Once upon a time, when I studied at Emory University in the US, my good friend called and asked what did I cook for dinner, because she wanted to come over. “Borsch”, – I answered, thinking that she would definitely know that. “What is it – borsch? Jennifer asked with suspicions. “It’s a famous Russian soup with beets and cabbage”. “Beets and cabbage, – repeated she sadly…well, I think, I’d rather stay home.” It is true that beets and cabbage are not the most popular American vegetables, at least not for everyone-it’s for sure. However, at that evening, Jennifer still came to my place and tried the borsch. Now, this is one of her favorite soups, and she thinks that all Americans should know that there is a magic way beets and cabbage meeting together can taste shockingly great.
There are hundreds of recipes of Borsch as it should be with any famous dish. Moscovites’ borsch is rich red and little sweet, because people in Moscow put more beets into it. Kazaks, living next to Black sea, used a lot of tomatoes and fewer beets. Their borsch is lighter red and has a sour touch. Ukrainians use two meat types to cook it: beef and pork. Well, the truth is that any Slavic woman has her own recipe variation and never tired of trying new.
I personally think that Borsch is irresistible soup, creative, deep and rich in taste in its nature. There is nothing better during cold Russian winter at the end of a long day than a shot of vodka following a steaming bowl of deep red borsch decorated by shiny- white sour cream. It requires careful and thoughtful eating to helps to dilute your sorrows and rush of the day and enjoy the beginning of peaceful family evening.
Cool weather is coming, which always make me miss borsch… Over the weekend, I’ll post my recipe of borsch with an obvious Moscow style influence.
Marriage With A Foreign Accent 