Sour rye soup
Encyclopedia
The sour rye soup is a soup
made of soured
rye
flour
and meat (usually boiled pork sausage
or pieces of smoked sausage, bacon
or ham
). It is specific to Poland
, where it is known as żur or żurek, and a variant is known as barszcz biały ("white barszcz
") which is made with wheat flour instead of rye. The soup also occurs in the cuisines of other western Slavic nations such as Slovakia
(kyslóvka) and the Czech Republic
(kyselo). A variation of this soup is found in Lithuania.
In Silesia
, a type of sour rye soup known as żur śląski is served in a bowl, poured over mashed potatoes.
In the Podlaskie
region, it is common to eat żurek with halved hard-boiled eggs.
In Poland żurek is traditionally eaten at Easter
, but is also popular during other parts of the year. It is usually served with bread or buns, and sometimes flavored with bits of sausage.
Soup
Soup is a generally warm food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.Traditionally,...
made of soured
Fermentation (food)
Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
rye
Rye
Rye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder...
flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
and meat (usually boiled pork sausage
Sausage
A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
or pieces of smoked sausage, bacon
Bacon
Bacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon . Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating...
or ham
Ham
Ham is a cut of meat from the thigh of the hind leg of certain animals, especiallypigs. Nearly all hams sold today are fully cooked or cured.-Etymology:...
). It is specific to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, where it is known as żur or żurek, and a variant is known as barszcz biały ("white barszcz
Borscht
Borscht is a soup of Ukrainian origin that is popular in many Eastern and Central European countries. In most of these countries, it is made with beetroot as the main ingredient, giving it a deep reddish-purple color...
") which is made with wheat flour instead of rye. The soup also occurs in the cuisines of other western Slavic nations such as Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
(kyslóvka) and the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
(kyselo). A variation of this soup is found in Lithuania.
Poland
In Poland it is sometimes served in an edible bowl made of bread or with boiled potatoes. The recipe varies from region to region.In Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
, a type of sour rye soup known as żur śląski is served in a bowl, poured over mashed potatoes.
In the Podlaskie
Podlaskie Voivodeship
Podlaskie Voivodeship , is a voivodeship in northeastern Poland. It borders on Masovian Voivodeship to the west, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship to the northwest, Lublin Voivodeship to the south, the Belarusssian Voblasts of Grodno and Brest to the east, the Lithuanian Counties of Alytus and...
region, it is common to eat żurek with halved hard-boiled eggs.
In Poland żurek is traditionally eaten at Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
, but is also popular during other parts of the year. It is usually served with bread or buns, and sometimes flavored with bits of sausage.