BORSCH

also spelled Borscht, Borsht, or Bortsch, beet soup of the Slavic countries. Although borsch is important in Russian and Polish cuisines, the Ukraine is frequently cited as its place of origin. Borsches are eaten hot or cold; some are clear and light, others thick and substantial. Ukrainian borsch is a hearty soup of beef and a variety of vegetables in which root vegetables and cabbage predominate, and the soup takes its characteristic colour from beets. The soup is often eaten with a sour cream garnish and with pirozhki, turnovers filled with beef and onions. A meatless beet soup is made with a stock flavoured with forest mushrooms; this Polish barszcz is served with tiny mushroom-filled dumplings, uszka. Some Russian borsches are made with kvass, a mild beer fermented from grain or bread.