In West Slavic countries, as well as in Belarus, fermented cereals, such as rye, wheat, or oatmeal, are used to make soups. In Poland and parts of Belarus, rye is traditional for making żur; a variant made with wheat flour instead of rye is known in Poland as barszcz biały ("white barszcz"). Fermented oatmeal is a common ingredient in Belarus and in some regions of Poland. Fermented wheat or sourdough soups are also found in other western Slavic cuisines, in particular in the Slovak (kyslovka), Silesian (Sauermehlsuppe) and Czech (kyselo) cuisines.
Żur (żur, diminutive: żurek) is a soup made of soured rye flour (akin to sourdough) and meat (usually boiled pork sausage or pieces of smoked sausage, bacon or ham).
The recipe varies regionally. In Poland it is sometimes served in an edible bowl made of bread or with boiled potatoes. In Silesia, a type of sour rye soup known as żur śląski is served in a bowl, poured over mashed potatoes. In the Podlaskie region, it is common to eat żurek with halved hard-boiled eggs. In Polish Subcarpathia, there is a traditional variety made of fermented oatmeal (żur owsiany or kisełycia). In Poland żurek is traditionally eaten at Easter, but is also popular during other parts of the year. It is sometimes flavored with bits of sausage, usually eaten with bread or buns.
File:Żywność - 023.JPG|''Żur'' with [[kiełbasa]] and halved boiled eggs
Following ingredients may be used:
cured bones
pork ribs
weisswurst
pork belly
onion
potatoes
carrots
celery
parsley
marjoram
bay leaves
allspice
lovage
caraway
garlic
mushrooms
cream
horseradish
eggs to serve
rye wholemeal bread croutons
In Belarus, žur (жур) or kisjalica (кісяліца) is a soup made of fermented oatmeal or rye. Žur may also denote a thicker porridge, a type of kissel made of fermented oatmeal, which is known since the times of Kievan Rus'.
File:Жур.JPG|''Zhur''
Kyselo (kyselo, krkonošské kyselo; Kübelsauer) is a soup based on rye sourdough and mushrooms. It is a traditional Czech cuisine from poor folk food originating in the Northern Bohemia mountain region of Krkonoše.