Meet Ukrainian kompot 🍓

The Eastern European boiled fruit drink

If you grew up in Eastern Europe – or have family traditions from that part of the world – you do not need a definition of kompot. It’s likely the word alone elicits visceral memories for you.

But for the uninitiated, kompot is a bright red homemade drink made from boiled fruit (related to the broader European concept of fruit “compote”). This sweet, rustic beverage is designed to use up a surplus of summer fruit, as well as fruit that may be bruised or overripe.

When I was a child in Ukraine, my mom would make giant vats of kompot all summer long, as well as for festive occasions as an alternative to the more scarcely available Pepsi and Fanta. These days, pretty much the only time I drink it anymore is on Brighton Beach, when my friends and I eat at Tatiana on the boardwalk – or on the rare occasion that we make it to banya (the Russian bathhouse).

With summer inching closer, I wanted to get the nostalgic recipe out to you. This is my family’s take on the drink, written with counsel from my mom. It’s one of those things everyone makes slightly differently, but of course, I’m inclined to say our version is the best…

P.S. Wanna save the recipe for later? Add it to your Pinterest.

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