Dissemination of Russian Food in America

Of the foods brought by the early Jewish immigrants, borscht and kasha (buckwheat groats) became the most popular. Although borscht is widespread in Russia, the soup that Americans consider quintessentially Russian is actually Ukrainian in origin (the Russian national soup is a cabbage soup). By contrast, kasha is deeply Russian—a common proverb holds that “cabbage soup and kasha are our fare.” Yet most Americans consider kasha part of Jewish cuisine, not Russian. This association most likely occurred when kasha began to be commercially produced by Wolf’s, a company that marketed groats to the Jewish community.