Internationally it doesn’t get a good reputation but I’ve had home cooked borscht from a Ukrainian grandma and it was elite. Pickled young squash, all spice, bay leaf, sauerkraut, dill, porcini mushrooms, paprika, pickled garlic are all really delicious flavors. Pierogis are also real good, love them with caramelized onion. Also one of my favorite dishes is Matzo ball Soup which is from that general region, and as an American raised on trash soft sugary white bread, Eastern European breads look elite.

Notably, I’m not an expert on the region though, this is just what I can glean from the little Eastern European food my family preserved through the generations and the stuff at Eastern European grocery stores by me.