The author of the Ethnic Ukrainian Traditional Cuisine Etnocook is Tiazhka Lilia (Tyazhka Lilya), ukr. Ліля Тяжка, jp. チャシカ ・リリャ
About the Ukrainian cuisine event in Japan
On the 24th of February 2024 on the second anniversary of the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the largest in Japan and one of the largest in the world IT services provider, Japanese company Fujitsu, organised a masterclass of the traditional Ukrainian red beet soup Borshch cooking for its employees and family members. This was a big opportunity and a great pleasure for me to share the Ukrainian culture and techniques used for Ukrainian food preparation, and historical facts about Ukrainian cuisine with such a motivated and talented Japanese group.
Photos: the 1st from the right up provided by the organizers from the Fujitsu Limited; the 1st from the right bottom was made for the Japanese newspaper タウンニュース (TownNews); the rest of the photos by Etnocook
This Ukrainian food and culture masterclass in the Great Tokyo Area was a very energetic event, excellently organised, with very inspired and active Japanese participants. In fact, this was an amazing team-building Ukrainian food cooking experience in Japan that connects everybody who takes part in it. During the masterclass, I showed different techniques and methods how to cook Ukrainian food, talked about the main types of Ukrainian red beet soup and a lot of historical facts about Ukrainian Borshch.
“My colleagues are very impressed and excited. Until now, I have held lectures on Ukraine, but they have always been temporary. Today’s events have become lifelong memories for the participants,” – wrote Rumi Nagashima, Japanese IT company Fujitsu General Affairs Headquarters Community Promotion Office
For this Ukrainian cuisine masterclass in Japan, I used the traditional recipe of the Ukrainian Borshch restored from the Middle Ages original recipe for my ethnic cuisine website Etnocook. Actually, the simplified red beets soup Borshch recipe I wrote, as a chef with more than 10 years of Ukrainian cuisine cooking experience, to provide Ukrainian cuisine Borshch masterclasses in Japan, for quicker cooking while preserving the original taste and nutritional benefits of the healthy comfort Ukrainian dish.
Photo: Etnocook. The cooked during Ukrainian cuisine masterclass in Japan Borshch is served to the participants in the traditional style with sour cream and green dill
In Japan, there are all the necessary ingredients for the Ukrainian traditional soup Borsch. However, some spices, herbs and foods are rare and hard to find. For example, I brought for the cooking masterclass for the Japanese participants to observe dried white Ukrainian mushrooms (porcini), gathered in the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains. They were grown in wild nature in the deep forest, far from any industrial manufacture, in a very ecological zone. Gathered by hand, washed and dried in a very old-style Ukrainian ethnic way, white mushrooms add the Borshch a unique flavour. Mushrooms had to be ordered and delivered from Ukraine specially for this masterclass, to add the red beet soup the unique authenticity.
Also, green dill is widely used for cooking in Ukraine, it adds a special flavour to a lot of traditional Ukrainian dishes. It was a big surprise that the Fujitsu event organisers prepared the freshest dill in pots in the perfect amount for everybody.
Additionally, two types of very typical Ukrainian delicious open sandwiches (canapé) made of white bread with cottage cheese, dill and garlic, and rye bread with salo (pork fat) and green onions were made on the side.
Organization tips of the Ukrainian food masterclass in Japan. International and Japanese standards of the cooking masterclass
The organization of the cooking event takes a lot of time anywhere, however, in Japan, a very good planning method is practised when different people are involved in planning and all details are predicted. As it is well known, for a cooking masterclass in Japan there must be a special kitchen and there are special rules, first of all, for safety reasons: to have enough space for the work with cooking tools and utensils and also to prevent spreading respiratory infections.
Photo: the Fujitsu’s Ukrainian Borshch masterclass event announcement
For example, the Japanese standards require space of 3 to 5 square meters per participant for the cooking event. Actually, the number of Japanese who wanted to participate in my Ukrainian Borshch masterclass was a couple of times more than the standard kitchen for cooking masterclasses in Japan could possibly contain. That’s why the lottery had to be provided by organisers from the Fujitsu company and up to 40 participants could take part, together with Ukrainian evacuees in Japan from Ukraine which has been heavily bombed every day by the Russian Federation for two years and still is under attack.
Photos: Etnocook. The participants of the Ukrainian food masterclass in Japan have detailed step-by-step instructions on how to cook Borshch
As you can see from the pictures, I was dressed in an apron on a Ukrainian traditional embroidered shirt, wearing a medical mask, with a fully covered head, in changed shoes and worked in gloves. All other participants were required to change street clothes for the safety of participating in a food event.
Usually, I use the English language during my cooking masterclasses, however, this time there was a great opportunity to provide the cooking instructions in my native language and all the participants could listen to the Ukrainian language with the proper translation into Japanese made by the translator. All Ukrainian members took part in cooking instructions, using Japanese and English languages, and the Ukrainian Borshch event was very informative and fun.
The decoration of the Japanese kitchen for the Ukrainian cultural event
One of the most important parts of the preparation of the kitchen for the Ukrainian food masterclass, after examining all necessary utensils for cooking the Ukrainian Borshch, is decorating. There were beautiful big posters on the wall in colors of the flag of Ukraine, amazing flower circle decoration from the previous Ukrainian food preparation masterclass in the Japanese educational facility, the national flag of my country, traditional ethnic Ukrainian dolls Motanky, and two special plates that the participants could observe and learn a little bit more interesting facts about the culture of my native land.
Photos: Etnocook. Decorations that were used during the Ukrainian cuisine masterclass for the Fujitsu company in Tokyo. The Ukrainian flag, a big plate with Kosiv ceramics painting from Ukraine, the Ukrainian rag doll Motanka (this tradition is approximately 13 thousand years), under plates decorations to put the served Borshch, wall posters with Ukrainian motives
For example, a beautiful big plate is from the Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine. It is painted in the style of the Ukrainian Kosiv ceramics that is on the UNESCO list of World Heritage.
The ice-breaking part of the Ukrainian food cooking event in Japan before Borshch masterclass – Ukrainian language studying by Japanese
Photos: Etnocook. The Fujitsu organisers of the Ukrainian Borsch masterclass in Japan prepared an ice-breaking part at the beginning with short interesting facts about Ukraine and learning Ukrainian words and phrases together
The most exciting part that was organized by the Fujitsu staff was the learning of Ukrainian words and phrases in the Ukrainian language. That is just unbelievable, how attentive and talented Japanese people are!
The Ukrainian language was heard also during cooking in groups while eating, and after the cooking masterclass, all the Ukrainian members helped to translate special phrases used during eating from Japanese to Ukrainian. Actually, I am totally amazed by the support of the Ukrainians in Japan and the true interest in our old traditions, Ukrainian language and culture.
At the end of the Japanese teambuilding corporative masterclass the game in question and answers about Ukrainian cuisine was organized and played to entertain the participants when the ready-cooked Borshch was served.
“Lilia Tiazhka (37), a refugee from Ukraine, taught the participants how to cook Borscht and black bread sandwiches, both of which are staple foods in Ukraine. Wearing traditional attire, Lilia’s meticulous guidance made the cooking experience enjoyable, and the event was further enlivened with quizzes about Ukraine. One participant, trying Ukrainian cuisine for the first time, remarked, “The beet’s red color was visually appealing, and the flavor was gentle and pleasant,” – writes the Japanese newspaper of the Kanagawa Prefecture and the Tama area in Tokyo タウンニュース (TownNews)
Facts about Ukrainian Borshch that were discussed during the cooking.
In 2022, the UN added borscht to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list as a dish of Ukrainian origin requiring special protection. The thing is, according to historical data, Borsch was cooked in Ukrainian lands from ancient times and it was documented when Ukraine was the center of the most powerful state in Europe of that time, Kyivan Rus (9-13 centuries CE). During centuries Russian Empire, Soviet Union and nowadays Russia try to appropriate the Ukrainian culture and Kyivan Rus’ heritage. In fact at that time, there was no Russia; it formed over many centuries as the part of modern Ukraine, and since then has started stealing Ukrainian symbols, faking facts, and trying to destroy Ukrainians as a nation. The same is happening to this day, with Russia killing the peaceful population in Ukraine and trying to destroy the cultural monuments of the Ukrainian people.
Photos: the Japanese newspaper of the Kanagawa Prefecture and the Tama area in Tokyo タウンニュース (TownNews) interview with me (Lilia Tiazhka, traditional Ukrainian ethnic cuisine Etnocook’s chef, left) after cooking Ukrainian Borshch for the Fujitsu IT company staff in Japan
Borsch is such a symbol of Ukrainian identity, the Ukrainian people are fighting for their land, and Ukrainians all around the world cook borscht as a symbol of our unity.
“We held a Ukrainian cooking experience event with the cooperation of Ukrainian refugees who acted as the cooking instructor and interpreters. It was an opportunity to learn about the Ukrainian language and history while making typical Ukrainian dishes such as Borsch,” – writes the Japanese Fujitsu official website about the Ukrainian red beet soup Borscht cooking masterclass
Photo: the Fujitsu official website about the Ukrainian cuisine Borshch cooking masterclass in Japan
Borscht is a special dish for Ukrainians. Ukrainian borsch soup has had a big value in the daily life of every Ukrainian family since ancient times. This dish was present both on ordinary days in the simplest form of preparation and as a special ceremonial dish for holidays and as a ritual during memorial services.
To sum up the amazing inspirational Ukrainian cooking event in Japan
In the end, I want to thank everyone who made my Ukrainian Borshch masterclass for Japanese happen, this is a big honour to represent the Ukrainian cooking culture in Japan in these difficult times for my country that has been invaded by Russia.
Photo: the Fujitsu Thank You letter written in Ukrainian which was especially sweet, and the dill in the pot decorated in Ukrainian colours, the small souvenir from one of the participants who volunteered during the Tokyo Olympics 2020 from the Fujitsu IT company, the flowers, hugs and the heartwarming atmosphere of the event were amazing
During this inspiring event together with the Japanese people we not only cooked more than 18 liters of the Borshch together, but we became closer by sharing the experience, learning something new and having a lot of fun. The best compliment for me as the Ukrainian chef in Japan was that all Borshch was eaten the whole with pleasure and Japanese participants of the masterclass were happy. Looking forward to more events together!
Photo: Japanese IT company Fujitsu General Affairs Headquarters Community Promotion Office
Additionally, I want once more to thank everybody who helped this bright Ukrainian cuisine cooking event in the capital of Japan happen, the Fujitsu company, the team of organisers, all Japanese participants, Ukrainians who joined the Borshch masterclass, my family, friends and Japanese school teachers who helped with inspiration and decorations – only with together efforts this memorable international gathering could happen.
By the Ukrainian Traditional Cuisine chef Lilia Tiazhka, special for the Ukrainian Ethnic Food website Etnocook
Resources and links:
- Simlified The Ukrainian Borshch recipe for the cooking masterclasses in Japan, written by chef Lilia Tiazhka (in English). – By Etnocook, author Lilia Tiazhka
- シェフのチャシカ ・リリャによる日本での料理教室のために特別に書かれたウクライナのボルシチのレシピ(日本語で, recipe of Ukrainian Borshch in Japanese language) – By Etnocook, author Lilia Tiazhka
- The Traditional recipe of the Ukrainian red beets soup with historical data, useful tips and pieces of advice by the ethnic Ukrainian cuisine food website: Traditional Borshch Recipe (in English). – By Etnocook, author Lilia Tiazhka
- Ukrainian red beet soup Borshch is a heritage protected by UNESCO and why it is so important (in English). – By Etnocook, author Lilia Tiazhka
- The UN (the United Nations) Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO placed the Culture of Ukrainian Borscht on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage that Needs Urgent Safeguarding as an extreme case (in English). – The official UNESCO website
- Culture of Ukrainian borscht cooking inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding (in English). – The official UNESCO website
- The list of the Ukrainian cuisine cooking masterclasses by the traditional ethnic cuisine Etnocook
- Pottery painting style of the Ukrainian Kosiv ceramics is on the UNESCO list of World Heritage (in English). – The official UNESCO website
- Tradition of Kosiv painted ceramics from the mountains of Ukraine (in English). – The official UNESCO website
- The Japanese newspaper of the Kanagawa Prefecture and the Tama area in Tokyo タウンニュース (TownNews) article about the Fujitsu corporate cooking event of the Ukrainian dish Borshch in Japan. – by タウンニュース (日本語で, in Japanese)
- Social news report about the Ukrainian Borscht soup masterclass for the Japanese IT company Fujitsu staff on the Fujitsu official website. – By the Fujitsu Limited (日本語で, in Japanese)
- Ukrainian Borscht cooking masterclass for the Japanese company Fujitsu (in Ukrainian). – By Etnocook, author Lilia Tiazhka