Koliva is boiled wheat with walnuts, made for Orthodox memorial days and for St Demetrius' Day. It is sweetened with icing sugar, which blends into the grains and does not crunch, while granulated sugar sinks to the bottom. The wheat soaks overnight, and the walnuts are best from the new harvest.
Ingredients
- 400 gwheat (whole wheat berries)
- 1.5 lcold water for soaking
- 2 lwater for boiling
- 1 pinchsalt
- 200 gshelled walnuts
- 100 gicing sugar for mixing in
- 50 gicing sugar for the top layer
- 1 tspcinnamon
- 1 tspvanilla
- 1 smallpomegranate for decoration
- 8 halvesshelled walnuts for decoration
Method
Soak the wheat
Rinse 400 g of wheat and cover it with 1.5 l of cold water. Leave it for 8 to 12 hours, ideally overnight.
Boil until the grains split
Drain the wheat and put it in 2 l of fresh water. Once it boils, turn the heat down and cook for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the grains split and soften but keep their shape. Add a pinch of salt for the last 15 minutes.
Drain and dry
Tip the wheat into a colander and rinse it with cold water. Spread it on a clean cloth in a layer up to 2 cm thick and leave it for 2 to 3 hours.
The wheat must feel dry to the touch. If it doesn't, the icing sugar will dissolve and the koliva will turn sticky.
Toast the walnuts
Roughly chop 200 g of walnuts and bake them at 160°C for about 8 minutes, until the edges turn light brown. Let them cool.
Mix the ingredients
In a large bowl, combine the wheat, the cooled walnuts, 100 g of icing sugar, the cinnamon and the vanilla. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar disappears between the grains.
Shape the koliva
Tip the mixture onto a large flat plate and shape it into a slightly raised round, 3 to 4 cm high. Press it down with the bottom of a glass, sprinkle with 50 g of icing sugar and smooth until the surface is level.
Decorate with pomegranate
Use pomegranate seeds to draw a cross in the middle. Place the 8 walnut halves at equal distances around the edge of the plate.
How to serve it
Hand out 2 to 3 spoonfuls in small dishes or paper cups, and keep the rest covered in a cool place.
Good to know
Koliva is a ritual dish in Orthodox countries, made for memorial services and church holidays. The wheat in it is a symbol of resurrection and eternal life.
Per serving (approximate): 420 kcal · protein 10 g · fat 17 g · carbohydrates 60 g