There are dishes that have a much deeper meaning than it might seem at first glance. An example of this is the ancient Kalmyk recipes. Bortsoki is an amazing dish that is easy to prepare, but it has an amazing history.
Anyone who is interested in the culture and culinary of different nations can cook this treat. There is no need for a special occasion; you can even serve borsoks for regular tea drinking.
Dish with history
The peoples of Kalmykia began to make wrestlers a very long time. The tradition is rooted in ancient times when people made sacrifices on major holidays. Instead of sacrificial animals, modern Kalmyks prepare sweets for the triumphs.
Different ethnic groups have different variations of the recipe. Bortsoks can have the most diverse form. But their meaning is always the same - a wish for happiness.
By the way, many people prepare similar dishes. For example, in Russia they prepare crisp brushwood, and in Ukraine - lush verguns.
Wrestling forms
One of the most common forms is a donut ring. But everything is not so simple - such wrestlers symbolize the cyclical nature of life, the course of the sun in the sky, the change of seasons.
“Khavtha” and “tselvg” are round cakes representing the sun.
"Horha" have a spherical shape. They are always small. In fact, these are lumps of dough fried in oil, but their sacred meaning is to remind us of the multiplicity and diversity of all living things, the interconnection of all the inhabitants of our world.
But Kalmyks are not only ready to have fun and do household chores. Therefore, they also make “shore bel” in the form of a bayonet. These wrestlers symbolize their willingness to defend their homeland and loved ones.
Bortsoki "shovun" sculpt in the form of birds. You can’t do without such a treat when the air itself is saturated with the expectation of spring.
Very unusual are forms such as jola and moshkmr. They resemble twisted plaits and symbolize sheep and horse intestines. For the herder, this is of great importance, because from the guts of animals they prepare hearty meat treats that do not cool down in the cold for a long time, help to quickly satisfy hunger and keep warm. Such wrestlers give each other with the wishes of a well-fed rich life.
As you can see, there are many variations of the form, which are based on one recipe. Wrestlers cook in the form of animals: a camel, a ram, a horse. Giving each other sweets, Kalmyks put wishes of wealth and health into this gesture. Many children in the family and a large number of livestock are the main components of happiness, according to the peoples of the East.
Cooking wrestlers on kefir
You might think that the dish is incredibly complex. But our simple instructions will dissuade you. Let's try to cook wrestlers.
For a kefir recipe you will need the following:
- kefir - liter;
- butter - 200 g;
- salt and soda - 1 tsp;
- one egg;
- sugar - 2 tbsp. l .;
- flour - 2 kg;
- vegetable oil for frying.
Beat the egg with sugar and salt, add melted butter. Pour in kefir and immediately enter soda. Flour should be introduced gradually, sifting. Knead the dough, let it rest for half an hour at room temperature, and then another hour in the refrigerator. Shape as you like and fry in boiling oil.
Bortsoki: yeast recipe
Heat 250 ml of milk, add a small piece of butter. Mix a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of sugar with beaten egg, add to the mixture. Enter the yeast (25 g) and some flour. Cover the dough with a towel and keep warm for an hour. It remains to knead the dough and mold the wrestlers.
The recipe, as in the previous case, involves frying the figures in a large amount of vegetable oil.
Serving to the table
Kalmyk wrestlers, the recipe of which came from antiquity, in their historical homeland will certainly be prepared for the main holiday of the year. Tsagan Sar (as it is called) is a very bright and joyful day, which is the beginning of spring and the first day of the new year. Kalmyks cook immediately a lot of wrestlers, because on this day it is customary to go to visit and invite loved ones to themselves, to meet friends and relatives. It is customary to put on several different figures on a rope and give each other with kind words.
In Kalmykia, it is customary to prepare special tea with milk and spices for this treat.
If you cook borsoks as a sweet, just lay them on a flat dish. If desired, you can sprinkle a little sugar powder. As a drink, you can offer tea, cocoa or warmed milk.