Castlegar’s Kelsey Coolin has claimed the best borscht title for 2024 at the annual cook-off on Saturday, September 28.
Hundreds of people gathered to taste and ultimately decide who would come out on top as fifteen chefs from the Kootenays stepped up to the challenge.
With every chef adding their own flavour to their dish (trust me… this journalist tried them all) it wasn’t an easy decision for the judges, but in the end Coolin wore the crown, or cabbage.
“It feels good. I can’t believe it.” said Coolin,
“I took a recipe, and I completely changed it and made it my own.”
Best Borscht Awards
1st: Kelsey Coolin
2nd: Amie Whittleton and Group
3rd: Jessica Smith
People’s Choice: Bard Mackay
Castlegar’s Borscht Cook-off
This year organizers celebrated their fourth Borscht Cook-off at the Dukhobor Discovery Centre
Eating traditional Doukhobor borscht is a common Kootenay experience. The hearty soup has an orange hue, unlike the purple-red of other beet soups, and is rich to the point of decadence, with whipping cream, butter, cabbage, celery, tomato, and four different root vegetables.
The event is a great way to experience and learn about Doukhobor culture and history in Canada and British Columbia.
And if you missed out, there is always next year as this fan favourite event is sure to return.
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