Ukrainian Borscht Day Date in the current year: September 14, 2024

Borscht, also spelled as borsch, is a type of sour soup common in Eastern Europe and parts of Northern Asia. It is typically made with meat stock and vegetables, with red beetroots being one of its main ingredients. Borscht originated in Ukraine hundreds of years ago. The first recorded mention of Ukrainian borscht is dated 1584, and the first recorded mention of beetroot borscht is dated 1768.

There are three main types of borscht in Ukrainian cuisine. Red borscht is a hot soup made with red beetroot, green borscht is a hot soup made with sorrel, and cold borscht is a cold soup made with red beetroot and some type of fermented dairy product. However, both in Ukraine and abroad, the word “borscht” is primarily associated with red borscht, which is widely regarded as one of the most iconic dishes of Ukrainian cuisine and an important part of Ukrainian culture.

The main ingredients of traditional Ukrainian borscht are red beetroot, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, onions, parsley, and dill. Modern borscht is typically made with meat stock and contains some kind of meat, but back in the day, it was made with meat only on special occasions. Modern borscht recipes also tend to include sweet pepper and fresh tomatoes, tomato juice, tomato sauce, or tomato paste.

However, these are just the basic ingredients. Each oblast (region) of Ukraine has its signature borscht recipe, and some of these recipes may incorporate up to 20 different ingredients such as halushky (small dumplings), mushrooms, zucchini, beans, sauerkraut, celery root, prunes, and even fish. A famous Ukrainian saying goes that there are as many borscht recipes as there are cooks because everyone makes borscht differently. The soup is usually garnished with a dollop of sour cream and served with pampushkas (small raised buns seasoned with garlic) or with salo and rye bread.

The celebration of Ukrainian Borscht Day was initiated in 2021 by Ukrainian celebrity chef and restaurateur Yevhen Klopotenko, whose work focuses on traditional Ukrainian cuisine. Borscht is Klopotenko’s signature dish, and he even campaigned to have it listed as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. Klopotenko’s campaign bore fruit: in 2023, UNESCO inscribed the culture of Ukrainian borscht cooking on its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

A bill proposing to designate the second Saturday of September as Ukrainian Borscht Day was submitted to the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) but it wasn’t approved due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Nevertheless, the holiday caught on and is widely celebrated unofficially. Events held on the occasion of Ukrainian Borscht Day include food festivals, borscht cooking competitions, and more.