Russian Borscht Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Russian and Ukrainian borscht? ›

It's standard for Ukrainian cooks to use pork in their Borscht and top it off with sour cream, whereas Russian cooks are more likely to use beef. Furthermore, Ukrainians will offer buns with their bortsch, and Russians will offer a native bread known as “black bread.”

Borscht ingredients may include beef, pork, salo (fatback), beetroots, cabbage, carrots, celeriac, onions, potatoes, mushrooms, tomato paste, parsley, chives, dill, bay leaves, allspice and black pepper. The stock is typically made by boiling meat, bones, or both.

Although borscht is important in Russian and Polish cuisines, Ukraine is frequently cited as its place of origin. Its name is thought to be derived from the Slavic word for the cow parsnip, or common hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium), or from a fermented beverage derived from that plant.

Marina, 65, was making her mother's recipe for borscht, a soup made from softened vegetables and meat when it's available. It's served with a dollop of sour cream and, on the side, a few slices of dense, dark bread rubbed with raw garlic. It's a dish she ate often as a child growing up in Odessa.

Borscht is known as a nutritious and health-conscious option. This Ukrainian soup is packed with essential nutrients that offer many health benefits. Therefore, if you're looking for the best borscht in the world, why not treat yourself to Veselka's delicious offering?

Particularly among Ashkenazi Jews, red borscht – cooked without meat – became a familiar dish during Passover; while cold vegetarian borscht, served with a generous helping of sour cream, was eaten as a daytime meal during Shavuot. Thus ingrained in local culture, borscht began to spread its wings.

The anthocyanins and betalains in beets are responsible for their scarlet hue, and are also immune-supporting antioxidants. Interestingly, beets contain natural nitrates, which can help increase blood flow to muscles for athletes and also help with lowering blood pressure.

A commonly accepted theory is that borscht has origins dating even further back to the 14th century, and those origins are localized in the country we today know as Ukraine. Recipe books do seem to affirm that it was the Ukrainians who added beetroot.

This soup, indigenous to Slavic nations, has no “t” in its Cyrillic spelling. Only non-Slavic people stick that letter at the end and it makes absolutely no sense to have it there. If someone pronounces it with a “t”, they are not pronouncing “borshch” correctly.

Yes the final t is silent.

What does borscht mean in Russian? ›

In Russia, Poland, and other Eastern European countries, borscht simply means "sour soup," and the word comes from the Russian borshch, "cow parsnip."

Barszcz is closer to a beet broth, while borscht is traditionally thicker, often containing extra ingredients like meat, root vegetables, or cabbage, served with a dollop of sour cream and fresh dill.

The Polish word barszcz means borscht, but this soup is slightly different. Whereas traditional borscht is an opaque purple and commonly includes meat, tomatoes, and cabbage, barszcz is more of a basic beet broth that is somewhat translucent, whether red or white in color.

Borscht is a beet soup that's warm, sweet, and sour all in one bowl. It has the umami and complexity of a well-developed chicken soup but the beets add a whole different flavor profile. Its sweetness comes from the beets, onions, and cabbage, and its tartness from tomatoes and vinegar.

So Russian food incorporates a lot more moderately “exotic” cooking from her Asian colonies whereas Ukraine, Scandinavia, and much of Central Europe is REALLY heavy on pig products, root vegetables and things like peas and cabbage. Although Ukrainians tend to consume more pork dishes.

This Ukraine's rich cultural heritage is reflected in the different versions, such as white borscht vs red borscht, which are popular in different regions. In this article, we shall explore the differences between two popular types of borscht: white borscht and red borscht.

What distinguishes Russian borscht from barszcz is that borscht is often made with meat, served with sour cream, and can be served cold, whereas barszcz does not usually include sour cream and is most often served hot. That being said, there is a version called barszcz zabielany that is creamed and served cold.