This year, the CYM (Ukrainian Youth Association) summer camp "Oselia Beskyd" in Baraboo, Wisconsin, combined its traditional program with new ways of exploring Ukrainian culture. One such activity involved the collaborative preparation of traditional dishes using family recipes, organized in partnership with the Women’s Association for the Defense of Four Freedoms for Ukraine (WADFFU).
This was reported by Adrianna Odomirok for the Surma newspaper.
This summer marked the head counselor's fifth year working at the camp. She notes that every year brings the challenge of preserving Ukrainian traditions while finding new ways to engage young people with them.
A cooking workshop emerged as one such method. The idea arose following a general meeting of the WADFFU’s Alla Horska Branch, where members discussed a Ukrainian cookbook the organization had published, featuring family recipes and stories about traditional dishes.
Andrea Krutiak, a member of both WADFFU and CYM, visited the camp. She spoke to the youth about the organization's work, presented the cookbook, and prepared several dishes from it alongside the campers.
Children and teenagers prepared borscht, Ukrainian-style open-faced sandwiches, and *pliatsok* (a layered cake). They peeled and chopped vegetables, carried water from the spring to the campfire, prepared fillings, kneaded dough, and assembled the sandwiches. In this way, participants not only learned about traditional recipes but also carried out the entire preparation process themselves.
The organizers view this format as a means of passing on cultural heritage through personal involvement. It is about more than just knowing the names of traditional dishes; it involves hands-on experience with recipes, cooking methods, and the family stories associated with them.
The culinary program was just one aspect of camp life. Throughout the summer, participants studied Ukrainian history, discussed ways to support Ukraine, engaged in creative activities, swam, played games, sang Ukrainian songs, prayed, and spent time around the campfire.
The OZh OChSU cookbook, which served as the basis for the session, contains family recipes and information on Ukrainian culinary traditions. It was created to preserve these recipes and their associated family stories, ensuring they are passed down to future generations.
Photo: Adriianna Odomirok
Author: Danylo Pievchev