One particularly special part of the family visit to Kyiv has been the opportunity to get to know Jonah and Tess a bit more. We already knew we liked both of them a lot, and that they are smart, witty people, but we didn't know that Jonah is a totally brave eater who will try just about anything once. This we really like. In Romania, he tried bear. So, of course we had to one-up it in Kyiv. At the really awesome Ukrainian restaurant Shinok, Igor of course had to order the plate of salo, aka pig fat, a Ukrainian staple. (I would call it a Ukrainian delicacy, except that I think "delicacy" implies eating it rarely or on special occasions, whereas most Ukrainians have a slab of it in the fridge at all times.) Jonah dove in with enthusiasm and gave it a thumbs up. Perusing the menu for something not-so-typical for an American, we asked if he'd like to try rabbit. He answered "Yes!" immediately, and ate it with equal enthusiasm.
(We did the vodka sampling with Scott and Angela, although Jonah did look pretty cool with a dozen shot glasses in front of him 🙂 Last night we talked more about foods, and Scott mentioned a few kinds of meat he would still like to try at some point in his life (despite having gone vegetarian last year). Igor suggested they try beef tongue, another very popular dish in Ukraine, and Scott gave a shudder and an "ick" sound. This, I have to admit, never fails to confuse me. Why is it OK to put a piece of butt in your mouth, but not a piece of tongue? (I've been a vegetarian since about the age of 16, so putting any of it my mouth sounds pretty repulsive.) Jonah, on the other hand, once again showed enthusiasm, so on the menu today will be tongue!
Anka in Kyiv 