Kutia is the first dish in the traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve supper (Svyata Vechera). Traditionally, a spoonful of Kutia thrown to the ceiling foretells the prosperity for the coming year by the number of kernels that adhere to it. The more kernels stuck…a good and prosperous new year!
2 cups wheat berries (wash well and soaked overnight)
1/2 cup honey (liquid or creamed)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts)
1/2 cup poppy seed
1/2 – 1 cup of water (boiled and hot, to be added before serving)
Whether you are getting your wheat from a health food store or the local farmer down the road, be sure to clean your wheat well. Pick out any foreign grains or chaff.
The wheat may have an outer layer of bran on it. Rinse well and then spread the wheat berries in a shallow baking pan for 1 hour at 225F. Using your rolling pin, gently crush the wheat to loosen this layer. Rinse again. The bran will rise to the top of the water;discard. Rinse the wheat again.
Soak the wheat in 7 cups of water, overnight.
Cook the wheat in the same water in which it was soaked. Bring it to a boil and then lower the temperature to simmer for about 6 hours. It will thicken so ensure that you stir frequently. Check it often and add more water. It will be necessary to keep adding water.
Wash the poppy seed by pouring boiling water over it. Bring it to a boil on the stove top for about 10 minutes. Strain through a sieve. Using your grinder, blender or food processor, grind for 1 minute. I only do about 3 tablespoons at a time and I add 1-2 tbsp. of water to the poppy seed as I grind it. You may also leave it whole.
Mix together the cooked wheat, poppy seeds, nuts, and honey. Add the hot water and stir all ingredients. Taste it and if it’s too thick or needs more honey, adjust as needed. Some people like it very sweet; in this case add about half to one tablespoon white sugar and mix in well.
Servings: 4+
Note: I prefer walnuts but pecans or almonds taste great as well when mixed with the wheat.
12 Comments
petrosha's blog 
This is the recipe I have been searching for, my mom always made this for Christmas Eve. Thankyou
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I am so glad you found the recipe. Enjoy!
Petrosha
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Sounds delicious!
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Thanks Stephanie. It really is delicious and is looked forward to each year. In fact, this past Ukrainian Christmas Eve, January 7th, a friend of mine called me and asked where she could buy some ready-made Kutia. Of course I told her that I am pretty sure that it is not sold in stores. So I surprised her and gave her a quart size container. If you make some, let me know how it turns out and what you thought of it!
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I surely will, Petrosha!
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How far ahead of time could this me made? Would you keep it in the refrigerator or freeze it? Thank you.
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Hello Louise,
Thank you for checking out my blog. Kutia can be made 3-4 days in advance of Christmas Eve. After cooking the wheat, you can mix in the honey, walnuts and poppy seeds and put in a jar with a lid. It can then be kept in your refrigerator.
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Can I use wheat from our farm that’s been in my house since 2019 to make kutia for January 2022?
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Absolutely. I would check to make sure nothing has invaded it or hatched in it however.
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can it be frozen…?
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Hello,
Yes, Kutia can be frozen. I have never had any leftovers so I have not frozen it. But it’s all cooked. I would thaw it in the refrigerator and then microwave for a couple of minutes, or reheat on a stove top. The consistency may be off a bit, but no reason that it can not be frozen.
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Hello
my mother always made it for christmas but never put nuts or poppy seed with it love it
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