 Borscht derives from a soup originally made by the Slavs from common hogweed ( Heracleum sphondylium , also known as cow parsnip ) , which lent the dish its Slavic name . Growing commonly in damp meadows throughout the north temperate zone , hogweed was used not only as fodder ( as its English names suggest ) , but also for human consumption – from Eastern Europe to Siberia , to northwestern North America . 
