'Crimea was not enough, you have to steal borscht': how Ukraine and Russia argue over a dish

The dispute between Russia and Ukraine over the origin of borscht is approaching a boiling point, writes the British Times. This is because Kiev is preparing to declare its rights to borscht at the level of international recognition. The details of the conflict are explained Air force.

Photo: Shutterstock

The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine wants to receive the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status for the dish.

This should end the “Borscht War,” which began last year when the Russian government Twitter account wrote that borscht is “one of the most famous and beloved dishes and symbols of traditional Russian cuisine.”

This statement caused a wave of indignation in social networks.

“As if stealing Crimea wasn’t enough, you also had to steal borscht in Ukraine,” the publication quotes one of the comments on Twitter.

“The first written mention of borscht, served with sour cream, dates back to the 16th century. There are dozens of recipes. The Ukrainian version is most often prepared with lard,” writes the Times.

The newspaper adds that there are vegetarian versions as well.

“It is usually eaten hot, but can also be served cold,” the publication notes.

On the subject: The American proved in court that borscht is a Ukrainian dish: why did he need it

The preparation for submitting an application to UNESCO began last year by the chef Yevgeny Klopotenko, who sent an expedition to collect recipes throughout Ukraine and brought borscht to the presentation at the Ministry of Culture.

“It was necessary to defend borscht, because it was no longer about food, but about the cultural identification of the nation,” Klopotenko wrote on Facebook.

He added that “all Ukrainians are different, but we are united by our love for borscht.”

“Now let the whole world know whose borscht it really is,” said the chef.

Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the official publication of the Russian government, called Ukraine's intention to nominate borscht to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage "a new reason for a scandal."

“Borscht is known throughout Eastern Europe, from Romania to Lithuania, and each country considers it its own dish,” the newspaper wrote.

Komsomolskaya Pravda was even more categorical: “No matter how you look at it, borscht cannot be called Ukrainian.”

Some Ukrainians complained when an Italian chef prepared borscht for Russian doctors and military personnel who came to Italy to help fight the coronavirus.

“Borsch for Ukrainians! We should have cooked cabbage soup for them!” — one of the social network users was indignant.

On the subject: Our borsch: how the Russian Foreign Ministry used the Ukrainian dish for military propaganda of the Russian Federation

The Times also quoted Russian chef Stanislav Filimonov as saying that the dispute over the origin of borscht is pointless.

“The main thing is that it’s tasty,” says the chef.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Dumplings, cabbage rolls and potato pancakes: how an immigrant popularizes Ukrainian cuisine in the USA

Different than we imagined: what do Americans think about Ukraine

Not only borsch and dumplings: how a Lviv woman collected the traditions of Ukrainian cuisine in the USA

Mustache of discord: why Korean media forced the US ambassador to shave

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.