Kasha
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Pomimo
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[[Image:Kasza gryczana.jpg|right|thumb|Buckwheat ''kasza'' from Poland.]]
'''Kasha''' is a [[porridge]] commonly eaten in [[Eastern Europe]]. In English, ''kasha'' generally refers to [[buckwheat]] groats, but in Slavic countries, ''kasha'' refers to porridge in general, and can be made from any [[cereal]], especially [[buckwheat]], [[wheat]], [[barley]], [[oats]], and [[rye]]. It is one of the oldest known dishes in [[Eastern European cuisine]], at least a thousand years old.<ref>Molokhovets, Elena. ''Classic Russian Cooking''. Indiana University Press, 1998. Page 331.</ref>[http://www.wonder.ru/alex/pohlebkin/hleb/grech.htm]
==Usage==
The meaning of the word ''kasha'' in Slavic languages does not refer specifically to buckwheat groats, but a whole family of [[porridge]]s (although buckwheat porridge was one of the earliest known examples of ''kasha'').[http://www.wonder.ru/alex/pohlebkin/hleb/grech.htm] This Slavic variety of porridge has been described as "infinitely flexible - served sweet or savoury, a meal unto itself, or as a side dish".<ref>Quoted from: Glenn Randall Mack, Asele Surina. ''Food Culture In Russia And Central Asia''. Greenwood Press, 2005. ISBN 0313327734. Page 22.</ref>
The word "kasha" (from Polish Kasza or Russian каша) in modern [[American English]] is commonly restricted to roasted [[whole-grain]] buckwheat or buckwheat [[groats]]. It is a common filling for a [[knish]].<ref>http://www.jewish-food.org/recipes/knishkas.htm - Retrieved: May 30, 2007</ref> This usage probably originated with Jewish immigrants, as did the form "kashi" (technically plural, literally translating into "porridges").<ref>Steinmetz, Sol. ''Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms''. ISBN 0742543870. Page 42.</ref>
In Russian, buckwheat groats are referred to as [[w:ru:гречка|гречка]] "gréčka", and the porridge made from this is known as [[w:ru:гречневая каша|гречневая каша]] "gréčnevaja káša".
==Varieties==
[[Image:Kashagrains.png|left|thumb|Buckwheat grains]]
Kasha can be made from any grain and sometimes includes even non-grains, such as [[potato]]es and beans. Kasha can be made either savory, with the addition of salt, or sweet, with the addition of sugar, honey, or jam.
*Buckwheat
*Wheat flour, made from [[semolina]] and generally served to children (similar to [[Cream of Wheat]])
*Barley
*Oats ([[oatmeal]])
*[[Rice]]
Kasha can also be made from [[maize]], [[millet]], [[potatoes]] and [[mung beans]].
"Guryevskaya Kasha" is believed to have been invented by the chef of the [[Russian Empire|Russian]] Minister of Finance [[Dmitry Guryev]] in the early 1800s. The exact recipe is rather complex, but essentially it is a viscous [[semolina]] porridge, mixed with [[sugar]], [[vanilla]], [[nut (fruit)|nut]]s and pieces of [[fruit]] ([[apricot]]s). <ref>http://www.gotovim.ru/national/russian/1336.shtml - Retrieved: May 30, 2007</ref>
==Kasha in Slavic culture==
A traditional Russian fairy tale speaks of a hungry soldier who promised to prepare kasha from an [[axe]] in order to coax food from a stingy but curious woman.<ref>http://www.ncee.net/ei/lessons/_resourcesAtoZ/1-56183-618-4_03.pdf - Retrieved: May 30, 2007</ref>
The centrality of ''kasha'' in the traditional Eastern European diet is also commemorated in the Russian proverb "щи да каша — пища наша", literally "[[shchi]] and kasha are our food" and more loosely, "cabbage soup and porridge are all we need to live on."
==Kasha in Jewish culture==
As a Jewish answer to "[[soul food]]," kasha is often served with onions and brown [[gravy]] and [[bow tie pasta]], known as ''kasha varnishkes''. It is also a popular filling for knishes and is sometimes included in [[matzo ball]] soup.
==Alternative spellings==
The word can have various spellings, depending on the country of origin:
*''каша'' (variously transliterated as ''kasha'', ''kacha'', ''casha'') in [[Belarusian language|Belarusian]], [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]], [[Russian language|Russian]], [[Serbian language|Serbian]], and [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]]
*''kasza'' in [[Polish language|Polish]]
*''košė'' in [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]],
*''kaša'' in [[Croatian language|Croatian]], [[Slovak language|Slovak]], [[Slovenian language|Slovenian]],
*''kaše, kašička'' (diminutive form) in [[Czech language|Czech]],
*''kása'' in [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]
== See also ==
* [[Polish cuisine]]
* [[Russian cuisine]]
* [[Ukrainian cuisine]]
== References==
<references/>
== External links ==
*[http://wordstoeatby.blogspot.com/2004/12/madeleines-shmadeleines-kasha.html Kasha Varnishkes recipe]
*[http://www.aboutkasha.com aboutkasha.com - Kasha recipes and cooking tips]
[[Category:Russian loanwords]]
[[Category:Slavic cuisine]]
[[Category:Porridges]]
[[Category:Ukrainian loanwords]]
[[da:Grød]]
[[de:Kascha]]
[[fr:Porridge]]
[[he:קאשה]]
[[nl:Pap (voedsel)]]
[[ja:カーシャ]]
[[pl:Kasza]]
[[ru:Каша]]
[[fi:Puuro]]
[[sv:Gröt]]