A Sweet Holiday Treat ... From Wheat

P

avel Korin, whose work is featured in this issue, was enthralled by the majesty of the Russian Orthodox Church. He visited monasteries and cathedrals to study icons and frescos and sketched the funeral of the Russian Patriarch for his painting “Waning Rus.” So it’s appropriate that this month’s recipe is a ritual food that has largely disappeared from the contemporary repertoire. This is the special Christmas Eve dish called kut’ya. 

Every culture that celebrates Christmas boasts its own seasonal sweets. In the US, we hand out peppermint sticks; in Germany, it’s marzipan pigs; and in Sweden, crisp gingersnaps. In Russia, the tradition of serving something sweet to celebrate the birth of Christ and ensure a sweet new year dates back to pre-Christian times. The Russian word for Christmas Eve, Sochel’nik, derives from sochivo, a ritual food that was prepared with grain (traditionally wheat, but barley, rye, buckwheat, lentils, and later even rice could be used), honey, and almond or poppy “milk.” This dish came more commonly to be known as kut’ya. The Christmas Eve version of kut’ya was made without any dairy products, a last remnant of the great Nativity fast (the “milk” was simply water in which almonds or poppies had been soaked to release their flavor). On the second day of Christmas, after the long fast had ended, a rich “baba’s kasha” enriched with butter and milk was often served.

The traditional kut’ya was served as part of the Christmas Eve feast. According to Russian Orthodox custom, the fast couldn’t be broken until the first star had appeared in the sky. This was the favorite time of year for fortune-telling. Once all the stars were out, the people eagerly read the sky like tea leaves. Lots of stars meant that mushrooms and berries would be abundant in the coming year; a cloudy night foretold a poor harvest. A snowstorm (not usual for Christmas Eve in Russia) foretold an abundance of bees with the promise of plenty of honey. Some families tossed a spoonful of kut’ya up to the ceiling. If the grains stuck, the coming year would be prosperous; if not, things didn’t bode well. Luckily, there is enough honey in kut’ya to ensure its stickiness, so the ceiling toss wasn’t too much of a gamble.

As part of the Christmas festivities, young people, in a holdover from pagan times, dressed up in animal skins and donned animal masks, caroling from house to house in a ritual called kolyadovanie (mummery). Woe to any household that didn’t shower them with treats—often honey-rich gingerbread baked in animal shapes. In the Soviet period, the tradition of giving gifts shifted from Christmas to the secular New Year, when enterprising parents could order the appearance of Ded Moroz (Father Frost) and Snegurochka (the Snow Maiden), who would magically show up at the apartment to hand out treats for the children.

Try this traditional Russian dish for a sweet and healthy new year.

— Darra Goldstein

Kut’ya • äÛÚ¸fl

1 cup wheat berries (available at health-food stores)

1⁄4 pound whole almonds

2 cups water

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 cup poppy seeds

1⁄2 cup chopped almonds

2 tablespoons honey

Soak the wheat berries overnight in ample water to cover.

The next day, make almond milk. Place the whole almonds in a saucepan with the water. Bring to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat and let the almonds steep until the water comes to room temperature.

Drain the wheat. Drain the almonds, reserving the liquid.

Pour the almond milk over the wheat and stir in the salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer slowly until the wheat is tender, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, soak the poppy seeds in water for 30 minutes to soften. Then grind them.

Toast the chopped almonds at 325^o F for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.

When the wheat is tender, stir in the poppy seeds. Add the honey, mixing well. Transfer the wheat to a serving dish and sprinkle it with the toasted almonds.

Serves 8.

From A Taste of Russia, published by Russian Life Books (800-639-4301).