Don’t tell Ukrainian chef Ievgen Klopotenko that borsch is just food. For him, the beet-and-meat stew is the embodiment of everything Ukraine is fighting for. Klopotenko says food is a powerful symbol of a nation's identity. He's been trying to reclaim Ukraine's traditional cuisine and show that its culture is distinct from Russia's. Klopotenko helped lead a lobbying effort that got UNESCO last year to declare that Ukrainian borsch is a cultural treasure that needs preserving. Although the declaration said borsch wasn't exclusive to Ukraine, the move infuriated Russia. Klopotenko runs a popular Kyiv restaurant and has a new cookbook coming out in the U.S. He hopes it will raise the profile of Ukrainian cuisine.