Kutia is a traditional dish made with wheat and honey served on Ukrainian Christmas Eve.
Ukrainian Christmas is on January 7th, so Christmas Eve is fast approaching. And though I usually celebrate traditional Christmas I always make many of the traditional Ukrainian dishes to serve.
A traditional Ukrainian Christmas eve dinner consists of:
Sauerkraut and Peas
Stuffed fish and pickled herring
Cooked Beans
Beets with mushrooms
Pidpenky
Stewed Fruits
Kolach
Pomopushdy
Each dish is symbolic of the twelve apostiles.
The most beloved of all Ukrainian festivities is the Sviata Vechera (Holy Supper). Respected and honoured customers pervade the house on Christmas Eve.
The first dish in a traditional Ukrainian Christmas eve meal is Kutia, a preparation of cooked wheat, sweetened with honey and dressed with poppy seed. Kutia symbolizes prosperity, peace and good health.
Kutia
- 2 cups of wheat
- 3 quarts of water
- 1 cup of poppy seed ⅔ cup of sugar, I used brown this year
- ⅓ cup of honey , I used high grade maple syrup
- Place the wheat and water in a slow cooker and simmer on high for 4 hours.
- Add the poppy seed and water honey mixture, stirring well.
- Turn the slow cooker to low, cover and allow to simmer for an hour.
- Traditionally served warm but it is also wonderful served cold.