In Episode 3 I discuss what borsch means to Ukrainians with activist, chef and author Olia Hercules who recently published her family memoir Strong Roots. We chat about how water has shaped Ukraine and why it is so important for this proud nation to reclaim their national dish.

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Useful Links

You can find out more about Olia and her events on her website and follow her on Instagram and Bluesky.

Olia’s books include:

* Strong Roots (2025)

* Home Food: Recipes to Comfort and Connect (2022)

* Summer Kitchens (2020)

* Kaukasis (2017)

* Mamouska (2015)

Chef Louis P de Gouy, quoted at the start of this episode, trained under August Escoffier and had a sterling career working in luxury hotels before becoming the in-house chef for Gourmet magazine. In his Soup Book was published posthumously in 1949, two years after his death.

Don’t forget you can follow me on Instagram or Bluesky @mrssbilton or find out more about my work on sambilton.com.

A huge thank you to Thomas Ntinas of The Delicious Legacy for doing the sound mixing on this season of the podcast.

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