Banosh — the soul of Hutsul cuisine. This unique cornmeal porridge, reminiscent of mamaliga made with sour cream, is a staple dish often found on tables in Western Ukraine and neighboring regions of Romania. In its homeland of Rakhiv region, a festival dedicated to banosh is held, where locals share the legend that the dish’s name came from the surname Banosh.
Traditionally considered a poor man’s meal, banosh was prepared when only a little sour cream (nearly everyone had sheep or cows) and some cornmeal were left. Today, no Hutsul-style restaurant or celebration is complete without banosh. There are several variations of the dish — with sheep brynza, pork cracklings, or white mushrooms. However, the base recipe remains the same.
- 800–900 ml of rich sour cream, preferably homemade
- 250 g fine cornmeal or finely ground corn grits
- 100 g smoked pork belly / white mushroom sauce / finely grated brynza (you can use any or combine them)
- a pinch of salt and sugar
Dilute the sour cream slightly with water and bring to a boil. Gradually add the cornmeal in a thin stream, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring in a circular motion until drops of oil appear on the surface. Fry the pork belly into cracklings or crumble the brynza finely. Serve the banosh with toppings placed on top, without mixing. Serve hot immediately.
*To be honest, the use of sour cream in this recipe perplexes me, as I didn’t detect the tanginess when I tasted it in Western Ukraine. ESPECIALLY if using store-bought sour cream instead of homemade, I recommend substituting it with cream, preferably fresh from the farm. That way, you’ll achieve the authentic flavor of traditional banosh.
Dilute the sour cream slightly with water and bring to a boil. Gradually add the cornmeal in a thin stream, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring in a circular motion until drops of oil appear on the surface. Fry the pork belly into cracklings or crumble the brynza finely. Serve the banosh with toppings placed on top, without mixing. Serve hot immediately.
*To be honest, the use of sour cream in this recipe perplexes me, as I didn’t detect the tanginess when I tasted it in Western Ukraine. ESPECIALLY if using store-bought sour cream instead of homemade, I recommend substituting it with cream, preferably fresh from the farm. That way, you’ll achieve the authentic flavor of traditional banosh.
