MATSYK is a culinary card of Rivne region

When you travel to Ukraine, be sure to visit Rivne region. We recommend taking photos in the tunnel of Love and in the Park of Historical Reconstruction "Ostvitsya settlement", visit the majestic castles in Ostroh and Dubno, observe the places where Ulas Samchuk, Leonard Bernstein and Konstantin Ostrozky were born, visit the oldest oaks in Ukraine and the workshop where you can create "Haze", taste matsyk, wild honey from the sides and traditional dishes that unite generations.

Gastronomic tourism is becoming increasingly popular in Ukraine and around the world. A special place in it is occupied by traditional cuisine, reproducing the forgotten recipes of great-grandmothers in combination with the natural heritage of the region.

Within the framework of the international project "Cultural heritage of the cuisine - the promotion of culinary traditions through the professionalization of the gastronomic offer of Lublin and Rivne" the team of the NGO "Agency for Sustainable Development of the city" researches and looks for authentic recipes that could be recommended to those who want to discover the taste.

We open a section of recipes of regional culinary heritage. We offer real gourmets to try to cook at home five authentic dishes that have been prepared in the Rivne region since ancient times, and after quarantine - to taste in restaurants in the city of Rivne and the region. The proposed recipes are only a part of the dishes included in the culinary catalog "Enjoy the cuisine of Rivne: authentic dishes and drinks". We are the first to offer you a recipe for the zest of the region's cuisine - a recipe for the "matsyk" delicacy.

MATSYK

The origin of the name of this dish is quite interesting. During the period when the bladder with meat is hung in the attic, the hostess touches it from time to time (from the Polissya dialectical "matsaty" - to press with your fingers), checking for readiness. Hence the name "matsyk".

INGREDIENTS

• 5 kg of pork (part of the shoulder or thigh)
• 1 pork bladder or 1 stomach
• 200g of salt
• 50g of black pepper
• 20g of dried bay leaf
• 1tsp of citric acid
• 1.5 liters of water

Directions

Rinse the bladder well with cold water, turn it inside out and clean it softly with a knife. Soak the cleaned bladder for 5-7 hours in a solution of cold water and citric acid. Then rinse well with cold water. Cut the meat into large pieces and place it in a large bowl. Add salt, ground black pepper and pieces of bay leaves to the meat. Mix everything well with your hands and fill the bladder tightly with meat so that there is no air inside. Sew the hole in the bladder tightly or tie a thread. Matsyk is almost ready by that moment. The filled bladder is hung in a well-ventilated room, preferably in the attic. After 6-8 months of hanging, the meat is ready to eat.


Dubrovytsia district, Svarytsevychi village


The project is implemented with the financial support of the European Union under the Сross-border cooperation program "Poland-Belarus-Ukraine 2014-2020".
The content is the sole responsibility of the NGO "Agency for Sustainable Development of the City", and under no circumstances can be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.