The Ukrainian cuisine is a vibrant mosaic of flavors and traditions, and at the heart of this culinary richness lies borscht. It’s more than just a dish; it’s a cultural emblem and a symbol of hospitality. Festivals and cultural events in Ukraine are dedicated to celebrating borscht. In 2023, the dish earned a place in the national list of elements of Ukraine’s intangible cultural heritage.
Symphony of Color and Flavor
It’s impossible to talk about Ukrainian borscht without acknowledging its captivating visual appeal. This versatile soup seamlessly fits into any table setting, complementing other dishes. Depending on the preparation and presentation, borscht can impress with its richness and temperature, being served hot or chilled, vegetarian or meaty, and coming in shades of red, white, or green. It’s more than just food; it’s a cultural symbol that can be prepared in any season, at home or in a restaurant.
What makes borscht unique among other soups is its distinctive sourness. The souring agents for borscht can include beetroot kvass, cherries, sour apples, sorrel, cranberries, whey, rhubarb, sorrel, nettle, currant leaves, or viburnum. A modern twist also incorporates tomatoes, adding fresh flavor notes. These ingredients interact, creating an endless variety of recipes, ranging from the traditional borscht with pork ribs and smoked pear to the Lenten Polissian version with fish or even a cream-based borscht.
The peculiarity of Ukrainian borscht also lies in the use of unique ingredients that give it an unmistakable taste. Savory herbs, smoked pears, dumplings, meatballs, wild boar blood, mushrooms, and fish are just a few of the elements that make borscht truly unique. Not all these culinary experiments are groundbreaking, as borscht with sorrel in Polissia was prepared at least a century ago.
Each homemaker and chef has their own cooking secrets, but borscht retains its essence, remaining an integral part of Ukrainian culinary heritage. It’s more than just a dish; it’s a culinary masterpiece passed down from generation to generation, preserving its uniqueness and distinctiveness.
Borscht according to the recipe of Ukrainian chef Yevhen Klopotenko
From a culinary perspective, the unique taste of borscht is determined by the balance of sweet, sour, and aromatic flavors. Therefore, if you want to prepare a delicious borscht, you need to keep this in mind constantly.
Ingredients:
- 300 g pork ribs
- 3 pickled tomatoes
- 2 potatoes
- 1 beet
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 3 peas of allspice
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ small cabbage
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp meat seasoning
- ½ cup beans
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 bunch of nettle
- 3 cloves of garlic
- Salt, sugar, and pepper to taste
- 3 liters of water
- Sour cream for serving, to taste
STEP 1
Take 300g of pork ribs, rinse them, remove excess membranes, and cut them into segments of one or two ribs each. Place them in a pot with water, add 3 allspice peas, and 2 bay leaves. Simmer the broth on low heat for 30 minutes.
STEP 2
Next, take the vegetables: one carrot, garlic, onion, and beetroot; wash and peel them. Dice the onion, grate the carrot using a large grater, and crush the garlic with the knife blade. In a heated pan, pour sunflower oil and add the carrot, onion, and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes.
STEP 3
Grate the beetroot using a large grater and add it to the sauté. Sprinkle with 1 tsp meat seasoning. Cook for an additional 3 minutes.
STEP 4
Add 1 tbsp of tomato paste and 2 ladles of broth to the sauté. Simmer the vegetables for another 5 minutes.
STEP 5
Take two potatoes, peel them, and cut them into medium-sized cubes. Add them to the broth.
STEP 6
Transfer the sauté to the pot with the broth.
STEP 7
Take ¼ of a small cabbage, slice it, and add it to the borscht. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add ½ cup of pre-cooked beans.
STEP 8
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Towards the end of cooking, take 3 pickled tomatoes, squeeze them into the borscht, and add a chopped bunch of nettles. Simmer for another 5 minutes and serve with sour cream.
Borscht pairs well with garlic-flavored pampushky, small fluffy rolls, and slices of bacon or salo. Enjoy your meal!
Borscht Research
Borscht is not only a central dish in Ukrainian cuisine, but also a focal point in Ukrainian culture, making it one of the most extensively researched culinary items. Researchers conduct expeditions, write scholarly articles, and produce films dedicated to borscht, and the attention given to this dish shows no sign of diminishing.
Moreover, borscht serves as a recognizable visual symbol. An illustrative example is a photograph taken in 1953 in Washington, where Elaine Kynan, a waitress at the “1203” restaurant, is seen holding a sign inviting people to enjoy free borscht in honor of Stalin’s death. In the context of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict, contemporary Ukrainian illustrator Mala Malue has created a series of ironic depictions of Ukrainian borscht, portraying its ingredients as characters acting as defenders fighting against occupiers.
Author: Michelle Armand.
