Resistance Borsch

June 18, 2020

A recurring topic of discussion in my childhood was who made the tastiest borsch. This is not an unusual subject for Ukrainians. It’s a bit like breathing. The distinctive, mildly-sweet tart flavor that gives borsch its personality, and finding just the right taste, was something of a point of pride among the families in our community.

March 12, 2020 will always stick out in my mind. It was my last day of work. I knew the food and hospitality industry was going to be severely affected, but I could not and still cannot imagine what it will look like when this pandemic is over.

To keep myself occupied, and through the encouragement of friends, I did what an unemployed chef should do: I wrote recipes. For years I had said I did not have time to sit down and write recipes. Now I did. I started to write down recipes and email them to a few friends who might want to try them at home. The list grew. Through writing recipes, I was still feeding others. For me, this was a way I could continue to connect to them all, without actually cooking for them. Cooking is the best language I speak.

Most friends’ first symptoms of COVID-19 were fever and a cough. Mine included a craving for beets and a headache. My body was asking for comfort. It was time to make borsch. I was never taught how to cook it from a family recipe. There was no time to write one down as my family fled their homes in Ukraine, lived in temporary DP camps in Germany after the war, and crossed the Atlantic to an unknown and hopeful future. Borsch was a gift, given to me through taste and by sharing home life with extended family.

According to Russian cook book authors and experts, Anya von Bremzen and John Welchman, “Although this crimson beet soup is eagerly adopted and sometimes claimed by others … its strongest associations are with the Ukraine, where it is thought to have originated back in the fourteenth century.” The importance of borsch was discussed in both my grandmother's homes. It’s not that they were simply teaching me the proper way to cook it. My grandmothers taught me that food was a big part of my Ukrainian heritage, that this heritage was true, and that borders could not weaken it. My history could not be re-written by an occupier’s wish to erase my culture.

I was raised on authentic Ukrainian borsch. From after-church coffee hours (where that beautiful red shimmer was served in styrofoam cups), to social functions, to extended family dinners, to our summer bungalow community, borsch was always there. At some point, I started to follow the trail to develop my own taste and expertise. When one of the women, at a Ukrainian wedding or funeral, lavished exceptional praise on someone’s borsch, I was the first in line to taste it. I also noted any and all criticisms, so that I could develop a discerning taste. Was it too sweet, or too sour, or just right? Tasting allowed me to learn about the earthy, sweet-tart flavor of borsch.

This childhood quest to taste the best borsch led me to my career in cooking. My journey to discover other authentic tastes and their relationship to Ukrainian heritage and hospitality have been the driving forces behind what I now do. I cook Ukrainian borsch because I am Ukrainian. I will continue to do this as the food industry transforms, long after this pandemic has passed. It is the only way I know how to move forward.

8 Beets, young with greens or 4 fist size ones
2 Onions, small diced
2 Carrots, cut into matchsticks
2 Celery ribs, sliced thin
2 Young Potatoes
2 Garlic cloves, sliced thin
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 bay leaf
3 tbsp oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup beet kvass if you are lucky or ¼ cup cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
Sour cream to serve

1. Wash beets to remove any sediment. Place in a pot and cover with boiled water (6-8 cups) that has come to just room temperature. Let beets sit until liquid becomes beet color. This could take one or several hours. This can also be done the day before. Once the water becomes colorful, gently boil beets until cooked. Remove beets, peel and grate on a box grater. Reserve beet broth.

2. Heat a mid-sized pot with oil on medium high heat and place onion and carrot in the pot. Stir to coat with oil. Cook vegetables until soft and aromatic, but with no color. Add garlic and cook until it smells great.

3. Add tomato paste, constantly stirring so that it does not scorch. It will taste bitter if it scorches.

4. Add beet broth and grated beets. Bring to a boil, add potatoes and salt and pepper. Reduce to a gentle heat and cook until potatoes are cooked and the flavors have blended together. Add sliced beet greens if you desire. Add the kvass if you are lucky to have it or add either the vinegar or lemon juice. This is to taste. Continue to cook until flavors are blended. Adjust seasoning before you serve. At this point, you could add a pinch of sugar if the borsch needs it.

5. Add dill and serve with sour cream.

Olesia cooks and lives in NYC.