Kutia

Ukraine

Also known as Kutya

About Kutia

Kutia is a sweet grain dish made from boiled wheat berries mixed with poppy seeds, honey, nuts and dried fruit. In Ukraine it is the first and most important of the twelve dishes served at the Christmas Eve supper (Sviat Vechir).

Wheat stands for life and plenty, honey for happiness and poppy seeds for prosperity. The wheat is cooked until chewy, then mixed with ground poppy seeds, honey, walnuts, raisins and sometimes dried apricots.

According to tradition, the head of the family throws a spoonful of kutia at the ceiling, and the more grains stick, the better the coming harvest will be. Similar dishes are eaten in Belarus, Poland, Lithuania and Russia.

Ingredients

• wheat berries
• poppy seeds
• honey
• walnuts
• raisins
• dried apricots