Kutia

Kutia is the main ritual, sacred dish of the Ukrainian Christmas Eve (the Holy Supper), without which the traditional Christmas dinner is unthinkable. It is a sweet porridge of boiled whole wheat grain, dressed with poppy seed, honey, and nuts. Each of its components carries a deep symbolic meaning.

The base of kutia is wheat — a symbol of eternal life, the immortality of the family line, and plenty. Poppy seed embodies fertility and countlessness, honey the sweetness and abundance of a better life, nuts health and strength. Kutia is made unhurriedly: the wheat is long boiled or ground until soft, the steamed poppy seed is separately mashed, and then everything is combined with honey-water and crushed nuts, sometimes with raisins added. By tradition, kutia is the first and main of the twelve lenten dishes of the Holy Supper; the head of the household solemnly brings it into the home, and by an ancient custom the first spoonful was tossed to the ceiling. Kutia is also made for memorial days. This ancient dish, with roots in pre-Christian times, is not merely food but a living bearer of spiritual traditions, a symbol of the unity of the family, the memory of ancestors, and hope. Kutia is the heart of Ukrainian Christmas ritual.