Fliachky (tripe soup)

What it is

Fliachky, or khlyaky, is a dish made from beef tripe, which is a part of the stomach. In western Ukraine, they are prepared both as a thick soup and as a main dish. The tripe is soaked for a long time, boiled several times with water changes, then cut into thin strips and stewed in broth with carrots, parsley root, and celery.

The flavor of fliachky comes from spices: marjoram, nutmeg, allspice, black pepper, and garlic. According to researcher of Galician cuisine Marianna Dushar, Krakow, Lviv, and Warsaw fliachky are different, although the product is the same: Lviv and Krakow fliachky are lightened with sour cream or thickened with flour.

The dish is labor-intensive, as the tripe cooks for several hours, but Lviv residents loved it: memoirists mention a professor who recognized only fliachky among all dishes.

As a main dish, khlyaky are stewed thicker: they are seasoned with boiled millet or thickened with flour, well peppered, and mixed with garlic.

History and name

The name derives from the German word Fleck ('patch, piece'), probably through the Polish flaki. The dish was described by ethnographer Volodymyr Hnatiuk in his work 'Folk Food and Its Seasoning in Eastern Galicia' (1899). As a main dish, khlyaky are also known in Poltava region, where they were served with dumplings.

In Lviv, fliachky are part of the urban cuisine shared with Krakow: both developed in parallel in one state. This is a dish of the city and Galician towns, not of mountain villages.

Ingredients and allergens

Variant: lviv-style, lightened with sour cream

Beef tripe1 kgPart of the stomach of ruminant animals; the basis for fljački. It is soaked for a long time, boiled several times, and cut into thin strips.

Beefbone or 300–500 g for brothThe classic meat for Transcarpathian bograch is best from the shoulder or shank.

Carrot1–2 pcs.Added to mushroom soup.

Parsley (root and leaves)1 rootRoot is used in soup, greens added at the end for aroma.

Celery root100 gAromatic root for soup mixes.Contains allergens: celery

Onion1–2 pcs.Fried onion in lard or oil is a common seasoning in Carpathian dishes.

Marjoram1–2 tsp.Dried spicy herb that is indispensable in Lviv and Kraków fljački.

Nutmega pinchSpice that is finely grated into fljački and pâtés; despite its name, it is a seed, not a nut.

Sour cream100–200 gThick homemade sour cream is the base for banosh and machanka, a common dressing for Carpathian dishes.Contains allergens: milk

Milk0.5 l for soaking, optionalCow's milk for the dough of palachyntsi, machanka, and porridge.Contains allergens: milk

Garlic1–2 cloves, optionalA seasoning for bograch, kiselytsia, sausages, and trout.

Wheat flour1–2 tbsp., optionalFor the dough of varenyky, palačinky, bobalyok, and pasky.Contains allergens: gluten

Also: allspice (3–4 berries), black pepper (to taste), bay leaf (1–2 leaves), salt (to taste)

Contains allergens: milk, celery
Depending on how it is served, may contain: gluten
Diet: gluten-free

Variant: khlyaky as a main dish, with millet

beef tripe, millet, onion, garlic, allspice, nutmeg, bay leaf, black pepper, salt

Contains allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the traditional recipe
Diet: gluten-free

Ingredients of the traditional recipe; every cook and every place may do it differently — please ask when ordering. We cannot guarantee the absence of allergens or traces.

How it is traditionally made

Serves: 6 servings

• Beef tripe — 1 kg
• Milk — 0.5 l for soaking
• Beef — bone or 300–500 g for broth
• Carrot — 1–2 pcs.
• Parsley (root and leaves) — 1 root
• Celery root — 100 g
• Onion — 1–2 pcs.
• Marjoram — 1–2 tsp.
• Nutmeg — a pinch
• Allspice — 3–4 berries
• Black pepper — to taste
• Bay leaf — 1–2 leaves
• Garlic — 1–2 cloves
• Sour cream — 100–200 g
• Wheat flour — 1–2 tbsp.
• Salt — to taste

1. Thoroughly rinse the tripe and cut it into wide strips; if desired, soak it in milk for 10–12 hours in the cold, then rinse.
2. Cover with cold water, bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes, and drain the water; repeat once more.
3. Cover the tripe with fresh water or broth (with a bone or a piece of beef) and simmer on low heat for 2–3 hours until tender.
4. Cut the cooked tripe into thin strips. Cut the carrot, parsley root, and celery into sticks and boil in the broth.
5. Return the tripe to the broth and season with marjoram, nutmeg, allspice, black pepper, bay leaf, salt; if desired, add garlic.
6. Mix sour cream with a tablespoon of flour, dilute with hot broth, and pour into the fliachky. Bring to a boil.

How it is served

Hot, with rye bread or a bun; sprinkle with a pinch of marjoram on top.

Variants

As a main dish, khlyaky are stewed thicker, seasoned with boiled millet or thickened with flour and mixed with garlic. According to Marianna Dushar, Lviv and Krakow fliachky are lightened with sour cream or flour, while Warsaw fliachky are prepared differently.

The traditional method as described by our sources; every family does it its own way. We have not tested this recipe in a professional kitchen.

Where it is eaten

The area is approximate and based on the sources below. The dish is cooked outside it too, and ethnographic borders are blurred.

Lviv and Galician towns and cities of Lviv region; an urban tradition, not a mountain one. Khlyaky are also known in other regions of Ukraine, particularly in Poltava region.

When it is eaten

Occasions: Everyday food

FAQ