Ukrainian Borshch

National food makes a significant first impression on all visitors coming to Ukraine. It has a rich history and is very popular in different countries, especially in Slavic countries. Ukrainian cuisine boasts a lot of delicious dishes – the tastiest and most famous of them being borshch. That’s the reason we must start with it!

This traditional soup is made primarily out of beetroot and up to 20 other ingredients in different combinations depending on individual tastes. The compulsory ingredients in the borsch are cabbage, carrots, potatoes, parsley, onions and tomatoes. Additional ingredients may include apples (sour), zucchini, and beans. 

There are also many varieties of borscht according to the different regions of Ukraine, many with a special recipe. Those are often named after the place in which they appeared: Lviv, Hutsul, Transcarpathian, Poltava, etc. They differ in the method of cooking the broth, the chosen set of vegetables, and the type of processing of beets. 

As a rule, borscht is cooked in meat or bone broth. Poltava and Odessa borscht is cooked in goose or chicken broth. Some types of borscht are seasoned with toasted flour – this is optional – but sour cream with borscht is obligatory. And, of course, it is impossible to know the true taste of real Ukrainian borscht without “pampushkas” with garlic sauce.