One of the leading culinary portals recently recognized sour rye soup as the second best soup in the world. In just a few days it will land on Easter tables. We looked at the prices of ready-made sour rye soup – both the one prepared in Magda Gessler’s restaurant, as well as frozen foods or soups in cartons sold in grocery stores. We also suggest how to cook a specialty associated with Easter.
At the end of March, the Taste Atlas portal published a ranking in which the top 100 soups from around the world, according to users’ opinions, were classified. The first position was taken by Japanese – but in recent years also very popular in Poland – tonkotsu ramen. It was followed by Polish sour rye soup. The authors of the ranking explain that our flagship soup “has a distinctly sour taste, which comes from sour sourdough or fermentation of bread and rye flour”.
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Żurek – how to prepare?
This characteristic flavor of sour rye soup is mainly due to sourdough. It is produced as a result of the fermentation process, which takes place with the participation of bacteria. After adding sourdough to sour rye soup, the soup gains its sour aftertaste. Instead of traditional flour sourdough, you can also use pickled cucumbers, a teaspoon of citric acid, sauerkraut juice, lemon juice or even vinegar – plain, wine or apple.
The characteristic acidity distinguishes the sour rye soup, but so that the soup is not too sour, it is worth adding cream to it. On the other hand, sour rye soup is spicy not only with pepper, but also with horseradish. The taste and deep aroma of sour rye soup should be enhanced with smoked meat. Smoked meats such as bacon or ribs, as well as smoked cheeses or tofu can play this role.
Necessary sour rye spices are bay leaves, marjoram and allspice. It is worth seasoning the traditional Polish soup with freshly ground pepper and garlic. The most popular additions to sour rye soup are hard-boiled eggs and white sausage.
Ready sour soup – where to buy, how much does it cost?
Żurek can be prepared by yourself, from scratch, i.e. starting with sourdough (we recommend the recipe for sour soup prepared by Magda Gessler). An alternative option is to use ready-made sour rye soup (or sourdough starter) in a bottle, which you can get in virtually any grocery store. It is often produced by small, local companies. The price of one – usually about half a liter – bottle oscillates around PLN 10.
The cheapest option is powdered soup, ready to eat after pouring boiling water and – optionally – adding additives. We will pay no more than PLN 4 for one package of such sour soup. Unfortunately, the very low price reflects both the taste and nutritional value of such a dish. A slightly better, or at least healthier, solution will be sour rye soup sold in the form of frozen food. It is also ready to eat after pouring boiling water and short cooking. One package of such a product costs 10-15 zlotys. About 10-15 zlotys costs a one and a half liter carton with sour soup ready to eat after heating.
How much does sour soup cost at Magda Gessler’s?
You have to pay much more for a ready-made sour soup prepared by a catering company or restaurant. As in the case of the Christmas or Fat Thursday offer, one of the highest prices in Poland can be found at Magda Gessler before Easter. In the U Fukiera restaurant on the Warsaw market square, a jar of sour soup costs PLN 75 for a jar of less than a liter. As we read on the restaurant’s website, the soup is made on the basis of home-made sourdough, with the addition of boletus and boletus mushrooms.
Żurek and white borscht – what’s the difference?
There are regions of Poland where a very similar white borscht appears on the tables more often than sour rye soup. How are these soups different? The main difference is the type of flour used to make each one. It depends on her density and flavor. Rye flour is needed for sour rye flour, or rather sourdough made on its basis. Wheat flour, on the other hand, is used to cook borscht, or no flour is added at all.
As a result, the sour rye soup is more expressive, slightly sour in taste. White borscht has a lighter taste.
The two most popular Easter soups also differ in stock. Traditionally, sour rye soup usually contains more meat, which makes it darker and more caloric. Stock for borscht is usually in the form of a broth and is rich in vegetables. When it comes to additions – both soups have similar ingredients (eggs, mushrooms), the differences are rather personal preferences.
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