The enigma of borsch

Another food stereotype I want to talk about is enigmatic BORSCH - the beetroot (and other vegetables-containing) soup. Do we really love it? Do we think it's tourist food? Do we eat it hot or cold? With sour cream, really?

The first thought I'd like to share is similar to the name of a roller coaster: in Russia we call it "American mountains", in Spain they call it "Montaña rusa" (Italy and France do the same: Montagne russe, Montagnes russes). The thing with borsch is that every foreigner thinks it's Russian cuisine and Russians know it's Ukrainian one.

There is one type of this soup which is called "Moscow borsch" and which is thin (and typical Ukrainian "real borsch" is very thick, as people say, "the spoon should stay firmly" in the plate full of vegetables and meat slices). Sure we like typical borsch to be hot and it's great way to warm oneself up in the winter time (which can last up to 6 months in nothern and eastern parts of the country).

Anyway, borsch and schi are simple and well-known Russian everyday food. A lot of people add sour cream to make the taste more smooth, but I do not like it. There are another summer type of this soup: "cold borsch", it's more violet and contains vinegar. I do not like it.

An example of "Moscow borsch" for a business lunch with a slice of black bread: