What does borscht mean?
Borscht is a sour soup of Eastern European origin whose most familiar version takes its vivid crimson colour from beetroot. It can be prepared in many regional variations — some based on meat stock, others on vegetables alone — and may be served piping hot in winter or chilled in summer. A spoonful of sour cream is the classic garnish, often accompanied by dill or fresh bread. The word entered English from Yiddish and Russian or Ukrainian, and the spelling varies between "borscht" and "borshch" depending on which language the writer transliterates from. Beyond the kitchen, borscht carries strong cultural associations: it is emblematic of Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine through its popularity at New York's so-called Borscht Belt resorts, while Ukrainians regard it as a national dish of deep heritage significance. In everyday English it appears both literally, naming the soup itself, and figuratively, evoking Eastern European tradition.
nounA sour soup of Eastern European origin, made primarily from beetroot, which gives it a distinctive deep red colour; it may be served hot or cold.
- A soup of Eastern European origin made with beetroot as its principal ingredient, giving it a deep red colour, typically served with sour cream.
"On the winter menu was a steaming bowl of borscht topped with a swirl of sour cream."
"My grandmother's borscht always simmered for hours before she stirred in a dollop of sour cream."
"The café offered chilled borscht as a refreshing starter during the summer months."
Rarely used; borscht normally functions as an uncountable mass noun, with plurals appearing mainly when comparing different recipes or varieties.
"The cookbook featured borschts from Poland, Ukraine, and Russia side by side."
Borscht is so central to Ukrainian identity that UNESCO inscribed Ukrainian borscht on its list of intangible cultural heritage in need of safeguarding.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of borscht
Borscht comes ultimately from a Slavic word for a plant related to hogweed, whose fermented stalks were originally used to sour the soup; the modern dish name passed into English in the 19th century via Yiddish and Russian or Ukrainian. The variant spelling "borshch" reflects a closer transliteration of the Slavic pronunciation. Cognates appear across Slavic languages, including Russian and Ukrainian "borshch" and Polish "barszcz", the latter also naming a related hogweed plant.
How borscht is actually used
Both spellings "borscht" and "borshch" are accepted; "borscht" is more common in American English. The word is usually treated as an uncountable noun when referring to the dish generally, though plural forms appear when referring to servings or varieties.
Easily confused with borscht
"Borshch" is simply a transliteration of the same Ukrainian/Russian word and refers to the identical soup — there is no difference in meaning, only in spelling convention.