“Borscht used to be a soup made from fermented vegetables, but now it’s a soup with beets. There’s a lot to say about who invented borscht, but according to various theories, the soup owes its name to hogweed.
Although the opinion that the name comes from a sour drink – borscht, seems more plausible,” says Natalia Rogova, author of the book “Royal Kitchen” and the project of the same name.
The expert notes that borscht shchi is mentioned in the “Decrees on Meals…” of 1590, the “Table Manual of the Volokolamsk Monastery” for 1589-1591. There is also an opinion that borscht was invented by the Cossacks, but, according to Natalia Rogova, this is not entirely true – their soup, both in composition and in name, was much more rich, “shcherba”. Now borscht is a familiar dish that is cooked everywhere. Borscht can be not only hot, but also cold.