Chorba
A broad class of stews or rich soups across many cuisines.
Chorba, also called shorwa, shurba, shurpa, shurbah, or shorba, refers to a wide category of hearty soups or stews found in cuisines spanning North Africa, the Middle East, Iran, Turkey, Southeast Europe, Central Asia, East Africa, and South Asia. It can be made with various added ingredients, or served simply as a broth, sometimes with bread.
The word "chorba" entered English and many Balkan languages from Ottoman Turkish *çorba*, which itself came from Persian *šōrbā*. The Persian term combines *šōr* ("salty, brackish") and *bā* ("stew, gruel, spoon-meat"). The first part traces back to Parthian *šōr* ("salty"), and the second to Middle Persian *-bāg* ("gruel, spoon-meat"). This Persian origin is confirmed by the cognate *šōrabāj*; in modern Persian, *šōrbā* means "broth, stew," while *šōrabāj* simply means "soup." The Arabic dialectal *šūrba* is also a Persian loan, whereas *šurba* is a phono-semantic match tied to the Arabic root *šariba* ("to drink").
Other names for chorba include *shorba* (Amharic), *sho'rva* (Uzbek), *shorwa* (Pashto), *chorba* (Bulgarian), *čorba* (Serbo-Croatian), *shurbad* (Somali), *ciorbă* (Romanian), *shurpa* (Russian), *shorpa* (Uyghur), *çorba* (Turkish), *shorpo* (Kyrgyz), *sorpa* (Kazakh), and *shorba* (Hindustani). In the Indian subcontinent, the term *shirwā* is commonly used for gravy; it is a Mughlai dish and also has vegetarian versions.
In Afghanistan, *shorwa* is a simple dish typically mixed with bread on the *dastarkhān*. It usually takes a long time to prepare, though a pressure cooker can reduce this to about two hours. Its main ingredients are potatoes, beans, and meat, and it is often served with Afghan bread. In Moldova and Romania, *ciorbă* is a general term for soup.
Quick Facts
- Region
- Algeria, Balkans, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, Central Asia, North Africa, Arabia
- Main Ingredient
- Water, meat, beans، vegetables and legumes
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The word chorba in English and in many Balkan languages is a loan from Ottoman Turkish چوربا çorba, which itself is a loan from Persian شوربا šōrbā. The spelling shorba could be a direct loan into English from Persian or through a Central or South Asian intermediary. The word is ultimately a compound of شور šōr meaning 'salty, brackish' and با bā meaning 'stew, gruel, spoon-meat'. The former is from Parthian 𐫢𐫇𐫡 šōr meaning 'salty', and the latter from Middle Persian *-bāg meaning 'gruel, spoon-meat'.
The etymology can be definitively tied to Persian through the cognate شورباج šōrabāj; in modern Persian, while شوربا šōrbā evolved to mean 'broth, stew', شورباج šōrabāj simply means 'soup'. The dialectal Arabic word شوربة šūrba is also a loan from Persian while شربة šurba is a phono-semantic matching that occurred during the loaning of the word into Arabic and is etymologically tied to شرب šariba meaning 'to drink'.
Reader's Guide
Chorba represents a significant culinary category spanning multiple continents and cultures, from North Africa to South Asia. Its name, derived from Persian via Ottoman Turkish, reflects a deep linguistic history involving Parthian and Middle Persian roots. The dish appears under many local names—chorba in Bulgarian and Romanian, čorba in Serbo-Croatian, shurpa in Russian, shorpa in Uyghur, çorba in Turkish, and shorba in Hindustani—each adapting the basic concept of a stew or rich soup to regional ingredients and traditions. In Afghanistan, shorwa is a simple dish often mixed with bread on the dastarkhān, typically made with potatoes, beans, and meat, and commonly cooked in a pressure cooker to reduce preparation time. In Moldova and Romania, ciorbă is a generic term for soup. On the Indian subcontinent, the term shirwā is commonly used to mean gravy, and chorba appears as a Mughlai dish with vegetarian forms as well. The dish's versatility—served alone as broth or with bread, and prepared with or without added ingredients—underscores its role as a foundational element in many national cuisines.
Did You Know?
- The Persian compound šōrbā combines šōr meaning 'salty, brackish' and bā meaning 'stew, gruel, spoon-meat'.
- In modern Persian, شوربا šōrbā evolved to mean 'broth, stew', while شورباج šōrabāj simply means 'soup'.
- The dialectal Arabic word شوربة šūrba is a loan from Persian, while شربة šurba is a phono-semantic matching tied to the Arabic verb šariba meaning 'to drink'.
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