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Sour cereal soup is a Slavic traditional soup made with various types of cereals such as rye, wheat and oats, which are fermented to create a sourdough-like soup base and stirred into a pot of stock which may or may not contain meat such as boiled sausage and bacon, along with other ingredients such as hard-boiled eggs, potatoes and dried mushrooms.
The most notable, żur (also called żurek, zalewajka, keselica or barszcz biały [1] ), is considered a part of the national cuisine of Poland. [2] Made with soured rye flour (sourdough starter), sometimes also with soured oatmeal, bread or wheat, it has a characteristic slightly sour, thick and tangy taste, and is served hot.
Sour cereal soup can be also found in Lithuanian, Ukrainian or Belarusian cuisine (as žur, kisjalica or kiselycia), a reminiscence of all these countries current territory being once in Commonwealth of Two Nations. [3] Though it is also prepared in the mountainous regions of Bohemia in the Czech Republic, where it is known as kyselo.
Alternative names | Żurek |
---|---|
Course | Soup, Entree |
Place of origin | Poland |
Serving temperature | Hot |
Main ingredients | Soured rye flour or oats; potatoes, hard-boiled eggs; in some variations: meat (sausage, bacon, pork ribs, etc.) |
Variations | Kisełycia |
Course | Soup, Entree |
---|---|
Place of origin | Poland |
Serving temperature | Hot |
Main ingredients | Soured wheat flour; meat (sausage, bacon, pork ribs, etc.) |
Żur (Polish : żur, diminutive: żurek) is a soup made of soured rye flour (akin to sourdough) and meat (usually boiled pork sausage or pieces of smoked sausage, bacon or pork ribs). [4]
The recipe varies regionally. In Poland it is sometimes served in an edible bowl made of bread or with boiled potatoes. In Silesia, a type of sour rye soup known as żur śląski is served in a bowl, poured over mashed potatoes. In the Podlasie region and also elsewhere in Poland, it is common to eat żurek with halved hard-boiled eggs. In Polish Subcarpathia, there is a traditional variety made of fermented oatmeal (Polish : żur owsiany or kisełycia). In Poland żurek is traditionally eaten at Easter, but is also popular during other parts of the year. It is sometimes flavored with bits of sausage, usually eaten with bread or buns. [5]
Another similar soup, sometimes identified as identical with żur – but usually differentiated by its preparation with soured wheat flour rather than rye, is known as barszcz biały (lit. 'white barszcz'). According to some regional traditions, żur is the lenten variation containing no meat and served with additions such as hard-boiled eggs and boiled potatoes, while barszcz biały is a variant with meat such as sausage and bacon.
Following ingredients may be used:
In Belarus, žur (Belarusian : жур) or kisjalica (Belarusian : кісяліца) is a soup made of fermented oatmeal or rye. Žur may also denote a thicker porridge, a type of kissel made of fermented oatmeal, which is known since the times of Kievan Rus'. [9] [10]
Alternative names | Krkonošské kyselo, Kübelsauer |
---|---|
Course | Soup, Entrée, Main course |
Place of origin | Czech Republic |
Region or state | Giant Mountains |
Serving temperature | Hot |
Main ingredients | Sourdough, mushrooms, caraway |
250 [11] (depends on ingredients) kcal | |
Kyselo (Czech : kyselo, krkonošské kyselo; German : Kübelsauer [12] ) is a soup based on rye sourdough and mushrooms. [13] It is a traditional Czech cuisine from poor folk food originating in the Northern Bohemia highland region of the Giant Mountains. [12] It is very substantial and it contains an abundance of proteins, B vitamins, dietary fiber and other important nutrients. [11]
Kyselo has been a traditional daily food of poor people in the Giant Mountain region for centuries, primarily in the winter. [12] [14] It is made from locally accessible, cheap, storable ingredients (the mushrooms are usually used dried) and nutritious ingredients so it provides substantial energy for hard mountain life and work. [15] Historically kyselo was made without eggs. Eggs in early times were produced mainly for sale on the market, not for one's own family, so eggs were only eaten on some holidays. [16] Potatoes became widespread among poor people of Czech lands in the late 18th century, so before that time soups of this type were also made without potatoes. [16]
Usage of sourdough indicates that kyselo has ancient origins, probably in medieval (and prehistoric) fermented cereal porridges. [13] [16] The Giant Mountain region is on the Czech–Polish border, and kyselo is a close relative of the Polish sour rye soup. [17] [18]
The word kyselo is derived from the Slavic word ( Polish, Słowak, Czech) „kisić” „to make sour”, kyselý, which means 'sour' in Czech. The sourdough which kyselo is made from is called "chlebový kvásek" or "chlebový kvas" (not to be confused with the Russian kvass).
Sometimes another sour mushroom-based Czech soup kulajda or its variants are mistakenly called kyselo. [19] The difference is that kulajda and similar soups do not use sourdough but sour cream or milk and vinegar. To reduce this misunderstanding, kyselo is often called Krkonošské kyselo ("Giant Mountain Kyselo").
In Eastern regions of the Czech Republic and in Slovakia there is a soup called kyselica, but it is a variation of sauerkraut soup.
The basis of kyselo is strong broth made from mushrooms and caraway in water. Central European mushroom species such as cep and similar ones are used. The mushrooms are usually used dried in the winter. [15] The broth is thickened by sourdough which should ideally be made from rye flour. Families in the Giant Mountains would brew their sourdough base in cookware called "kyselák" or "kvasák". [13] The thickened broth is supplemented by onion sautéed in butter, boiled and then roasted potatoes and scrambled eggs and seasoned with salt and vinegar. [12] [13] [15] [17] [20] [21] [22] Due to its ancient origins, kyselo has no fixed recipe, and the preparation is a little different in every family. The recipe is passed on by oral tradition. There are local variants of kyselo in the Giant Mountains: without eggs or with hard-boiled eggs, boiled but not roasted potatoes, with or without cream, etc.
Instant powder kyselo base is now available for use in large catering kitchens [23] or liquid fermented cereal [24]
Kyselo is sometimes served in an edible bread bowl. [11] Garnishes of scallion, parsley or other green herbs can be used. The potatoes are often served on a plate for diners to help themselves. [22] Usually salt and vinegar are also on the table for personal seasoning preferences. Kyselo is filling so is often served as a main course.
As a staple food, kyselo plays an important part in local legends and fairy tales, especially in connection to the mythical mountain lord Krakonoš (German: Rübezahl). It is said that he gave sourdough to people and invented kyselo. [25] In the Giant Mountains there is also a peak called the Kotel (Polish : Kocioł, German: Kesselkoppe) which means cauldron. When fog rises from the valley at bottom of Kotel, people say that Krakonoš is cooking the kyselo. [26]
The name kyselo is well-known throughout the Czech Republic because of Večerníček children's television series Krkonošské pohádky (Fairy Tales from the Giant Mountains), in which Anče, one of the main characters, cooks kyselo in almost all of the episodes. [27]
Eastern European cuisines also have variations of soups based on soured flour or other modes of fermentation. Examples are Russian okroshka made with kvass, [13] Romanian borș made of fermented wheat or barley bran along with ciorbă, and Finnish hapanvelli soup is made with pea and sour dough. A more distant relative is Japanese miso soup, which also uses a fermented basic ingredient – miso paste. [20]
Finnish cuisine is notable for generally combining traditional country fare and haute cuisine with contemporary continental-style cooking. Fish and meat play a prominent role in traditional Finnish dishes in some parts of the country, while the dishes elsewhere have traditionally included various vegetables and mushrooms. Evacuees from Karelia contributed to foods in other parts of Finland in the aftermath of the Continuation War.
Borscht is a sour soup, made with meat stock, vegetables and seasonings, common in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. In English, the word borscht is most often associated with the soup's variant of Ukrainian origin, made with red beetroots as one of the main ingredients, which give the dish its distinctive red color. The same name, however, is also used for a wide selection of sour-tasting soups without beetroots, such as sorrel-based green borscht, rye-based white borscht, and cabbage borscht.
Polish cuisine is a style of food preparation originating in and widely popular in Poland. Due to Poland's history, Polish cuisine has evolved over the centuries to be very eclectic, and shares many similarities with other national cuisines. Polish cooking in other cultures is often referred to as à la polonaise.
Russian cuisine is a collection of the different dishes and cooking traditions of the Russian people as well as a list of culinary products popular in Russia, with most names being known since pre-Soviet times, coming from all kinds of social circles.
Lithuanian cuisine features products suited to the cool and moist northern climate of Lithuania: barley, potatoes, rye, beets, greens, berries, and mushrooms are locally grown, and dairy products are one of its specialties. Various ways of pickling were used to preserve food for winter. Soups are extremely popular, and are widely regarded as the key to good health. Since it shares its climate and agricultural practices with Northern Europe, Lithuanian cuisine has much in common with its Baltic neighbors and, in general, northern countries.
Ukrainian cuisine is the collection of the various cooking traditions of the people of Ukraine, one of the largest and most populous European countries. It is heavily influenced by the rich dark soil from which its ingredients come, and often involves many components. Traditional Ukrainian dishes often experience a complex heating process – "at first they are fried or boiled, and then stewed or baked. This is the most distinctive feature of Ukrainian cuisine".
Romanian cuisine is a diverse blend of different dishes from several traditions with which it has come into contact, but it also maintains its own character. It has been influenced mainly by Turkish but also a series of European cuisines in particular from the Balkan Peninsula and Hungarian cuisine as well as culinary elements stemming from the cuisines of Central Europe.
Peasant foods are dishes eaten by peasants, made from accessible and inexpensive ingredients.
Latvian cuisine typically consists of agricultural products, with meat featuring in most main dishes. Fish is commonly consumed due to Latvia's location on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea.
Czech cuisine has both influenced and been influenced by the cuisines of surrounding countries and nations. Many of the cakes and pastries that are popular in Central Europe originated within the Czech lands. Contemporary Czech cuisine is more meat-based than in previous periods; the current abundance of farmable meat has enriched its presence in regional cuisine. Traditionally, meat has been reserved for once-weekly consumption, typically on weekends.
Belarusian cuisine refers to the culinary traditions native to Belarus. It shares many similarities with cuisines of other Eastern, Central and Northeastern European countries, based predominantly on meat and various vegetables typical for the region.
Tatar cuisine is primarily the cuisine of the Volga Tatars, who live in Tatarstan, Russia, and surrounding areas.
Traditional Estonian cuisine has substantially been based on meat and potatoes, and on fish in coastal and lakeside areas. However, it now shows influences from a variety of international cuisines and ingredients, with a number of contributions from the traditions of nearby countries. German, Swedish, Russian, Finnish and other influences have played their part. The most typical foods in Estonia have been rye bread, barley, pork, fish, potatoes and dairy products. In terms of staple food, Estonia is similar to other countries in the Baltic Sea Region.
Kulajda is a Czech cuisine soup. One version is made with sour cream, potatoes, dill and quail egg. Mushrooms are also an important ingredient of the soup.
Kielbasa is any type of meat sausage from Poland and a staple of Polish cuisine. It is also known in other world cuisines; in American English, the word typically refers to a coarse, U-shaped smoked sausage of any kind of meat, which closely resembles the Wiejskasausage.
Zalewajka is a traditional rustic soup made of diced and boiled potatoes and overflowed with sour rye made from sourdough bread. It also often contains Polish sausage and dried mushrooms.
Breakfast, the first meal of the day eaten after waking from the night's sleep, varies in composition and tradition across the world.
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