Ukrainian Borsch-preparation Makes it to List of Intangible Cultural Heritage

These days, Ukraine is so desperate to demonstrate success that just about any accomplishment, big or small that it can show off is to be celebrated! 

And so, on Friday, UNESCO announced that they have added the preparation of Ukrainian borsch (left) to their list of endangered cultural traditions.

FYI, it's really a Slavic signature soup that's rich and hearty. Today, the broadly recognized “standard” borsch is made with beetroot (Beta vulgaris), assorted veggies, meat stock and seasonings. Obviously, beets (right) give it a beautiful color and a beautiful flavor.

 

There are so many types of borsch that one can’t really point to any truly defining elements. It always contains different types of vegetables and is optimally served as a thick meal, brimming with ingredients. However, nearly everything else can be changed without losing the name.

One recipe for “Ukrainian” borsch that I came across has it containing meat, beetroots, cabbages, carrots, parsnips, onions, garlic, potatoes, tomato paste, vinegar and butter, garnished with sour cream and chopped parsley. The Ukrainian recipe, framed as a separate iteration of the standardised version, is supposedly the most well-known today. 

UNESCO put out this narrative: “Whether as part of a wedding meal, the focus of food-related competitions or as a driver of tourism, borsch is considered part of the fabric of Ukrainian society, cultural heritage, identity and tradition”. 

But they pointed out that the UN body’s designation “does not imply exclusivity, nor ownership, of the heritage concerned”. 

Of course, they were aware they had to tread carefully in their description of Ukrainian borsch as a national take on a dish that is consumed in a spread of countries such as Belarus, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Russia. 

Even so, the decision to add Ukrainian borsch to a list that includes Neapolitan pizza-slinging and Georgian winemaking was swiftly criticized by Moscow, with foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accusing Kiev of trying to appropriate the soup for one nationality. “This is xenophobia”, she declared. 

The spat over borsch burst into public view in 2019 when Ukrainian chef Ievgen Klopotenko (left) – vexed by the many restaurants around the world that refer to borsch as Russian soup – launched a campaign to have UNESCO recognize Ukraine’s deep links to the dish. 

“I don’t really like to call it a war for borsch, but in fact that’s what it is”, Klopotenko told AFP in 2020. 

UNESCO admitted too they had fast-tracked the application as it became apparent that the displacement being caused by the “war” in Ukraine was “threatening the viability” of the Ukrainian tradition. A poor excuse, if you ask me!

Predictably, news of the UNESCO designation was hailed by the Ukrainian government. “Victory in the borscht war is ours”, Ukraine’s culture minister, Oleksandr Tkachenko (right), trumpeted on Telegram. “Be sure that in both the war for borsch and in this war, we will win”. 

Now we know UNESCO favor Ukraine!