This ancient beverage enriched with spices will fill your home with festive aroma, and your glass will be full of sweet and vibrant varenukha.

 

! 
Cooking time: 3–6 hrs.
Serves 2 people.
 

 

Ingredients

• 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 7 cardamom seeds
• 7 cloves 
• 7 allspice berries
• 7 peppercorns of whole black pepper
• 2 tbs honey 
• 10 g fresh ginger
• 0.5 tsp paprika 
• peel from a whole orange 
• 200 g dried fruit mix (apples, pears, plums and cherries) 
• 1 ltr water

 

Cooking method

Wash the dried fruit and add to 1 litre of water. Bring to the boil and then leave to infuse in a warm place. If possible, transfer it into a thermos for several hours. Otherwise, let it infuse for half an hour and then strain the liquid. The cooked fruit can be placed on a separate plate or used as a filling for pies or in other desserts. 

Season the liquid with the spices, bring to the boil, tightly close the lid and simmer over a very low heat for 1.5 hours. The infusion could be left inside an oven for several hours. It is important for the fruit infusion to slowly simmer without boiling. 

When ready, strain the infusion once again. Serve warm or cold.

 


 

Photo by Oksana Sybydlo

 


 

Partner

Український інститут

The recipe is part of “Ukraine. Food and Culture”, a coffee table edition developed to promote Ukrainian food culture overseas and published by їzhakultura/їzhak publishing with support from the Ukrainian Institute.