Tyurya facts for kids

Tyurya, also called murtsovka, is a traditional bread soup from Russian cuisine. It's a simple, cold dish. People make it with pieces of bread, often stale or dried into hard biscuits. These bread pieces are soaked in a flavorful liquid. Sometimes, plain water is used. Vegetables like onion, garlic, or sauerkraut are often added. A little vegetable oil, salt, and pepper give it extra taste.

Unlike most other soups, tyurya is always served cold. Historically, kvass was the most common liquid used. Kvass is a traditional Russian drink made from fermented rye bread. It was cheap and easy to find. Sometimes, people used milk, sour milk, whey, or kefir. These dairy bases were often prepared for children, older people, or those who were sick. Tyurya is also a traditional soup eaten during Lent, a time when some people avoid certain foods.

During World War II, tyurya was a very important food for the Russian Red Army. It was often made with black bread. This simple, filling meal helped soldiers stay strong.

What's in a Name?

This simple soup has many names. Some common Russian names include tyura, turka, tubka, tyupka, murtsovka, mura, ruli, and kawardachok.

If the bread used is in the form of dried rusks, the dish is sometimes called "suharnitsa." This name comes from the Russian word for rusks, suhari.

In the Tula region of Russia, a tyurya made with bread, onions, kvass, and vegetable oil was called "uvanchiki."

The name "tyurya" itself comes from an old Turkic word, tӱ̄r, which means "crumb." It refers to a meal of crushed bread mixed with water. This word has even spread to other languages. For example, in Latvian, it's called čuruls. In Belarusian, it's цура́ or цю́ра.

The name "murtsovka" comes from the French word morceaux, which means "pieces." The name "mura" comes from the Finnish word muru, also meaning "crumb."

How Tyurya Was Made

Tyurya was a popular meal for peasants working in the fields. It was cheap, cooling, and very filling. The most common way to make it was simple. Several slices of day-old rye bread were diced into small pieces. Then, diced onion and some fresh herbs were added to a bowl.

Next, a good amount of kvass was poured over the ingredients. Salt and pepper were added for flavor. Often, some vegetable oil was also included. In the past, people used linseed oil, mustard oil, or cheaper olive oil. Sunflowers only became popular in Russia much later, in the late 1800s.

Sometimes, if a family had extra dairy products, they would make a special, sweeter tyurya. This version was often given to sick people. It was made with milk or other dairy and sweetened with honey or, later, white sugar. This "dessert tyurya" was considered tastier and easier to digest.