On April 2, 2026, UAFukuoka held a borsch cooking and Ukrainian culture event at いとしま児童クラブ「みんなの居場所」 in Itoshima, hosted by Yoshikawa-san (吉川貴子). You can find their original event announcement here. Around 20 children and 10 adults participated.
Roman, Mariya (UAFukuoka), and Yu — a Kyushu University student — cooked a traditional Ukrainian borsch from scratch, starting early in the morning. The children were fascinated to discover that the rich red color comes from slow-cooked beets, combined with cabbage, potatoes, carrots, onion, and meat — a combination that fills the room with an unmistakable aroma long before the first bowl is served. The adults were surprised by the depth of flavor and asked what spices were used, expecting a long list of seasonings. They were genuinely amazed to learn that the secret is simply salt, pepper, and garlic — nothing more. For most participants, it was their first time tasting borsch. All the children finished their portions, several asked for seconds, and one boy said it was one of the most delicious things he had ever eaten.
While the borsch was cooking, Sophia (UAFukuoka) gave a presentation on Ukraine tailored for children — covering how far Ukraine is from Japan, how it compares in size, its food, culture, capital Kyiv, and many other fascinating facts. Before starting, she asked the children what they knew about Ukraine. Their answer was a single word: “war.” Sadly, that was the only thing they had heard about Ukraine. We hope that after this event they will also remember borsch, friendship, and Ukrainian culture. Sophia closed with a message that resonated with everyone in the room: Ukraine is not defined by war — it is a country full of life, love, and a deep desire for peace.
We are grateful to Yoshikawa-san (吉川貴子) and the entire staff of みんなの居場所 for their warm hospitality and for making this event possible.
P.S. The beets used at this event were kindly provided by Shota Kinoshita, the Karatsu farmer who grew the beets and helps us promote Ukrainian cuisine and culture. Find the recipe for borsch on his website.
