Pampushka ( , pl. ;

diminutive A diminutive is a word obtained by modifying a root word to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment, and sometimes to belittle s ...

of pampukh or pampukha) is a small savory or sweet yeast-raised

bun A bun is a type of bread that is round and small enough that it can generally be eaten hand-held. Whether a bun is considered sweetened or unsweetened differs between countries: it is considered sweetened in the United Kingdom, a savory bread in ...

doughnut A doughnut or donut () is a type of pastry made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and fran ...

typical for

Ukrainian cuisine Ukrainian cuisine is the collection of the various cooking traditions of Ukrainians, the people of Ukraine, one of the largest and most populous European countries. It is heavily influenced by the rich dark soil () from which its ingredients com ...

Etymology

The Ukrainian word ''pampukh'' comes via Polish '' pampuch'' (a kind of thick dumpling or steamed doughnut) from German ''Pfannkuchen'' ("pancake"). Similarly to English "pancake", the latter derives from ''Pfanne'' ("pan") and ''Kuchen'' ("cake"). The diminutive form ''pampushka'' is used more frequently than the basic form.

Varieties

Pampushky are made of yeast dough from wheat, rye or buckwheat flour. Traditionally they are baked, but may also be fried. Savoury pampushky have no filling. They are usually seasoned with

garlic sauce Garlic sauce is a sauce prepared using garlic as a primary ingredient. It is typically a pungent sauce, with the depth of garlic flavor determined by the amount of garlic used. The garlic is typically crushed or finely diced. Simple garlic sauce ...

and often served as a side dish with red

borscht Borscht () is a sour soup, made with meat stock, vegetables and seasonings, common in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. In English, the word ''borscht'' is most often associated with the soup's variant of Ukrainian origin, made with red b ...

or yushka. Sweet pampushky may be filled with fruits, berries,

varenye Varenye is a popular Fruit preserves, whole-fruit preserve, widespread in Eastern Europe (Russian cuisine, Russia, Ukrainian cuisine, Ukraine, Belarusian cuisine, Belarus), as well as the Baltic region. It is made by cooking berries, other fruits, ...

, povydlo, or poppy seeds, and topped with powdered sugar. Ukrainian Borsch with Pampushky in Zaporizhia.JPG, alt= A bowl of red borscht served with two garlic pampushky and three slices of salo on a separate plate, Ukrainian borscht served with garlic pampushky and three slices of salo File:Pampushky.jpg, alt=Six fried pampushky on a plate. Cherry filling is visible in one of them, Pampushky with cherries and icing-sugar topping

History

According to

William Pokhlyobkin William August Vasilyevich Pokhlyobkin (August 20, 1923 – April 15 (burial date), 2000; , Viliyam Vasilievich Pokhlyobkin) was a Soviet and Russian historian specializing in Scandinavian studies, heraldry, the diplomacy and international ...

, the technology of making pampushky points to German cuisine, and these buns were possibly created by German colonists in Ukraine. They spread through the country in the second half of the 19th century and later reached the status of a Ukrainian traditional dish.

In popular culture

Since 2008, yearly Pampukh Festivals have been organised around Orthodox Christmas time (in January) in

Lviv Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

. During the festival in 2012, a

Guinness world record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...

was set by building the world's largest mosaic made of doughnuts.

References

External links