Mandryky

Mandryky are traditional Ukrainian curd-cheese cakes, small round items of dough based on fresh curd cheese, flour, and eggs. They are inseparably tied to the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul (29 June; 12 July in the Julian calendar), which ends the Petrivka fast.

According to folk legend, mandryky were the very dish with which shepherds treated the apostle Peter when he was wandering (hence the name — from the word “mandruvaty,” to wander). The dough for mandryky is made tender and rich in curd, shaped into small cakes, and baked to a golden colour. The finished mandryky have a pleasant curdy texture and a lightly sweet taste. This ritual bake is another vivid example of how Ukrainian cuisine is closely interwoven with the folk and church calendar, and how every dish has its own story and special day.