On May 30, one of the gastronomic holidays is celebrated – Okroshka Day. Okroshka is a traditional dish of Russian cuisine, one of the most popular summer dishes. With the arrival of warm weather, fresh vegetables and greens appear, and this cold soup is the best food for the summer period, providing a refreshing effect on a hot day. Therefore, it is not surprising that on the eve of summer, such a holiday is celebrated. The recipe for okroshka has its roots in the distant past. Since ancient times, peasants in Russia prepared simple dishes from vegetables. For example, radish with onions in kvass; tyurya made from croutons, bread crusts, vegetable oil, and onions in buttermilk; botvinya – a soup made from boiled and mashed leafy vegetables and greens ("botva") in sour kvass (sometimes red fish was added). Botvinya is considered the "ancestor" of okroshka. Its recipe is mentioned in the famous book "Domostroi" of the 16th century. In early versions, pickles (such as salted cucumbers, plums, or mushrooms) were added to okroshka, and later boiled vegetables (potatoes, carrots, turnips) and aromatic herbs were included. By the way, the name "okroshka" indicates that vegetables need to be finely chopped for the dish. The first mention of okroshka in its familiar modern form dates back to the late 18th century. In Nikolai Osipov's book "The Old Russian Housekeeper, Keykeeper, and Cook," a recipe is described where it is proposed to finely chop fried meat, onions, and cucumbers, season with sour cream, and pour a mixture of cucumber brine, kvass, or sour cabbage soup. Each region had its own recipes for this cold soup. For example, meat okroshka (with beef or poultry), mixed okroshka (with tongue and ham), and fish okroshka were distinguished. In the Urals, for example, fresh cucumbers were replaced with sauerkraut. The dish's dressing also varied. In addition to kvass (including homemade white kvass), milk whey, cucumber brine, kefir, ayran, beer, beet broth were used... And seasonings included vinegar, horseradish, pepper, mustard, sour cream, and vegetable oil. Even today, the variety of recipes for this old but still popular dish is astonishing. Usually, okroshka is made from vegetables, greens, and meat, ham, or sausage. There are also recipes for vegetarian okroshka. In general, it is easy to prepare and pleasant to eat. Therefore, gourmets and lovers of national Russian cuisine celebrate Okroshka Day every year on May 30. It should also be noted that in other national cuisines there are cold soups similar to okroshka. For example, in the Balkans, tarator is popular – a cold soup based on liquid yogurt with cucumbers, garlic, walnuts, and dill. In Eastern Europe, kholodnik is prepared – a cold soup made from boiled beets and fresh vegetables, served with sour cream and a half-boiled egg. And in Uzbekistan, okroshka on kefir is justifiably compared to the cold soup chalop. Treat yourself to a bowl or two of delicious okroshka in honor of this holiday. Especially since there are now a huge number of recipes for this cold soup.