Borscht

Borscht is a sour soup originating from Ukraine. There are several types of borscht, the most commonly known being red borscht, which is beetroot-based. Other varieties use a different sour ingredient for the base. Borscht was originally made with pickled hogweed, also known as cow parsnip. The word borsch is derived from the ancient Slavic word bursci, the name of the hogweed plant.

Borscht is believed to have originated in Ukraine sometime between the fifth and ninth centuries AD. It was originally made with fermented cow parsnips. The flowers, stems, and leaves of the parsnips were chopped up and left in a clay pot of water to ferment, resulting in a sour liquid. By the fifteenth century, the dish made its way to Poland and Belarus. Borscht was first considered a food for peasants. This attitude shifted in the seventeenth century when borscht became popular among nobility, particularly in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The rising popularity of the dish led to an innovation in its preparation and ingredients based on the interests of the nobility. Today, borscht is primarily known as a red soup made with beetroot. This variety was invented sometime between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries by Ukrainians living under Russian rule east of the Dneiper River. Other varieties of borscht using different sour bases were invented over the years. White borscht is made with kissel or sometimes lemon; green borscht uses sorrel or kvass.

In 2019, the official Twitter account for the Russian Embassy published a tweet about borscht that claimed the dish to be a national food of Russia. As borscht originated from Ukraine, this statement was met with public backlash sparked by a long history of tension between the cities of Kyiv and Moscow in Ukraine and Russia, respectively. Tensions between the cities increased in 2014 following a pro-Western popular uprising in Kyiv that occurred after Russia's annexation of Crimea. The claiming of borscht as a national Russian dish was considered another example of an attempt of the Russian government to erase Ukrainian history.

In November 2020, Ukrainian chef Ievgen Klopotenko served borscht to Ukraine's culture ministry to convince them to submit an application to UNESCO to officially name borscht as part of Ukraine's cultural heritage. The ministry agreed to prepare an application to submit in time for the March 2021 deadline to be considered in December 2021. Borscht was listed on UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in July 2022.

Red borscht, the most commonly known form today, is prepared by fermenting beets, diluting them with water, and boiling them in a pot (traditionally clay). Sliced beetroot, cabbage, and carrots are added; other vegetables can be added as well. Then stock is added, occasionally accompanied by meat. Other ingredients often added to red borscht include potatoes, beans, red peppers, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Green borscht is made with sorrel or nettles. Yellow borscht is made with sugar beet or rutabaga. White borscht is made with kissel or lemon.

The ingredients of borscht differ depending on the region in which it is cooked. For example, in Lithuania, kefir or sour cream is often included, along with boiled eggs. In Poland, red borscht is usually made with fish stock or sometimes just vegetables. Pickled cabbage is a common addition for people in the Carpathian Mountains. In Chernihiv Oblast, dumplings with mushrooms, called mushroom ears, are added. In Poltava Oblast, borscht is made with chicken broth and dumplings called halushky, which are traditional to the region. Borscht has sometimes been cooked with dried fruits. In ancient Halychyna, borscht was a very thin soup made with only potato, beet, and cherry or apple juice to make it a sour soup. It is believed that true borscht should be so thick and dense that a spoon can stand up in it.

Borscht can be served hot or cold; it is traditionally served cold in the summertime and hot in the wintertime. Cold borscht, also known as kholodnyk, is prepared differently than hot borscht. It involves boiling beets that are cut into strips and mixed with kvass and either whey or sour cream. Then fresh ingredients such as parsley, dill, spring onion, and garlic are added. Boiled eggs are added too, and the dish is often served with sides of bread and boiled potato.