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The meaning of the word kolivo in the Orthodox encyclopedia tree. What is kutia: history, types and secrets of preparation

Products for kutya are peeled grains: wheat, barley, rice, and sweet additives: before it was nourishing - honey with water, and today candied fruits, nuts, raisins and honey.

The dish has pagan roots. Funeral kutia was placed on the table as a treat for the deceased to honor their ancestors. It was believed that this way one could bring success and happiness into the house for the whole year. But despite its non-pagan roots, kutia has taken root in the Orthodox culinary tradition and is blessed in the church, symbolizing the unity of the living and the dead in common immortality.

Customs and traditions associated with Kutya

The name of the dish is of Greek origin: this word in Byzantium was used to describe a funeral treat made from boiled wheat. Together with others Christian traditions The custom of preparing kutya came to the Slavs, where it took root for many centuries.

Sweet porridge with honey and nuts symbolizes prosperity, abundance, fertility, health and well-being, which is why it was placed on the table on major holidays. It was believed that the richer the dish turned out (more satisfying and a large number supplements), the better the year will be. It is with kutia that it is customary to start the Christmas meal and end it with it too. According to established tradition, all family members and, in addition to them, pets and livestock should taste the dish - this will protect them from diseases and give them good health.

Lenten kutya is prepared for Christmas Eve, because fasting is still ongoing at this time. You cannot use any animal products for it - no butter, no milk, no cream. On Christmas, it is customary to treat relatives who live separately, friends, and neighbors to their kutya. How more people If they try it, the more benefits it promises in the future. Kutya is left in a separate bowl for deceased ancestors, who, according to beliefs, protect the house.
Kutya is taken to the temple to consecrate it, but if this is not possible, you can sprinkle the dish with holy water yourself.

Types of kutya: sweet and savory, colivo and juicy, lean and “rich”

Despite common name, kutia is not one, but several dishes with a common basis. On Christmas Eve, kutya is placed on the table with an abundance of sweet additives, honey, nuts, and raisins. Before Christmas, ending the fast, it looks more like a delicacy than a funeral dish. At Epiphany, the number of ingredients is traditionally smaller, so it is not so sweet.
On significant holidays that do not fall during fasting, a generous kutya is prepared, in which they put large number heavy cream, butter, milk and other additives.

In addition to the composition, different kutia also have different consistency. Cool kutya - kolivo, looks like crumbly sweet porridge. The semi-liquid dish is called sochivo and is usually eaten with spoons. This type of kutia got its name due to the fact that one of its components is “juice” or lean milk obtained from nuts, poppy seeds or hemp.

Composition of kutya: mandatory and additional ingredients

Warp

The basis of the dish is boiled whole grains of wheat, barley, pearl barley, oats, rice, buckwheat and others. To separate out all the excess, the cereal is first pounded in a mortar, adding a little water. The grains are then soaked and then boiled. The base of the kutia should be soft, so it is better to leave it on the stove rather than remove it ahead of time.

Wheat is the traditional basis of Kutya, but in lately Rice is becoming increasingly popular. Yes, this is a noticeable departure from tradition, but it goes well with honey, raisins and nuts. The rice dish is usually served at funerals, but it can also be prepared for Christmas. If you boil rice in milk, kutia will no longer be lean, and it cannot be served on Christmas Eve, but during other holidays it will become a table decoration.

Refueling

The second component of classic kutya is dressing. For a lean dish, milk from nuts, poppy seeds, and almonds is used, and for a fast dish, cream, butter, and milk are used.

Nut or poppy milk is prepared by grinding the base in a mortar, grinding in a meat grinder or blender until liquid appears white. This will be juicy, it will replace milk in kutya. In addition to sochiv, almost every recipe contains honey or syt. Some kutia recipes use dried fruit compote, fruit juice or sugar syrup.

Other Ingredients

Nuts, raisins, dried fruits, candied fruits, steamed poppy seeds, marmalade, spices, and jam are placed in kutya. Dried fruits are soaked in advance. Fresh fruits are rarely used, since if stored for a long time they can ferment in the porridge, spoiling it. If you include fruits, it is better just before eating so that they retain their taste and consistency.

Kutya recipes

Funeral kutia

This dish is an integral attribute of funerals or holidays, where it is customary to honor deceased ancestors.

Ingredients:

  • a glass of rice;
  • 2 glasses of water;
  • salt;
  • sugar;
  • 50 grams of raisins;
  • 2 tablespoons honey;
  • 50 grams of candied fruits or marmalade sweets.

Rinse the rice, then cook it into crumbly, not sticky, porridge. Add granulated sugar, salt and honey. Steam the raisins in hot water Let it sit for 10 minutes until it becomes soft, then dry. Now the raisins and rice can be combined. Before serving the finished kutya on the table, it is laid out on a plate in a heap, decorated with marmalade or candied fruits.

Christmas kutia

They prepare it on Christmastide, take it to church for blessing, and treat it to relatives and loved ones before Christmas. Christmas kutia symbolizes fertility, wealth and prosperity throughout the year.

Ingredients:

  • candies to taste (preferably marmalade);
  • 100 grams of raisins;
  • a glass of pre-cleaned wheat;
  • berry compote (you can cook it from dried fruits);
  • 2 tablespoons honey;
  • 50 grams of candied fruits;
  • nuts for decoration.

If there is no wheat, then rice is also suitable for kutya. Pour cool water over the cereal and boil until tender. Pour compote into the porridge and mix the mixture thoroughly: it should turn out semi-liquid, like traditional dish which was placed on the table. The consistency of the dish depends on the amount of compote: if someone wants cool kutia, then just a little is enough - for taste, if liquid is required, pour in one or two glasses. Lastly, add candies, honey, raisins, candied fruits to the kutya and decorate with nuts.

Rich Kutya

Ingredients:

  • 4 glasses wheat cereal;
  • ½ cup sugar;
  • ½ cup chopped dried apricots;
  • ½ cup poppy seeds;
  • ½ cup chopped prunes;
  • raisins, nuts;
  • cognac to taste;
  • honey to taste.

First, boil the grains and soak the poppy seeds in hot water for a few minutes. Then strain and grind the poppy seeds with granulated sugar. In another bowl, soak prunes, raisins and dried apricots for 20 minutes (also in hot water). Mix chopped dried fruits with nuts, poppy seeds and wheat. At the very end, add a little honey and any cognac for taste.

Subtleties of preparing, storing and serving kutia

It is better to boil grains and cereals in a bowl with a thick bottom. Thin-walled grains can burn and spoil the taste of the dish.

After combining all the components, the kutya is heated for another 10 minutes. Ideally, in a clay pot in the oven, but you can also use it in a saucepan on the stove or in a slow cooker.
Thick kutya is diluted with a small amount of compote, grain water or warm water, then it will acquire the desired consistency and will not lose its taste.

If you need to prepare a dish for future use several days in advance, add raisins before serving, since when stored in kutya they will quickly lose their taste. Honey and fresh fruits can ferment; it is also not recommended to add them to the porridge ahead of time.

We remember every year, although more than 1600 years have passed since the day when the Christians of Constantinople were saved from the atrocity plotted against their faith. And the consecration of the koliva remains a significant component of this holiday. But how important is this ritual for us? Why are so many traditions of distant centuries transferred to modern life Churches? Has our Orthodox faith become overgrown with all sorts of rituals?

ABOUT practical aspects ancient traditions, the attractive power of church rituals, the search for reasons and the choice of a person - Archpriest Vladimir Puchkov, cleric of the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross in the city of Vinnitsa, editor-in-chief newspaper "Orthodox Vinnytsia".

***

Archpriest Vladimir Puchkov

The church lives by simple principle– she never cancels anything. An example is the canons: a certain council adopts some rule, for example, in the 4th century, a century or two passes, and another council adopts another rule concerning the same subject, but with a slightly different content - sometimes the exact opposite. However, no one can cancel the previous rule.

In the same way, many have been preserved: they once had a certain meaning, but over time they lost it. But since the traditions themselves were already several centuries old, it turned out to be a pity to cancel them.

This is what happened with godparents, for example. Initially, the receiver served as a guarantor for the newcomer. When a person came to a church community with the desire to be baptized, he was not immediately baptized. who came for a long time they were preparing, but before that, someone had to guarantee that this person really came for Christ’s sake, and not for some mercantile reasons or for some other reason.

When in the 4th century the Church ceased to be persecuted and many, sometimes entire families, began to be baptized, it was already difficult to vouch for individual people. There was no longer a need for recipients as guarantors. But a whole tradition has already formed. And the emphasis shifted - now the godfather’s responsibility was not to help a person prepare for baptism, but to take care of the already baptized. Thus, the tradition was preserved, but its original meaning was lost.

The same thing is observed with the consecration of the koliva. For a moment, the Church experienced this event as truly very significant. , a time of special abstinence. And then Emperor Julian commands that the blood of sacrificial animals be secretly sprinkled on food in the market, so that Christians will become defiled, without wanting it or knowing it.

Then a miracle happens - and especially if you think about through whom the Lord acted. The martyr Theodore Tiron, as is known, appeared to the bishop. But this bishop was an Arian - there was no Orthodox bishop in the city. Moreover, Eudoxius was also a man, to put it mildly, of not a very pious life. Professor Bolotov writes about him: “ an unattractive man, who in his sermons reached the point of vulgarity and farce, who changed his beliefs like no other».

A martyr appears to such a person only because, due to his position, many will hear him.

And Christians get out of the situation in a simple way - they boil wheat and eat it with honey.

Of course, this event was significant for the Church. The providence of God was revealed to them - and it was not about stopping some serious and obvious crime, but about exposing an underlying, secret and vile plan. And the Lord even exposed him and showed how much He cares about Christians, without openly disdaining to do so. unworthy person– and the lack of worthy people did not become a hindrance.

Quick Lenten dish

Of course, in these times, colivo itself means little. After all, what is kolivo? This is a lean dish that can be prepared quickly. In our country, kutya on the Eve of the Nativity of Christ is now almost sacralized, giving it a special meaning. But the meaning is simple and purely practical: in the monasteries the service of the Nativity Vigil ended in the evening, the brethren ate nothing all day, and soon they need to go to the All-Night Vigil of Nativity. Therefore, they prepared something that did not require much time - they boiled wheat and ate it with honey.

It was simply a fast, meatless dish.

But today they are quickly prepared Lenten dishes a lot, and they cook faster than kolivo. Therefore, the practical meaning of koliv has disappeared. All that remains is a centuries-old tradition. And despite the fact that it has lost its relevance, this tradition is dear to many people, for them it is part of church life, “it has always been this way.”

So it is with koliv – this tradition has simply grown into the life of the Church. This is the first statutory prayer service in Lent, and the blessing of food in the absence of a holiday, and a good reason to deliver an interesting lesson. And it’s simple - it’s written in the Triodion to serve, which means you have to serve.

It's very hard to leave

– Why does our Church observe traditions whose meaning has long been lost?

– We keep traditions simply because we keep them. They no longer have any practical meaning. There is much in the Church that has long lost its original practical meaning. For example, priestly vestments are an apron, armlets, a belt and a cloak. But over time, they lost their original purpose and became beautiful liturgical clothes. Today no one thinks that the stole is an apron.

Or the precedence of a deacon with a candle to the censing priest. At first they served in the catacombs, where it was dark and it was difficult to easily walk without light.

Now the floors in our churches are so smooth that you can ride on them. And yet, the deacon still precedes the priest with a candle.

The basis of many rituals is a purely practical point. But the practical component was forgotten, but the ritual, because it is beautiful, remained. And when a tradition is many centuries old, it is always very difficult to part with it.

Help people understand what's important

– Hasn’t it grown over so many centuries? church life rituals beyond measure?

– Where is the criterion for determining the measure? The Church has what constitutes the basis of its life - the Gospel and the Eucharist. Everything else can be taken away, but our Church will still remain the Church of Christ. There are important things, and there are secondary ones.

But then a man from the street comes to church, picks up the Gospel - will he understand it right away? And try to immediately explain to him what it is - will everything be clear to him? If a person is experienced in knowledge, with higher education– maybe it will be easier for him. How can I explain this to my grandmother, for example, or to an illiterate person?! But our churches were filled with literate people only in the twentieth century. Before this, in the temples there were mainly simple people who could barely read.

Nobles and educated officials attended the Liturgy, as a rule, several dozen people, no more. In ancient times, this ratio was even more not in favor of the literate. It was impossible to say: here is the Gospel - read it. Or: take communion and don’t overthink it. And, of course, over time, the Church, so to speak, acquired auxiliary means that helped these people understand the main thing.

One of the most simple examples– icon. It is not without reason that it is called “theology in colors.” The same, for example, Rublev’s Trinity can be literally “read”. A ten-minute story about what, how and why is depicted on this icon can reveal sufficient quantity theological truths as to a church-going Christian, and the neophyte who crossed the threshold of the temple for the first time.

Of course, a person who has reached a certain spiritual height may not need all these rituals. But are there so many highly spiritual people in our churches?

So is it any wonder that the Church’s main attention is not paid to those who understand everything at a glance and at a glance?

There are many rituals in the Church, primarily so that the Church, in its essence and main thing, is understandable not only to educated and spiritual people. In the end, educated and spiritual people grow out of ordinary people, who once needed icons, rituals and much more to understand elementary things.

A person no longer needs Christ - he needs a ritual

– But now it is rituals that become the main thing for many–people come to church to bless Easter cakes, eggs, willows, and water.

– Let’s first separate sanctification and blessing. If we consecrate water, then we cannot literally say that we consecrate Easter cakes. This is just a blessing for tasting what we denied ourselves during Lent. The fast is over, the holiday has arrived, and a blessing is timed to coincide with it. Hence its solemnity. But after the blessing, neither the egg nor the willow becomes a shrine. Therefore, by the way, I completely do not understand the concern of some Orthodox Christians about where to put the shells from easter egg or an apple core.

– But the absolute majority of people baptized in Orthodoxy believe that eggs, willows, and apples become consecrated objects after sprinkling with holy water. And people who come to churches on Easter, Epiphany and other holidays only to sprinkle food, bouquets and water - they come for consecration, and not for blessing!

- That's the trouble. But when non-church people think this way, it’s not so bad. However, unfortunately, many of our conscientious parishioners are not alien to this. And all because in the minds of some people a certain substitution occurs: a person no longer needs Christ - he needs a ritual. This can be compared to how small child learning to walk.

There is no way to do without a walker, but if, having learned to walk, he does not want to part with the walker, we risk being crippled.

The life of the Church is rooted in. By coming together to celebrate the Eucharist, scattered Christians come together and represent the Church. By participating in the Eucharist, we unite with Christ and partake of the reality of the Kingdom of God. When the Eucharist fades into the background in the consciousness of a Christian, then Christ fades into the background with it.

The tradition of outrageously rare communion

How often do we receive communion? It’s good if once a week or two, but how many? Mostly once every few months, if not a couple of times a year. And this is also almost a tradition. And it was formed a long time ago. Back in synodal times, when the Church, in essence, was a ministry of confession, and a spirit of formalism reigned in many areas of its life. Officials were required to take communion at least once a year, which they did. Over time, this norm, if I may say so, spread to other church people. If someone took communion every post, that was already very commendable. This is how the tradition of not just rare, but outrageously rare communion arose. Communion has ceased to be perceived as a norm of life, as a vital necessity.

Then the revolution broke out, Soviet times came, with their forced godlessness. And the tradition of outrageously rare communion acquired an aura of “pre-revolutionary”ness, especially since it suited the new time too. Time passed, generations changed. In the seventies, rarely taking communion was the norm; in the nineties, this tradition even began to be defended in books and articles. Is it any wonder that in the first place for many, many all this time there were rituals - prayer services, memorial services, twigs, willows and eggs.

I’m not saying that everyone in the Church has always had people who understood the primacy of the Eucharist. Open the book “Eucharist. The Sacrament of the Kingdom" by Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann, and you will understand this without further ado. But always a certain number of people focused primarily on the ritual.

There's no need to come up with reasons

– How Orthodox Christian correct attitude towards the many rituals in our Church?

- Calmly. On the one hand, some rituals have changed beyond recognition, others have not lost their original meaning. For example, the tradition of greeting the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem with palm or willow branches in one’s hands is remarkable in its own way. Since the Church not only remembers the holiday, reproduces it, but experiences it in its entirety, as if it were happening right now, and not some time ago, then, of course, we meet Christ in the temple, too, with twigs. But when asked what to do with it later consecrated willow, I must admit, I myself don’t know how to answer.

On the other hand, for the non-church and ignorant, churching often begins with a ritual. The need to consecrate the willow is another reason to visit the temple. However, when is enough smart people they see Orthodoxy purely from the ritual side, this is more than annoying.

And man is designed in such a way that he always wants to explain everything. And always, no matter what he experiences, no matter what problems he solves, he wants to get to the bottom of the reason. Like Venedikt Erofeev: “I know many of God’s plans.”

So, the only thing you shouldn’t do is come up with your own interpretations of rituals and expect something extraordinary from them. Otherwise, some people get to the point where they begin to see the causes of serious life troubles in the prayer of the fortieth day that was not read a quarter of a century ago. The life principle “find a reason for everything” is bad because, without finding reasons, a person easily comes up with them. It's important to remember - church ceremonies are not intended for this.

There is a time and place for everything

– So is it necessary in the Church to revise old traditions - to cancel or modify something?

Yes and no. It is vitally important for us to place the Eucharist, and with it Christ, in first place in the mass church consciousness. And this will inevitably entail a weakening of attention to rituals in general.

However, the Church is a fairly conservative structure, so no revolutionary changes in it will lead to good consequences. Any, even the most necessary changes in the Church must take place evolutionarily. That is, it is necessary to understand that this is always a long process, the basis of which is explanation, clarification, etc.

The Church is constantly being replenished with new people - churchgoers different ages, growing children, youth. And these people need to invest correct concept about the centrality of the Gospel in the life of the Church, to make it clear that the core of Orthodoxy is . And if these believers become carriers of precisely such values, over time some changes will naturally begin to occur. No one will abolish rituals, no one will fight them - it’s just that in the minds of church people, rituals will take the place they should occupy, but nothing more.

Prepared Marina Bogdanova

Ecology of consumption. Food and recipes: A ritual dish of Russian (and not only) cuisine, which is eaten on the days of Christmas and Epiphany Christmas Eve, i.e. in the evening on the eve of Christmas and Epiphany holidays, after abstaining from food throughout the day

A ritual dish of Russian (and not only) cuisine, which is eaten on the days of Christmas and Epiphany Eves, that is, in the evening on the eve of the Christmas and Epiphany holidays, after abstaining from food throughout the day. There is information that in the past kutya (kolivo, sochivo) was eaten not only on Christmas Eve and Epiphany, but also on other days, for example as an Easter dish, but the authors of the post decided not to go into such deep details and not go too far beyond culinary component of this dish.. It should only be noted that kutia can be funeral.

If in general outline to define this dish, then we can say that the dish consists of a grain, (less often) bean base mixed with poppy, nut or almond juice (sochivo, which is where the name comes from, although there is an opinion that the name “sochivo” may come from from the other Russian name for lentils - “sochevitsa”) and with honey.

In sochivo (kolivo, kutya) they usually add a variety of nuts and dried fruits, chopped or whole (like raisins), sometimes they decorate the top with nuts and dried fruits (lay out a cross, etc..), sprinkle (as in Greece) with ground cinnamon in those for the same purposes using stencils, see photo...

THE GRAIN BASE MAY CONSIST OF BOILED GREATS (OR A MIXTURE OF GREATS) OR (RATHER RARELY) BOILED LEGUMES.

Sochivo from rice, lentils, black beans

To prepare the grain base, use:

Wheat grains (soaked overnight and boiled so that the grain is cooked, but does not lose its shape).

Rice (crumbly).

Pearl barley.

Millet (to make crumbly porridge).

Buckwheat.

Beans (can be beans).

Lentils.

Peas.

DRIED FRUITS(which should be washed and, if very dry, soaked for a short time in hot water, or better yet in hot water sweetened with honey; this sweet water can also be used as an impregnation for sochi (not all of it, of course):

Prunes

Dried apricots

Raisins black or yellow

Dried cherries or dried cherries

Sun-dried apples of paradise, only the core and seeds should be removed and the apples cut into smaller pieces

As it turned out, in the old days they also used fresh fruits, and not just dried fruits.

NUTS a wide variety are used - forest (hazel, hazelnut), walnut, cedar, etc.

AS A DRINK (JUICE):

Poppy “milk”, almond “milk”, nut “juice” (the authors of this post do not do this and limit themselves to HONEY or a mixture of HONEY + WATER.

Honey or a combination of honey + water.

Sometimes jam and sugar are added to sochivo (kolivo, kutya)..

It should be noted that although in old recipes salt is used when boiling cereals, in our time experts (rules..) strongly recommend NOT ADDING SALT when boiling cereals.

Sochivo with cherries and raisins

You can add either whole nuts and fruits to sochivo if they are small (for example, raisins, pine nuts), or chop them with a knife if the dried fruits are large, like prunes or dried apricots (as in Father Hermogenes’ recipe, see below), or the nuts can be passed through meat grinder

Bread crumbs (crushed, breaded) are added to some types of sochivo (kolivo, kutya) - in the Athonite recipe and the recipe of Father Hermogenes, see below). In cases where chopped nuts, dried fruits and crushed bread crumbs are added to sochivo (kolivo, kutya), then the structure of the dish turns out to be less crumbly.

After the selected grain base has been prepared, the cereal has been cooked, dried fruits and nuts have been prepared (chopped), honey (or a mixture of honey and water) has been prepared... it should be mixed and placed in a dish, decorated with nuts or dried fruits on top. Honey should be added to boiled still warm grains (rice, pearl barley, wheat...) so that the honey can be mixed without difficulty.

Sochivo (kolivo, kutya) SHOULD NOT BE PLACED IN THE REFRIGERATOR AND IT IS CONSIDERED THAT IT CANNOT BE HEATED.

For sochiv (koliv) you can use a mixture of different grains (for example boiled rice + (boiled grains of wheat or millet)..or add a little boiled beans to boiled grains, etc.

DEFINITION OF THE WORDS “KOLIVO”, “SOCHIVO”, “KUTIA”

Sochivo sochivo “juice, milk from seeds”, “food from seeds”, Old Russian. sochivo "lentil grain", tslav. sochivo φακός, Bulgarian sochivo "pottage", Serbohorvian. sochivo "lentils, legumes", Slovenian. sočȋvo – the same. Derivative from juice (see); Wed also lentils. Etymological dictionary of the Russian language by M. R. Vasmer.

kutia "a dish made from rice or other cereals with honey and raisins, eaten at funerals; it is sacred in the church; this food is also eaten at Christmas, on Christmas Eve and other holidays", Ukrainian. Kutya, blr. kutsya, other Russian Kutya, Feodos. Print., Pov. time years old, Domostr. K. 8 and others (Srezn. I, 1382), old glory. koutsiѩ (Supr.) Borrowing. from Middle Greek, Modern Greek κουκκί(ον), pl. κουκκιά "beans" (Ducange) from Greek. koόκκος "grain"; see Yagich, AfslPh 9, 168; Korsch, AfslPh 9, 514 et seq.; Vasmer, Gr.-sl. this. 106 et seq.; Bernecker 1, 654; Murko, WuS 2, 137. Etymological dictionary of the Russian language by M. R. Vasmer.

Kolivo noun (Greek κολύβα) - kutia, sochivo, wheat or rice, boiled and seasoned with honey or sugar, sometimes mixed with apples, prunes, raisins, etc.

Complete Church Slavonic dictionary (including the most important Old Russian words and expressions). Comp. priest Grigory Dyachenko. 1900.

KOLIVO, KOLIVO Wed. funeral kutia, porridge made from wheat or spelled, rice, etc. with raisins. Western sprout, shoot, stalk. There are three colivas of mint in the garden on the ridge. Dictionary Dalia.

OLD RECIPES KOLIVA, SOCHIVA, KUTIA

V.LEVSHIN “RUSSIAN COOK” 1816

QUANTITY. Yachnykh or pearl barley Boil it in water very gently; when ripe, pour off most of the broth, add almond or poppy seed milk, or hemp milk and heat it by throwing it on the fire.

Egg cereals boiled in this way are sweetened with honey, and this is called kutia.

S. RADETSKY “ALMANAC OF GASTRONOMS” 1853

Chapter “TABLE FOR CHRISTMAS EVE”

KUTIA FROM WHEAT WITH POPPY.

Sort, wash and blanch required quantity wheat, and when it boils, pour it into a drushlak, pour it with cold water, and put it back into the pan or pot, pour it with water, boil it, cover it tightly with a lid and put it in a hot oven for 4 hours; when it becomes soft, take it out of the oven and put it in a cold place, and then sort out and wash the appropriate amount of poppy seed, pound it in a mortar in half and take it into the container designated for kutya, put it in honey, a little salt, stir it and put in a little of the above-mentioned cold wheat (stir at the position of each spoon) and if the kutia turns out to be thick, add a little cold water.

KUTIA FROM RICE WITH ALMONDS.

Sort out, wash and blanch the required amount of rice, and when it boils, pour into a drainer, pour over cold water, put back in the pan, and pour full of water, cook until soft; when ready, scoop into a cup with a colander spoon and cool; steam and peel the appropriate amount of sweet almonds (assuming ¼ pound of sweet almonds and 5 bitter almonds per pound of rice), chop and grind it in a mortar until fine, and then, taking it out into the bowl designated for kutya, add fine sugar and stir , dilute with a little water, add rice and stir as it should, let go.

SHAMBINGO “ECONOMIC BOOK FOR YOUNG AND INEXPERIENCED HOUSEWIFEES” 1860

KUTYA.

Wheat 1 lb. Kishmish 1 lb. Coarse honey ½ lb.

Soak the wheat and boil it with sultanas, and when the wheat becomes soft, place it on a sieve to drain; put back on the dish, pour over heated honey, serve.

KOLOMYTSOVA 1891

KUTYA.

Take:

Rice ½ lb.

Sweet almonds 1/8 lb.

Bitter 6 grains.

Fine sugar ¼ lb.

One pound of raisins and raisins.

Preparation.

Boil ½ lb. rice; when it boils, put it on a sieve, let the water drain, pour it over cold water, put it back into the pan, add 8 inches of water and let it boil until soft. Meanwhile, boil ½ pound of sweet and 6 grains of bitter almonds, peel, finely grind, put back on the dish, add 1 spoon of sugar, 1 spoon of water and stir. When the rice has boiled well until soft, drain the water, cool, place on the almonds and stir together, adding the rest of the sugar.

At the same time, prepare the sultanas, sort out, wash and, after boiling once in water, put them in a sieve and let the water drain, and put the sultanas in the rice, stir and serve.

The kutia is served with: fine sugar, wine, sherry or Lyseabon or almond milk, with which it is eaten.

Kutya is a very nutritious dish and very tasty with wine: it is mainly cooked for dinner on Christmas Eve and Epiphany Eve.

P.M ZELENKO “CHEF’S ART” 1902

KUTYA. Cook rice porridge, see No. 2060, cool; Peel the almonds, chop, grind, mix with fine sugar, add a little water, combine with rice, place in a heap on a dish, garnish with sultanas.

KUTIA FUNERAL FRATE HERMOGENS

1 cup rice

2 glasses of water

200 g raisins

100 g honey

Sochivo according to the recipe of Father Hermogenes with rusk crumbs

SOCHIVO FRATE HERMOGENS

1 cup wheat

3 glasses of water

200 g honey

200 g breadcrumbs

200g candied fruits

100 g each of dried apricots, prunes, nuts, raisins, poppy seeds.

Kolivo in the Athonite Greek monastery

ATHONSKOYE KOLIVO

Wheat grains 1 cup
Hazelnuts ~70 g.
Walnuts ~ 70 g.
Almonds ~ 70 g.
Raisins ~ 200 g.
coconut flakes
Powdered sugar
Grated cinnamon 1 tbsp. spoon (to taste)
Granulated sugar (to taste)
And the most important ingredient, monastic in spirit. Wheat crackers 200 g.

The night before, you need to prepare all the dry ingredients, nuts and raisins, and grind the crackers into crumbs. Soak the wheat in water overnight. And Kolivo itself must be prepared right on the day of the holiday, and not in advance, because wheat quickly dries out and becomes hard. It would be better to get up early in the morning for the holiday and start preparing

Cook the wheat over low heat in slightly sweet water for about one and a half to two hours, until the wheat becomes soft. You need to be careful so that the wheat does not boil into porridge and is soft but crumbly. Place the wheat in a colander to drain the water. After this, transfer the wheat to cheesecloth and hang it so that it completely dries and cools. Mix with crushed nuts, raisins, coconut flakes, you can add sugar to taste. Grated crackers are added generously so that they absorb moisture and so that the colivo is crumbly and not wet. Place the kolivo on a large dish and level the surface with a flat press, such as a plate, so that you get something more like a puck than a slide. Sprinkle a layer of breadcrumbs on top and finish with a layer of powdered sugar. You can decorate with nuts, dried fruits, powdered sugar and cinnamon. It is better to pour cinnamon and powder through a sieve. To get an even border, use a stencil.

KUTIA FUNERAL recipe from the 16th century. BISHOP OF NOVGOROD NIFONTfrom “The Notes of Herberstein” translated by Malein

“How should you prepare Kutya? A. Take three parts of boiled wheat, and a fourth of rice, beans and peas, even boiled, season with honey and sugar, and also add other fruits, if any. This kutya, after the funeral is over, should be eaten in church.” published

Kutya- this is Orthodox funeral dish, which symbolizes faith in eternal life, resurrection and the kingdom of heaven.

Another name for Kutya is Kolivo.

At Christmas, wedding, baptism, Orthodox holidays... Kutya is prepared in the same way, but it is called differently - Kolivo.

Kolivo- this is Orthodox holiday dish . When Kolivo is ready, it must be blessed in the church during the service and a prayer must be read before the meal. Kolivo is blessed in the church and served on the table on Friday of the first week of Lent in memory of the miracle of St. Martyr Theodore Tyrone, who, appearing on this day in 362 in a dream to the Bishop of Antioch Eudoxius, warned about the desecration of food in the markets with blood sacrificed to idols.

The word “kutia” translated from Greek means boiled wheat.
In fact, kutya (Kolovo) is prepared from any cereal, for example rice, buckwheat, millet..., sweetened with honey or sugar and adding raisins and other dried fruits, candied fruits, poppy seeds, nuts, muesli, jam, marmalade.

With Kutya (Koliv) it is customary to serve lean milk in a separate gravy boat - Uzvar, which is made from poppy seeds, walnuts or hazelnuts, or a mixture of them, or almonds. Accordingly, poppy, nut or almond milk is obtained.

Kutya


Based on 25-30 people. Ingredients:
Long rice – 100 grams
Raisins – 70-100 grams
Candied fruits – 50 grams
Honey or sugar – 1 tablespoon
Purified water – 600 milliliters

Preparation:
1. By Orthodox customs the fruits that are added to Kutya are associated with the fruits of paradise that God gave to all humanity. You can add not only raisins to this dish, but also dried fruits if desired: dried apricots, prunes, and also candied fruits and poppy seeds.

So, put the raisins in a small saucepan, pour them plain water and leave for 20-30 minutes. Afterwards we rinse it under running water.

Pour into a saucepan with dried fruits 200 ml purified water and boil it over medium heat 5 min. If you use dried apricots or prunes, after cooking, cut them into small pieces.

2. In history, funeral dinners symbolize the gathering of Christ’s disciples, who were glad about the Resurrection of their mentor and waited for his appearance at the table every time. Therefore, in early Christian societies, having meals together, they expressed love for each other and honored the dead by telling stories about them and remembering pleasant moments in their lives. And when the Risen Christ appeared to his disciples, he ate honey. Therefore, since ancient times, honey has been served at funeral dinners or added to other dishes so that the deceased can be satisfied with the heavenly sweetness.

In order for this ingredient to be well absorbed into the rice and the Kutia to turn out sweet, you need to melt it a little.

So, spoon the honey into a small saucepan and, stirring constantly, heat it over medium heat literally 1-2 min. We control the time ourselves, since the honey may be candied, and because of this you will have to tinker with it a little longer. Instead of honey, you can add another sweet component to Kutya - sugar. To do this, simply dissolve it in small quantity hot water.

3. Grind the candied fruits to the size you like best. This ingredient is added to many dishes, such as Easter cake. After all, candied fruits are fruits with a dense consistency boiled in syrup. They are very sweet and serve as an excellent substitute for candy. Therefore, when adding candied fruits to Kutya, be careful with sugar so as not to over-sweet the dish.

4. First, soak the rice in a medium-sized saucepan with plain water. for 1-2 hours. Afterwards, drain the water and fill the rice with purified water. According to the proportions, 100 grams of cereal requires 400 ml of water. As for rice, you can take either short grain or long grain.

Place the pan with the cereal on the stove, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Do not stir the rice with a spoon during cooking. Don't worry - it won't burn. Over low heat, the rice will “breathe”, slowly evaporating the water.

We check the rice from time to time. When there is practically no water left in the pan and the grains of the cereal become soft, add raisins or other dried fruits, chopped candied fruits, and pour in honey or sugar water. Mix everything well with a spoon and keep on fire another 1-2 minutes.

5. Using a spoon, transfer the prepared Kutya from the pan into a deep plate or bowl. Level the surface of the dish with a spoon and, if desired, decorate with raisins and candied fruits. And now we cover it with a lid from the pan so that the Kutya slowly cools down.

By Orthodox traditions After Kutya has been consecrated, a prayer is read at the table and the funeral meal begins with a spoonful of this sweet dish.

Bon appetit !

Adviсe:
– Instead of rice, you can add other grains to Kutya. For example, wheat, buckwheat, pearl barley...
– Funeral Kutya is prepared for wakes on the ninth, fortieth day, for six months, a year, on the memorial day, as well as special dates set aside for this.
– After the funeral meal, you can put Kutya in a cool place or in the refrigerator and remember the deceased with it the next day before eating, until Kutya is over.
“The funeral kutya is placed in the center of the table and, as usual, each person eats one spoon before the meal. You can also take this dish with a fork or directly with your hands.

Kolivo


Ingredients:
Wheat – 1 cup
Walnuts – 100 grams
Poppy – 1 glass
Raisins – 100 grams
Dried fruits (apples, pears, apricots, plums) – 150 grams
Sugar – 4 tablespoons
Honey – 3 tablespoons
Purified water – 500 milliliters
Preparation:
1. On the Christmas Eve, Kolivo must be on the table. This dish is prepared in the evening from January 6 to January 7, as well as on January 13. Kolivo is a traditional Slavic dish that reflects abundance and fertility. In order for Kolivo to turn out truly tasty and festive, you need to know how to prepare it correctly.

Let's start preparing the main ingredient - wheat. To start with kitchen table We sort through the grains and separate the spoiled ones from the good ones. Then pour the cereal into a deep bowl and rinse under running water. Fill with water so that it covers the wheat and soak at 12 o'clock or all night. They swell with water and become less hard. This type of wheat will cook twice as fast.

In the morning, drain the remaining water from the soaked wheat. Transfer it from the bowl to a deep saucepan and fill it with fresh water. Stick to proportions. For example, for our recipe: 100 grams of soaked wheat requires 500 ml of water.

So, put the pan with wheat on the stove, bring it to a boil and only after that reduce the heat to low. Cook the cereal for at least 2 hours until completely cooked. Ready-made wheat should be soft in consistency, but not overcooked. Wheat grains in our dish symbolize long and eternal life, in abundance and goodness.

2. While our wheat is boiling, we are preparing Uzvar.
We take dried fruits, rinse them under running water and then put them in a deep saucepan with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately after boiling, reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer over low heat until cooked through. 15 – 20 min. In 5 minutes until done, add 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Uzvar is ready.
To make it more tasty and rich, leave it for another 4-5 hours.

3. After Uzvar has brewed, separate the liquid from the dried fruits. Place the fruit in a sieve and let the remaining Uzvar drain out. Place the finished dried fruits on a cutting board and chop them into small pieces with a knife. The size of the pieces does not have special significance. Place the chopped dried fruits on a plate.

4. Place the poppy seed on a plate and pour boiling water over it to steam it. After the water in the poppy seed has cooled, drain it. Add two tablespoons of sugar to the poppy seeds and grind with a blender until white juice appears.

This juice is called " milk of poppy seeds" In general, the poppy is a symbol of prosperity.

5. There is nothing complicated in preparing raisins. It is desirable that it be seedless. If this ingredient contains grape tails, remove them from the raisins. Then we rinse it under running water, put it on a plate and pour boiling water over it. Steam the raisins for 30 minutes. This process is necessary so that the dried grapes absorb some water, swell and become juicier and softer. Afterwards, drain the remaining water. Gently squeeze the raisins with your hands and leave them in the plate.

6. Using a blender on the first or second mode, grind the peeled walnuts. Do not use turbo mode under any circumstances, as we need small pieces of the ingredient. And this mode turns any product into crumbs.

Transfer the nut pieces to a plate. By the way, according to Slavic customs walnut added to Kolivo, as it was a symbol of fertility, productivity and good luck.

7. Our Kolivo is almost ready!
There are a few main finishing touches left. Place cooled cooked wheat, raisins, chopped dried fruits, poppy seeds and nuts in a deep bowl. Season our mixture with honey and Uzvar.

Mix everything well with a spoon until a homogeneous mass is formed.

Kolivo must not only be placed first on the table, but also be offered to guests to try it, since this is the main dish on Holy Evening. Kolivo is served cold with cream, milk or Uzvar.

According to Orthodox traditions, after Kolivo is blessed, a prayer is read at the table and the festive meal begins with a spoonful of this sweet dish.

Bon appetit !

Adviсe:
– If you don’t have a blender on hand to grind nuts, then you can use a rolling pin, or crush the nuts in a mortar, or finely chop them with a knife, or you can just break them with your hands.
– In the process of preparing the filling for Kolivo, you can grind the poppy seeds with sugar in a mortar. You can also use a bowl and a regular tablespoon. Of course, it will take longer to prepare the poppy seeds than if we could use a blender. In any case, the result will be the same.
– If for some reason you do not have dried fruits for Uzvar, you can prepare sugar syrup with jam. To do this, you need to dissolve sugar in a small amount of water and then add a couple of tablespoons of your favorite jam.
– You can add any dried fruits, frozen berries, any types of nuts and even candied fruits and marmalade to Kolivo.
– Not only wheat is suitable for Kolivo. It can also be prepared from different cereals, such as, for example, rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, pearl barley...
– It is best to cook porridge in a cast iron cauldron or a saucepan with a thick bottom. In such containers, the cereal will not burn and will turn out crumbly.
– If Kolivo turns out to be very thick, it can be diluted with Uzvar.
– Very important: Kolivo is not stored for a long time, since honey, in combination with all the components of the dish, can begin to ferment.
– If for some reason you were unable to consecrate Kutya in the church, do not be upset. You can simply sprinkle the dish with holy water at home or simply pray before the funeral meal.

Kutya is a traditional main Christmas dish, which is prepared from boiled wheat, adding honey and poppy seeds. Kutya symbolizes sacrifice to God, because wheat with honey is a sacred part of the holy supper. The poppy symbolizes martyrdom, innocently shed blood. Honey is a symbol God's word and cleanliness.

Kutia is the main dish on the table, with which it is customary to start the meal. The housewife must carry the pot of kutia. Read the history, symbolism of kutya and its types in our material.

History of Kutya

The origin of the word "kutya" dates back to Ancient Greece and literally translates as “boiled grain.” In Greece and Ukraine, the dish was originally associated with traditional worship of the dead, and was served on the eve of all religious holidays. Kutya was always present on the table at Christmas, Epiphany and other Orthodox holidays.

Symbolism of Kutya

The main component of kutya is grain, which is a symbol of eternal life and rebirth, belief in the immortality of the soul and its reincarnation. Just like a seed that falls into the ground and is reborn, so the human spirit is reborn in a new body after burial. Grain is able to “sleep” for a long time, preserving life within itself, and then revive it again with the arrival of spring.

What is kutya: history and its types

By eating kutya, a person becomes part of the endless cycle of life. Sprouted grains are often added to kutya, which are a symbol of eternal life. Poppy seeds or nut kernels in kutya mean fertility. By adding these products, a person programs himself for wealth, generosity and abundance for the whole family. It is because of this that kutya is often prepared at weddings and at the birth or christening of children. Honey in Sochiva symbolizes pleasure and sweet life, but not earthly, but eternal, which awaits man in the Kingdom of Heaven. They say it's good afterlife so great and beautiful that they exceed your wildest dreams and expectations.

Types of kutya

For every holiday there is separate method preparations. Kutia can be semi-liquid or crumbly, it all depends on the amount of liquid. There are three types of cooking kutia:

– rich kutya (lenten kutya with different ingredients, which is prepared on Christmas Eve);

– generous kutia (before the New Year, a savory dish with the addition of butter, cream or milk);

– hungry kutia (at Epiphany, the dish mainly consists of a grain base and sweetener).

Secrets of cooking kutia

Kutya is cooked from a variety of cereals and grains: wheat, pearl barley, barley, rice, oats and even buckwheat. Wheat or other whole grain pound in a mortar with the addition of water. After this, it must be cooked in the oven. Wheat and cereals must be soaked to reduce cooking time. They should boil well and become soft.