Borscht Index. Have you eaten it?
In all seriousness, Ukraine uses the "borscht index." This index was invented by local journalists. It is an analogue of the popular in the world "Big Mac Index". Annually, and more often before the elections, the journalists calculate the cost of ingredients to boil a pot of borscht. Before the eyes of the whole country, they buy the products needed for the process of creating this culinary masterpiece. Then, with the confidence of a magician, they pull out a receipt for the same purchases, only made a year ago. The entire country is mesmerized watching this action, nervously eating another plate of hot, fragrant beet soup. Eating pampushki dipped in garlic juice.

In the country, where the cult of borsch is created, there are 70 official recipes for this dish. And this despite the fact that each family has its own recipe for borsch. For example, dining at a restaurant for a corporate event in Kiev, the guest can expect to be served a dish cooked with pork, lamb or beef, seasoned with a small amount of bread kvass. In Chernihiv you can enrich the taste of the meal with mushroom "ushka," in Poltava - galushkas, in the cities of western Ukraine - prunes, pieces of smoked meat and cherry juice, in the central part of the country - wiuns.

Jewish culinary culture, which instantly takes all the good things that were in the new Promised Land, was enriched with a recipe for cooking borscht based on chicken broth. So that it was not only useful, but also tasty. The only exception, where borsch is not cooked at all, is the territory of modern Transcarpathian region. On the menu of local public catering establishments, beet soup is still cooked to please tourists, but it is called nothing else but "Lviv borsch".

Recipe for the basis of borsch
Awakening your appetite, we are ready to provide you with the recipe of the basis of Ukrainian borsch, which you can always creatively treat, embellish and add your favorite ingredients.

The initial phase of borsch cooking process that even a cook of the restaurant near Victory Park can't avoid is meat broth cooking. Anything is suitable: a piece of pork, kosher chicken, beef or even sturgeon.
In the boiling broth put the vegetables - beans and onions, cabbage and carrots, chopped shavings, diced. Potatoes are put when all other components are almost cooked.
Last in the pot of the main components is a beet. Beets are boiled, fried, roasted or stewed before being put into the pot. At the end sprinkle with lemon juice, vinegar or fresh tomato juice to preserve the characteristic color of beets.
When all components in the pot have reached the stage of readiness, the dish can be enlivened with mushroom dumplings, galushkas, smoked bacon.
The ready dish should infuse. Preferably for 24 hours. Even children in Ukraine know that the most delicious borscht is on the next day after it has been cooked.
This culinary masterpiece is served with sour cream, pampushki with garlic and frozen lard sliced in thin pink slices.
Have you ever had real Ukrainian borscht?
Would you like me to make it for you? I'm a good cook!