Memorial Wheat Dish - Kolivo

To make the Kolivo

you can use either Pearl Wheat or Soft Wheat.

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My Bulgarian friend uses Pearl Wheat and I used this as well.

The difference is that Pearl Wheat cooks up in a matter of 10 to 15 minutes

while Soft Wheat you boil and leave simmer for much longer.

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Another word for Kolivio is "Jito" --

here is the recipe that my Bulgarian friend passed on to me:

JITO

I will call the boiled wheat “Jito”:

Put 1/3 or 1/2 (or the whole package, it depends how much you need, I put usually max 1/2 package) of the Jito’s package into a cold water (the water should cover the jito) and boiled it for about 10 min. When jito is ready the grains must be soft but in their shape. You can try the readiness when you chew it up, then the grain should be soft but not like a mess but a little bit hard. Be careful because if it become very, very soft, it will be like a mess and that is not good.

That’s why try the readiness often and ALMOST ALL THE TIME STIR !! IF THE WATER BECOMES LESS PUT MORE. When you decide that the jito is boiled then drain it and put it on a piece of cloth/towel to dry for a while.

I used a large pot to boil the Pearl Wheat in.

I spread out two tea towels on baking sheets

for the Wheat berry to be spread out to dry

(this is a part which you have to watch the timing,

so that it does not become too dried out).

I soon understood why my friend empathized

having water to cover the Pearl Wheat,

as it quickly soaked up water

as it boiled.

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The next post will explain the rest of how to make this dish.

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The wheat is used to remind us of the Resurrection

and it is in Christ that we look to

in these times of grief

and preparation....