Czernina is a traditional soup prepared with duck or goose blood, which is preserved in vinegar so it would not coagulate. The soup is made with a flavorful duck broth, while the typical additions include dried fruits and a variety of spices such as cloves and allspice.
The name of the soups stems from the word czarny, which translates as black and refers to the dark color of the soup. Even though some modern versions occasionally omit the blood and employ other types of meat, czernina should always be tangy, slightly sweet, and dark in color.
MOST ICONIC Czernina
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Widely regarded as an excellent hangover cure and a great remedy, khashi is a soup made by boiling beef intestines, tripe, shank, as well as other organs such as kidneys. Carrots, onions, bell peppers, and various greens may also be used. After the broth has been prepared, milk or pieces of milk-soaked bread can be added to the pot along with salt, pepper, and chopped garlic.
It is said that khashi was invented when the poor had to give away all their meat to the rich, being left only with the organs, heads, and hooves of the animals. Ever since the promotion of the soup as a particularly healthy dish, it became popular among all social classes.
MOST ICONIC Khash
This traditional Greek soup employs beef, lamb, or pork tripe as key ingredients. While there are many different regional varieties of the soup, most use animal’s head or feet and enrich the broth with garlic, onions, lemon juice, and vinegar.
The broth is occasionally thickened with avgolemono, a mixture of whisked eggs and lemon juice. Patsas is commonly regarded as a great hangover remedy and is traditionally enjoyed in the late hours, after a night of indulgence at Greek taverns.
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Flaki or flaczki is a traditional tripe soup. Dense and meaty, the soup is traditionally served during Polish weddings as a part of the hot courses of the festivity. The dish is often served with a fresh bread roll on the side. The name flaki refers to its main ingredient–strips of beef tripe.
Flaki was known since the 14th century in Poland, and it was one of the favorite dishes of King Wladyslaw Jagiello. Today, some cooks like to add smoked bacon to the dish, as well as additional seasonings such as pepper, ginger, or nutmeg. If meatballs are added to the soup, the dish is then known as flaki po warszawsku (Warsaw-style flaki).
MOST ICONIC Flaki
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Dršťková is a traditional tripe soup consisting of beef tripe braised in generous amounts of onions and sweet paprika. Although it has numerous regional varieties, this hearty soup typically has a thick consistency, a light red color, and a slightly spicy flavor.
Occasionally, pieces of smoked meat or sausages are incorporated into the soup. Tripe soup is often served in traditional pubs and usually comes accompanied with slices of crispy buttered bread. In Slovakia, it appears in a similar form and is better known as držková polievka.
MOST ICONIC Dršťková polévka
Flaczki z pulpetami, also known as flaczki po warszawsku, is a regional variant of the authentic Polish tripe soup that calls for pulpetami, or beef tallow meatballs, to be served with the soup. It is based on flaczki, literally translated to guts in Polish, which are thin strips of cleaned tripe, cooked in a spicy broth with vegetables and roux.
Apart from meatballs, the soup is usually accompanied by slices of rye bread or bread rolls. Traditional beef tripe soup is quite pungent and seasoned with aromatic spices such as marjoram, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, bay leaves, paprika powder, pepper, and parsley.
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Shkembe chorba is a nourishing Bulgarian soup made with a combination of tripe, water, flour, milk, red wine vinegar, garlic, paprika, and hot chili peppers. When served, it is recommended to garnish it with chopped parsley, then consume it with beer or rakia on the side.
This soup is well-known in Bulgaria for being a great hangover cure after a night of clubbing in chalga clubs or mechanas.
MOST ICONIC Shkembe chorba
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Leberknödelsuppe is a traditional and Austrian soup featuring liver dumplings. The dumplings, or "leberknödel," are made from ground liver (typically beef or pork), stale bread rolls (or bread), onions, eggs, and various herbs and spices.
These ingredients are mixed together, shaped into balls, and then gently cooked in a clear broth, usually beef or vegetable. The result is a rich, hearty soup with a robust flavor, ideal for cold weather. Leberknödelsuppe is often served as a starter in traditional meals and is cherished for its comforting and nourishing qualities.
Škembe čorba is a traditional soup made with a combination of tripe (usually pork or beef), onions, garlic, tomato sauce, bacon, and additional seasonings such as red pepper, black pepper, parsley, and bay leaves. The preparation process is notoriously long: tripe is first cooked separately for at least four hours, cut into thin strips, and then cooked again with the rest of the ingredients. Škembe čorba is typically served with vinegar, sour cream, and warm bread on the side.
It also pairs well with seasonal salads. Due to the long preparation process and the strong aromas of tripe, this dish is nowadays mostly found on the menus of traditional restaurants.
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The original version of this classic soup stems from the Greek Easter tradition in which roasted lamb was served as the main course during the festive Easter lunch. The parts of the lamb unsuitable for roasting were then incorporated into magiritsa, and the soup was usually consumed to break the Lent.
Today it comes in numerous varieties that are still mainly prepared with lamb, lamb offal, and vegetables. All of the ingredients create a flavorful broth that is thickened with a creamy egg and lemon sauce, then seasoned with various spices and fresh herbs.
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