, Head of “Boykivska Hostyna” and PhD student of Lviv State University of Physical Culture,
together with co-owner Anastasiia Budarenko.
Their team of chefs and researchers undertook meticulous work to reconstruct dishes whose recipes often existed only in ethnographic notes, family archives, or fieldwork recordings. The foundation of this revival was the now-iconic book “101 Recipes of Boyko Cuisine.”
The record was officially supported and certified by
Lana Vietrova, Head of the National Register of Records of Ukraine,
who emphasized the exceptional cultural value of Boyko culinary heritage and its importance for Ukrainian identity.
Special appreciation goes to
Professor Mariia Paska, Head of the Department of Hotel and Restaurant Business,
for her academic and methodological guidance throughout the project.
The initiative was also strongly supported by the University’s Rector,
Yaroslav Stepanych Svyshch,
whose strategic vision strengthens interdisciplinary research and the preservation of Ukrainian traditions in contemporary hospitality education.
Why This Record Matters
Boyko cuisine embodies the values of the mountain people: dignity, hard work, simplicity, resilience and wisdom. Every dish carries the memory of families, highland settlements, shepherding life, and the struggle for survival in the Carpathians.
Reviving these dishes is a step towards:
- preserving and amplifying long-forgotten traditions;
- promoting local and authentic food culture;
- strengthening Ukraine’s gastronomic brand;
- boosting culinary tourism;
- reinforcing cultural identity;
- defending Ukraine’s cultural front during wartime.
Today, people seek authenticity — in stories, in meaning, in taste.
And this record proves that authenticity is Ukraine’s strength.
For the Ukrainian School of Hospitality — This Is Only the Beginning
Our team will continue researching traditional regional cuisines, exploring authentic recipes, developing educational programs, and shaping the future Ukrainian gastronomic school.
This record is a milestone, but many new cultural, academic and culinary discoveries are yet to come.
Media Coverage
The story has already been featured by Vysokyi Zamok (The High Castle):
👉 https://wz.lviv.ua/life/542498-u-lvovi-vstanovyly-rekord-ukrainy-shchodo-naibilshoi-kilkosti-strav
In Conclusion
This record is not about the number of dishes.
It is about love for our heritage.
About memory.
About identity that lives as long as we pass it on.
And we will pass it on.
With gratitude,
Mykhailo Sheveliuk
Head of the Ukrainian School of Hospitality
