Ukha is considered a traditional Russian dish. Initially, the main ingredient for making this soup was not only fish. Many ancient sources, for example, mention "pea ear", "chicken ear" or "meat ear". In the old days absolutely any soup was called ukha.
Name history
There are many versions of the origin of the dish "ear" and its name. Most sources associate this concept with the ancient Russian word "jus", which appeared in Russia thanks to the Indo-Asian countries. Literally it was translated as "liquid". Gradually "jus" was transformed into "jucha", hence the well-known "ear".
According to other sources, the name of the fish soup is translated as "chowder". This version can be seen, for example, in the Polikarpov dictionary, compiled back in 1704. In the 16th century, fish soup was considered a royal dish. She could only be seen on the tables of the most senior people.
Another version - the dish began to be called ear thanks to the main ingredients. In ancient times, a soup with this name was prepared from pork ears, piglets and tails.
Gradually, new names for soups began to appear, depending on the products used. But the fish soup has retained the name that used to generalize all the first courses. Thanks to French chefs, the ear was largely transformed in the 19th century. The concept of "ear" has become independent, so they stopped calling it fish soup or fish soup.
According to V. Dahl's dictionary, any soup, broth or stew is called soup. Such a dish can be prepared from fish or meat.
Traditional fish soup recipe
For many centuries, the fish soup recipe has remained unchanged. This soup was prepared from several varieties of fish, which had to be pre-cleaned and gutted. Broth was prepared separately, for which the smallest inhabitants of the rivers were used. All ingredients were combined in one saucepan or pot, and then lemon, pepper, herbs and a little flour were added. Several slices of bread were placed on each plate before serving.
Gradually, new recipes for fish soup appeared. Moreover, they were invented by residents of different regions. For example, Rostov fish soup was cooked with potatoes, the population of the southern territories began to add red peppers and tomatoes to fish soup. The inhabitants of the northern territory of Russia introduced such an additional ingredient as milk. While cooking fish soup in natural conditions, fishermen began to add a small amount of vodka to the fish soup.
Ear in world history
Ukha is a dish that is popular not only among Russian residents. For example, in French cuisine there is consommé soup, which is a light fish soup made with a minimum of ingredients. According to the traditions of Russian cuisine, the ear must be necessarily thick and rich. Moreover, to make the soup even more fat, butter is often added to it.
In Ukrainian cuisine there is a soup, the preparation of which does not differ from the Russian fish soup, but it is called "yushka". In Croatian cuisine, the dish is also known as zhuha.
