By: Alexander Cherevatenko
Origin: Eastern Europe/Russia
Ingredients (serves 4):
1-liter chicken stock
2 medium potatoes
¼ medium cabbage, diced
1 large beetroot, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
4 garlic cloves chopped
1 tsp dill
250 g cooked chicken
Sour Cream
Ground black pepper
Salt
Dill
Rye Bread
Salo (Pork Fat)
Story:
My mother’s Борщ, pronounced “borsch”, brings back my childhood memories of when I was still a baby.
My parents routinely showed my sister and me videos of when we were young. When we were 3 and 4 years old, there was a video of us making Borsch and then splattering it all over our faces trying to eat the bright red liquid.
The video started with my mentor, our mom, preparing to cook in the small kitchen. She put on her traditional Russian apron and called us over “Prikhodite!”. She carefully put on the oversized and colorful aprons over our heads. She began by chopping the starchy potatoes and thick cabbage. She added them to simmering chicken broth and left them to cook.
While my dad was filming my mom explained the recipe, and you could hear my sister and me screeching and running around in the background. My mom then sauteed the tear-inducing onions, crunchy carrots, and bright red beetroot together with the thick tomato paste until the vegetables slowly wilted in the pan.
At that point, the video showed us calming down and coming over to help our mom finish the soup. We finely chopped up the garlic and added it to the pan. Afterward, we added the cooked and aromatic vegetables to the potato and cabbage broth.
My mom then taught us how to chop the already-cooked chicken and added it to the vibrantly red soup. That’s where the video was cut. Even though my sister and I vaguely remember any of this, the videotape proved that we were successful young helpers.
The rich earthy aroma of the soup spread across the kitchen and the dining room. We all sat down and ate the borsch with a healthy scoop of fresh smetana (sour cream), a thick slab of rye bread, and salty salo (pork fat). Every family in Eastern Europe has their own unique recipe for this traditional soup, including ours. It will forever be a part of my culture and heritage and I’m proud to say that it’s my favorite food.