What to Eat in Odessa, Ukraine

Odessa (Odesa) sits on the Black Sea, where a temperate climate and long growing season favor vegetables, herbs, and fruit. Port trade layered Ukrainian staples with Greek, Moldovan, Bulgarian, Romanian, Jewish, and Turkish flavors. Markets supply fish year-round, while summers bring cherries, tomatoes, and eggplant in abundance.

Meals lean on simple techniques—boiling, frying, stewing, and pickling—that respect seasonal produce and local catch. People favor hearty midday eating and sociable evening zakusky, often centered on bread, preserves, and seafood. The result is a cuisine both coastal and cosmopolitan, shaped by migration and the sea.

Forshmak in Odessa is a finely minced spread made from lightly soaked salted herring, tart apples, onion, and hard-boiled eggs, often enriched with softened white bread and a touch of butter or sunflower oil. Some families bake a firmer casserole-style version, but the classic remains a cool, creamy paste. Lemon juice or a splash of vinegar brightens it, while black pepper and green onion add bite. Spread on dense rye or wheat bread, it is smooth yet textured, with a gentle salinity, faint sweetness from apple, and a fragrant onion finish. Emerging from Ashkenazi Jewish kitchens and popularized in this port’s markets and communal apartments, forshmak reflects Odessa’s Jewish heritage and a steady supply of preserved fish. It appears as a starter at family gatherings and holiday meals, and as a practical make-ahead zakuska throughout the year, especially when fresh fish is scarce but herring is dependable.

Bychky v tomate turns small Black Sea gobies into a hearty, shelf-stable dish. Cleaned gobies are lightly salted, dredged in flour, and pan-fried until the skin crisps. A sauce of sautéed onions and carrots, tomato paste, bay leaf, and allspice is simmered until glossy, then fish are stewed in it so bones soften. The result is tender fish with a savory-sour tomato profile, gentle sweetness from carrots, and warming spice notes. Historically canned across the region and strongly associated with Odessa’s fishing traditions, it offered reliable protein even in winter. Locals eat it warm with potatoes or macaroni, or cool with black bread, and many keep jars at home for quick meals. You will find it in home kitchens and market stalls year-round, with peak freshness in late summer and early autumn when tomatoes are at their best.

Odessans cherish sweet varenyky filled with sour cherries, a summertime staple when southern orchards are heavy with fruit. A soft dough of flour, water or milk, a pinch of salt, and sometimes egg is kneaded, rolled thin, and cut into rounds. Each is stuffed with pitted cherries tossed with sugar and a little starch to catch juices, then sealed and boiled until they bob to the surface. Served with smetana, melted butter, or a dusting of sugar, they are tender, slightly chewy, and bursting with bright tartness that balances the rich dairy topping. Families often freeze cherries to extend the season, so the dumplings appear well beyond midsummer. With their quick cooking time and celebratory feel, cherry varenyky are eaten as a light lunch, dessert, or festive treat, especially on hot days when heavy dishes give way to fruit-forward cooking.

Plăcintă (placinda) in Odessa reflects Bessarabian, Moldovan, and Romanian influences long present in the region. The dish is built from thin, oiled dough stretched almost translucent, then filled with crumbly brynza (sheep’s cheese) and fresh dill, sometimes with green onion or spinach. The parcel is folded into rounds or spirals and either pan-fried on a dry griddle with light oiling or baked until crisp and blistered. Inside is salty, herbal, and creamy; outside is flaky with a gentle crackle. Variations include pumpkin or potato, but brynza-and-dill remains the hallmark savory version. With sunflower oil prominent in southern Ukraine and Odessa’s markets stocked with brynza, this pastry is an everyday snack and travel-friendly food. People grab plăcintă for breakfast, eat it warm for lunch, or pack it for the beach, a habit tied to the city’s portable street-food culture and cross-border culinary ties.

Rapana, the veined rapa whelk introduced to the Black Sea in the 20th century, has become an Odessa staple and a practical way to use an invasive species. Cleaned whelk meat is sliced, briefly marinated with lemon juice, garlic, salt, and sunflower oil, then skewered and grilled fast over high heat. The goal is tenderness with light char, as overcooking turns it rubbery. Flavor is briny-sweet with a texture between squid and scallop, and many finish it with dill, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Alternatively, rapana can be battered and fried for a crisp exterior and juicy center. The dish is closely tied to beach season, when seaside kiosks and home grills fire up, though frozen rapana extends availability into cooler months. Culturally, it represents Odessa’s adaptive seafood habits and a resource-wise response to environmental change, enjoyed as a snack with bread or alongside simple salads.

Odessa’s cuisine blends coastal pragmatism with port-city variety: preserved fish, fast dumplings, flaky pastries, and quick-grilled seafood shaped by a long season and bustling markets. Jewish, Bessarabian, Greek, Turkish, Romanian, and Bulgarian threads create a distinctive table. Explore more food insights, seasonal tips, and travel planning tools on Sunheron.com.