Barszcz z Uszkami

The story

In Polish homes, Wigilia supper begins not with food but with waiting: the family does not sit down until someone, usually a child, has run to the window to confirm that the first star has appeared in the sky, in honor of the one that led the Wise Men to Bethlehem. Only then does barszcz come to the table, a clear, ruby-red beet soup with tiny dumplings filled with dried mushrooms floating in it — uszka, literally “ears,” named for their shape. Traditionally the soup is soured days ahead with zakwas, beets fermented in water with a crust of bread, a process that gives it its characteristic gentle tartness with no need for vinegar. Because Wigilia is a meatless fasting meal, neither the soup nor the dumplings may contain meat; the uszka filling is strictly mushrooms, onion, and seasonings. For Polish families in America, the smell of beets simmering in the days before Christmas is one of the most recognizable signs that Wigilia is close at hand.