BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2022
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here are as many versions of borscht as there are babulyas, mociutes and bubbes, but one thing nearly everyone agrees on is that borscht is a favorite in former Eastern Bloc kitchens across Eastern Europe. Hot, cold, veggie- or meat-based, this jewel-toned soup can be transformed from summer to winter, or hearty to bisquelike with a swap of ingredients in your pantry. Inexpensive and simple to prepare, the variations are nearly endless.
Food historians concur that the beloved soup originated in Ukraine, though the dish was culturally appropriated through Russian occupation and cemented in its culture by the 1939 publication of the state propagandist cookbook The Book of Tasty and Healthy Food (gifted by the Soviet government to newlyweds), which attempted to create a national gastronomic identity throughout the Bloc. The book is still in print today. in Cyrillic, known as “borsch” in Slavic and Baltic languages, the common English spelling of borscht derives from the Yiddish transliteration, when the soup was introduced to the West primarily by Jewish refugees fleeing Eastern Europe. Classic Ukrainian borscht is tomatobased, loaded with shredded 14
cabbage, root veggies, beets (of course!), beef or pork, and topped with sour cream and dill. It’s not unusual to see beans in many recipes as well. The spice profile is simple to nonexistent – this is about what
The word “borsch” simply means “sour soup,” derived from the Slavic word for the cow parsnip, or hogweed. Green borscht is sorrel soup, commonly served in the summer. Try the recipe!
was on hand at the time. It goes without saying borscht is a health powerhouse: beets are a good source of betaine, the phytonutrient that provides antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification properties. The key to first-class borscht is using high quality veggies and adding a bit of acid and sweetness. In summertime, pick your best sweet beets, and during the colder months, grab your pickled beets off the shelf for a lovely winter meal. Either way, the vinegar will add notes of sourness that add depth and interest that make this more than a simple soup. Though the carnivorous variety is the likely primordial, there are loads of vegetarian versions, born of scarce times when people had to make do without meat.
