BUCKWHEAT / GRETCHKA

[andrewblow]

We don't have this stuff in England (at least - where I live) but I first had it 10 years ago during my first visit to Moscow. Since then I have had it at every summer camp in Ukraine from 1995 - 2002. I personally enjoy it and always bring some home with me every visit to Ukraine.

However, I would like to know some different ways of preparing and serving Gretchka. In private homes, they have lightly fried it in oil, then boiled it in water, adding meat and eggs, etc., with some soy sauce. At the camp, it's just bland and on it's own.

Can anybody give me some creative ideas??

Thanks,
Andrew

[hanja-be]

Andrew,

In Belgium you can find it in the shops where they sell all health food - something like a health drugstore.

I make gretchka as follows.
Let it soak in water for an hour than put the water partly away - put it in the oven and let it bake in the oven.
When the grechka is ready - take it out and serve it with Goulasch.

Also I use gretchka in Varennicki.
Here I too bake the gretchka in the oven.
Take some ham - cut it fine - fry it in a pan and mixe the gretchka together with the fried ham.
MAKE doug for varrenicki and put the filling in the varrenicki. Boil the varrenicki in hot water. Take them out and serve them with fried chupped ham or souer cream.

Also you can use gretchka in Holebtchi.
These Holebtchi are made with potatoes.
Will look for the recipe and than sent it to you as my mother use to make them like this - especially around Christmas. If you know people who came from around Mostyska in Ukraine - they will certainly know or remember the holebchi made by this recipe

Hope have helped you.

bye

Hanja

[andrewblow]

Many thanks for your recipies. They sound good - I'll print and do one for my wife and I soon. She has only bad experiences of Gretchka from a St Petersburg (RU) kids camp, where the kitchen and dining room were right next to foul-smelling toilets. Sue can never forget the combination of toilets and gretchka.....

The Gretchka we can get around our area is already roasted and this is not what I want. I'm going to Moscow in January, so I shall replenish my store of fresh G.

Kind regards,
Andrew - the English Knight with the Foreign flavours

[Silkrem]

Hanja writes correctly. There are the main recipes.
Gr. is good with any fat, for example with butter and even with sunflower oil.
From childhood I eat Gr. with milk. Drinking from a glass or pouring milk in a plate.
Poltavski halushki are made of Grechka flour.
Also we like a soup with Gr.