Shchi soup: a not so invisible hand in history

For many centuries, shchi soup has been a staple of Russian cuisine. There is evidence that shchi was known in Rus long before the adoption of Christianity in 988 A.D. As a matter of fact, in olden times the word “shchi " was used to describe practically all liquid food, and only later did it come to mean cabbage soup specifically.

Shchi has made its presence felt throughout Russia’s history, according to retired chef Nikolai Surkov, an expert on the subject. For example, one of the Russian chronicles mentions that the brutal Tatar Mongol conqueror Khan Baty declined to sack and burn a small Russian village for the sole reason that its residents had presented him with a small pot of shchi, which he liked very much.

Tsar Ivan the Terrible, too, liked the pottage. But he was not averse to using it in peculiar ways. Once he flew into a rage and poured a plateful of hot shchi on a boyar’s head.

Being professional revolutionaries, Vladimir Lenin and his wife, Nadezhda Krupskaya, naturally did not keep house very thoroughly, and their culinary tastes were very simple. But one dish Lenin could prepare was shchi. Mao Zedong is said to have sent cooks to the Kremlin especially to learn to cook Russian shchi.

Epochs and tastes have changed, but shchi has remained popular, enjoyed equally by all sections of the population. Of course, the ingredients have not always been the same – some people use more expensive produce and in greater amounts [there were sixty-eight ingredients in the delicious shchi prepared in the 19705 in one of the Russian restaurants in Brighton Beach, New York), while others cook the soup with cabbage, onions, and sour seasonings only.

However, for all its numerous variations, there has always been one traditional way of preparing shchi.

Shchi

(Cabbage Soup)

1 gallon water
1 pound beef (diced)
1 1/2 pounds cabbage (fresh or sauerkraut)
1-2 medium‐sized onions, chopped coarsely
1 carrot, chopped coarsely
2-3 potatoes, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
3 bay leaves
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
dill, parsley, salt, and pepper to taste.

The method of cooking all types of shchi is the same. First, boil the beef (or mushrooms)for an hour, adding water as the broth evaporates. Add the carrots and onions, and cook, covered, for another half hour. Then add the cabbage – either fresh or sauerkraut – to the stock; if you wish, you can add potatoes and tomatoes. Let the mixture cook until the vegetables are soft. Then add the salt and spices. Serve with a tablespoon of sour cream and rye bread.