Kolyva
A great Wheat berry desert

Rinse the wheat berries & place them In a large-ish saucepan.

Add enough water to cover by 2 inches, along with a few pinches of salt.

Bring to a boil over med-heat/flame & cook this until the berries are tender & beginning to split but not mushy, about 1 3/4 hrs.

(Add more water to the pot when the liquid reduces to the level that the wheat no longer floats, & stir from time to time so the berries don't stick to the bottom.

Drain & set aside in the strainer to cool & dry for at least 1 hr or up to several hrs.

Place the cooled wheat berries In a large-ish mixing bowl.

Add the sesame & anise seeds, cinnamon, walnuts, slivered almonds, raisins, & the pomegranate seeds.

Sift in 1 c of the confectioners' sugar & toss it all together.

Transfer the mixture to a large platter or tray.

Sift the remaining confectioners' sugar over the top to coat it thickly, almost like a frosting.

Decorate the top this with the whole almonds & the dragees

To serve, present the platter of decorated kolyva.

Then, just before eating, mix it all together.

Serves 40.

Additional information

Pomegranate is not always in season, but there really is no substitute for the seed in taste, texture, or symbolism.

If it is not available, simply omit it.

Dragees are available in any well stocked large supermarket, usually in the baking aisle.

Kolyva is traditionally prepared the day before the memorial serve, but the wheat berries can ferment if left at about room temp overnight & the sugar can crystallize in a refrigerator's moist environment.

The best pre-preparation method is to boil & put in the fridge the wheat berries ahead of time, then add the other ingredients & decorate the kolyva just before it's needed.

 

Kolyva
A great Wheat berry desert

Ziyad Recipes
5400 W. 35th Street, Cicero, IL., 60804, 708-222-8330
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2 c whole blanched almonds, for decorating

1 tsp anise seed

1 1/2 c walnuts, coarsely sliced (6 oz) .

4 c wheat berries (about 1 lb, 6 oz)

pomegranates, seeds of

salt .

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 c golden raisins

silver dragee decorative candies

1 1/2 c blanched slivered almonds (6 oz)

1/2 c sesame seeds

3 c confectioners' sugar, divided (sometimes called icing or powdered sugar

 

 

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