International and intercultural recipes

[Nasika]

I would like to know some recipes from all over the world for soups.
I will start from traditional Moldavian soup.
Chorba Soup

Ingredients:
2lbs boned and diced lamb
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin chick peas
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp chopped coriander
1 tbsp chopped celery leaves
Salt and Pepper
1 tsp dried mint
½ cup of bulgur or cracked wheat

Method:
Lightly brown the onion and lamb in olive oil
Add all the other ingredients except the mint and wheat
Cover with water and cook until the lamb is tender (1 hour)
Add the wheat and mint. Cook for a further 15min
Garnish with a little chopped coriander
Serve with a wedge of lemon

 

[David Cottrell]

Nasika, soup is among my favorites - hard to find one I don't like but I'll have to do some taste acquiring for lamb - beef and pork ya know. But! that Norwegian salmon soup I came across and posted is great also. I'm copying yours off right now! I should have asked, do you have a Moldovian borsch?

 

[CharlieD]

Now you're pushing. I don't know for sure, but I do not think there is spesificaly Moldavian Borscht. But they sure have great wine, and generaly I like, or I should say I used to like Moldavian cusine. I used to have Moldavian girl friend back when I was 18, she was a great cook. And all the dishes she made ware so very yummy and very diferent from what I used to.

 

[David Cottrell]

Moldovian Borscht

Now you're pushing. I don't know for sure, but I do not think there is spesificaly Moldavian Borscht. But they sure have great wine, and generaly I like, or I should say I used to like Moldavian cusine. I used to have Moldavian girl friend back when I was 18, she was a great cook. And all the dishes she made ware so very yummy and very diferent from what I used to.

Well Charlie! You just threw down a challenge. What if I took the Chorba soup recipe just as our Moldavian friend Nasika wrote it and added beets? Kinda thinking that would be borscht. Ok, maybe not exactly - no potatoes or cabbage but I have her recipe in the computer and I will definitely let Nasika and you know. Ok, so I've never been closer to your respective countries than Germany and can't speak a word of either. language. Thanks for the inspiration Nasika.

 

[Nasika]

You are welcome

Borscht is not Moldavian for sure it is Russian, since Moldova was a former Soviet space it has a lot of influences of Russian empire, but this is not about cooking anymore it is politics. Chorba or Zama is traditional Moldavian soup

 

[flukx]

Moldovan wine is good. Probably not the correct part of the forum to mention this, but what the heck. Only buy Moldovan wine (or Georgian for that matter) from a reputable source, as counterfeiting is huge in these countries and roughly 50% of all wine exported is not what the label says it is. It has gotten much better in recent years due to serious crackdowns by governments and international organizations, but it is still an issue.

So, if you have a poor opinion on wine from these countries, maybe give it another shot with a "real" bottle

To get back on track, I really love a well constructed Polish Borscht as well. Not a huge fan of beets, but if made correctly I love Borscht. Also, now that winter has rolled around, a nice hearty german potato soup really hits the spot. Sorry, no recipes on hand!

 

[David Cottrell]

Waving a white flag in the Borsch Wars

You are welcome

Borscht is not Moldavian for sure it is Russian, since Moldova was a former Soviet space it has a lot of influences of Russian empire, but this is not about cooking anymore it is politics. Chorba or Zama is traditional Moldavian soup

Thanks Nasika, No, just a friendly remark with tongue in cheek. What I have been trying to do is to collect representative borsch recipes from all "Slavic" traditions be they Ukrainian-Slavic, Jewish-Slavic, etc. No matter how I try to say it I step on somebody it seems. Actually, I subscribe to the food history line of thought that points to the present Ukraine land area as the location where borsch was "invented" and I know that really aggravates the Polish and the Russians to no end. Oh Well. Borsch is Borsch and it has long since crossed borders.

I was kinda hoping that with the "Slavic" blood lines in Moldovia there might have been a borsch recipe that had developed or was popular there. But I will stick with the Chorba and try it soon. If you go to Books by Volunteers who serve Ukraine Orphans you will see what I have been attempting.

 

[CharlieD]

Now, you see, David, what she did, she called Ukrainian Borscht "Russian" here we go again. I'm going to have to pull my boxing gloves out and get ready to Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuumble!

 

[David Cottrell]

Let's see if we can negotiate first!

"Now, you see, David, what she did, she called Ukrainian Borscht "Russian" here we go again. I'm going to have to pull my boxing gloves out and get ready to Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuumble!' CharlieD

Yea Charlie, I caught that but out good friend from Moldovia doesn't know those are fighting words! You see Charlie and I love a good food fight when it comes to where borsch originated and what it must contain and not contain- he's from Ukraine you see and had training at the culinary school in Kiev. I'll try to calm him down Nasika
Meanwhile keep posting those recipes please. Thanks

 

[CharlieD]

Yes, indeed, keep them coming. You should start a Moldavian recipe thread. There is already an Ukrainian one and some others. Please do it.