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Her Traditional Ukrainian Soup Could Be The Secret To Long Life

Olga Smith and her granddaughter, WUSF reporter Kerry Sheridan, sample some Borscht they just made.
Olga Smith and her granddaughter, WUSF reporter Kerry Sheridan, sample some Borscht they just made. Photo by Cheri Sheridan/WUSF

Whenever asked about her secret to longevity, the answer is not one that’s generally expected.

Olga Smith, the 96-year-old grandmother of WUSF reporter Kerry Sheridan, credits the soup she ate as a child.

Olga Smith eats soup in the kitchen
Olga Smith, 96, says the secret to her long, healthy life could be the soup she ate often as a child, made by her Ukrainian-born parents. Kerry Sheridan/WUSF.

Sheridan and “Meema” spent the day recreating the traditional favorite soup made by their Ukrainian ancestors.

They traveled from the butcher shop to the kitchen and down memory lane, as they cooked up some homemade Borscht with a personal twist.

I cover health and K-12 education – two topics that have overlapped a lot since the pandemic began.