“Borshch: The center of everything”

Borshch is the quintessential soup of Ukraine. Probably better than any other traditional dish, borshch reflects the Ukrainian national character and to some extent Ukrainian ethnic history. To a great many Ukrainians living in Ukraine, borshch continues to be their staple food, the principle dish on their daily menu.

There is an old Ukrainian saying that goes, “there are as many variations of borshch as there are Ukrainian cooks.” In spite of the great varieties of borshch, the commonality in all is the presence of the luscious red beet, in one form or another, some cooked beforehand and grated and chopped, and some added directly giving the soup its characteristic crimson color and flavor. Ukrainian connoisseurs of good borshch insist on plenty of meat, usually pork, and perhaps some smoked meat to nicely perfume the stock. Some cooks take the meat out before serving and present it as a separate course, while others put a few slices in each diner’s bowl and pour soup over top. Still others chop the bigger pieces of meat or pull the meat off the bones and put it all back into the borshch pot. And if one observes Lent, the borshch will be meatless during that season.