Probably will not be easy to find someone who does not like the soup, it's a great first course, which is equally desirable in winter and summer, autumn and spring. Among the huge variety of recipes for borscht everyone can find the most suitable. Borscht is not only tasty, but also very decorative due to the attractive red hue.

The variety of borscht

Origin of the name of this dish is not known. Many scholars believe that the name is associated with grass cow parsnip (once this herb was called - soup), which since ancient times was used for soups and other dishes. Over time, cow parsnip pushed more familiar to modern man vegetables such as cabbage and beets, but the name remained.

Recipes borscht has many peoples of Central and Eastern Europe: this dish is like in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, Moldova and Romania. To make this multi hearty soup, various vegetables, but the main ingredient is invariably beet borscht imparts a distinctive bright tone. Despite the fact that there are generally no borscht beet (for example, the so-called "green soup with sorrel"), most people recognize only the soup made from beets. That is what is required and root vegetables soup its characteristic hue (from bright pink to burgundy) and pleasant slightly sweet flavor. The remaining ingredients borscht can vary. Thus, some prefer the classic Ukrainian borscht juicy beef brisket, someone like vegetarian borscht on vegetable broth, someone loves soup with chicken, and someone - on mushroom soup broth.

Relatively rarely used for cooking borsch fish stock or broth of seafood. Such borscht has long been prepared in the coastal villages, but in other places did not receive wide distribution. The combination of fish with beets in his tasty, but for many unusual. Often fresh fish in the preparation of the borsch is replaced by canned fish in tomato sauce.

Conventionally borscht can be divided into hot and cold (they are called beetroot). Hot can be prepared with meat, mushroom or vegetable broth, cold most often vegetarian. Such soups on the basis of beet broth or beet kvass with fresh vegetables and sour cream or yogurt is very refreshing on a hot day.

Recipes hot borscht even more diverse. These first courses added to the meat of different varieties of mushrooms, lard or goose fat, prunes, beans, apples, turnips, squash, dumplings, and even sausages. Thus, even the Ukrainian borscht can have different tastes depending on on what recipe he prepared: Lviv, Poltava, Chernigov, or what else.

Ukrainian borscht most famous in the world. This is a rather thick soup (per serving not more than one and a half glasses of fluid) in Ukraine decided to fill bacon, mashed with garlic and herbs. Another mandatory attribute of the Ukrainian borscht - fragrant dumplings of dough, emphasizing the taste of the dish.

Russian borscht differs from its Ukrainian counterpart a lot of cabbage. In fact, this dish takes an intermediate position between the borscht and cabbage soup. As a rule, Russian soup is prepared on the beef broth, lard it is not added.

In starolitovskom borscht present mushrooms, which are boiled separately. In addition, this dish is made to add "koldunay" - small dumplings stuffed with lard with meat or boiled mushrooms. There is a kitchen in the Lithuanian and cold soup made from beet broth, to which add chopped cucumber, green onions and hard-boiled eggs. This cold soup with sour cream Smetana: untold riches of Russian cuisine   or yogurt Kefir: a unique drink for health and harmony Separately supplied hot boiled potatoes with dill.

In Poland, the soup is prepared on the basis of beet kvass, and served to the table with fine products made from unleavened dough with mushroom stuffing - "ears". The soup Polish podboltku flour is often added, which makes the dish more dense.

The basis for the Moldavian borsch often serve chicken. To make the soup thicker, used flour refueling. For Romanian borsch used specially prepared beet kvass.

Cold borscht: technology and the subtleties of cooking

In hot weather, there's nothing like a refreshing cold soup dish. These soups are well represented in the national cuisine: this Spanish gazpacho, tarator and Bulgarian and Russian hash and, of course, hot pink cold soup flavored with green onions and fragrant dill.

Typically, cold soups are quite liquid, and also determines the taste of the liquid part - for example, beet broth or beet kvass. Therefore, the preparation of the liquid should be treated with special care.

To make the beet broth, cut into julienne beets cleaned, pour cold water with vinegar and cook for twenty minutes. Vinegar is needed to beet has retained its beautiful color and not become brown. It is best used for the preparation of cold borscht medium-sized young beet tops. Instead, you can use vinegar and citric acid - it gives the broth a delicate flavor. Ready beet broth add some salt, add sugar and acid to make a harmonious taste.

You can prepare a decoction and from raw beets. To do this, the roots should be thoroughly washed, pour boiling water, add a little sugar and cook until tender. Salt water should not be - because beets get softer and softer. Reduce the cooking soup can, using the ready-made pickled beets.

For the preparation of cold borscht can be used chilled beet broth, and you can cook beetroot kvass. To do this, beet broth is strained and poured into a glass, ceramic or enamel bowl and leave in a warm place for souring. After eight to ten hours beet kvass, as a rule, it is ready. You can cook the beet kvass and other means. Three-liter jar to fill half the grated washed and peeled beets, pour boiling water, leaving a little space, add a tablespoon of sugar and put into a warm place for fermentation. After three to five days (as soon as the foam on the surface will disappear), a refreshing drink is ready. It can be used for the preparation of both cold and hot borscht.

Chilled beet kvass, or broth filled with "hard" part of the beetroot. Typically, this dish with fresh cucumbers (they are better peel), green onions, dill and parsley. Sometimes the soup is added radish, but with it the taste of food becomes coarser. You can also add pre-cooked, cooled potatoes, cut into small pieces. To add the chopped vegetables are good hard-boiled eggs and chilled. Add a cold soup fatty foods is not recommended, but you can vary the taste of this dish slices lean cooked sausage or boiled meat.

Refuel cold borscht with sour cream, kefir or unsweetened yogurt. Some people like to add a little garlic in the dish. To the famous Lithuanian cold beet soup served separately boiled potatoes with herbs, the other can be submitted Borsch wheat or rye bread.

To get a tasty soup

Succulent burning fragrant soup - perhaps the best dish for the weary and frozen man. This thick soup warms and restores power. Cooking borsch same has a number of features that should be considered to prepare really tasty dish.

It is best to cook soup from beet Barshchou special varieties - such roots are pinkish or slightly whitish hue. Cabbage should be taken only fresh, good-quality and crisp. Borscht is different from many other first courses to those who are preparing vegetables for him individually. The main secret of a delicious and beautiful borscht is properly prepared beet diced or julienned root vegetables is not immediately put into the boiling broth, and pre-stewed with vinegar. The acid helps to keep the festive bright red shade of beet soup and the result is a beautiful color. After quenching beets added to tomato paste or fresh tomatoes, cut into small cubes.

Do not lay all the ingredients in the soup at the same time: first, half an hour before end of cooking, add the potatoes in broth, ten minutes later put the shredded cabbage, even after five minutes add browned onion and carrot and beet stew, another five minutes - spices. The last thing added crushed garlic: it should be done at the end of cooking, plus or minus two minutes. If you add the garlic too early, the flavor will not be felt, but too late garlic its pungent odor score aroma of borscht.

Traditionally, the soup put a bay leaf, peppercorns, garlic. Depending on the recipe, you can also use sweet and hot red pepper, cumin, parsley, dill, celery Celery: vegetable with obvious advantages   and other spices.

You should not serve soup to the table at once - he needs to infuse at least an hour. Many even believe that everything has a delicious soup the next day after preparation. Before serving, be sure to fill the soup with sour cream. Meals are specially baked dumplings with garlic or onion or fresh rye bread.

Maria Bykov

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