There are as many recipes for Koliva as there are Greek grandmothers! Here is a simple recipe that makes a small amount suitable for the size of our Mission Parish. You can get as fancy as you like with the decoration on top- just make sure all elements are edible. 


1 C hulled wheat ( lb.)
4 C water
1/2 - 3/4 C chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios, etc.)
1/2 - 3/4 C raisins, golden or regular
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley or mint (optional)
1 tsp. cinnamonFor the topping:
1 C fine crumbs of zwieback or graham crackers
1 C sifted powdered sugar
1/4 - 1/2 lb. white Jordan Almonds (sugar-coated almonds)

The day before the Memorial Service: 

1. Rinse and drain the wheat. Cook it as you would rice, for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not overcook so that the grains explode. Since there is more water in the cooking than there would be for rice, check the wheat as it's cooking for doneness.
2. Pour the hot wheat into a large or two smaller colanders.
3. When drained, put the wheat into a large bowl. Cover the wheat with very cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again.
4. Allow the wheat to drain overnight (I put it in the fridge)

The morning of the Memorial Service: 

1. In a large bowl mix the wheat with the cinnamon, nuts, raisins, and parsley or mint.
2. Transfer the mixture to the bowl to be taken to Church. Place a piece of waxed paper on top of the mixture and flatten the top so that it is evenly distributed.
3. Sprinkle the zwieback or graham cracker crumbs evenly over the wheat mixture. This keeps the moisture from the powdered sugar layer.
4. Sift the powdered sugar atop the crumb layer.
5. Use the Jordan almonds to form a cross atop the powdered sugar. The edge of the bowl can be lined with Jordan almonds if desired.
6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Plan to be at Church before Liturgy begins so that you can give the bowl and your list of names of your deceased family and friends to the priest. A candle is often placed in the bowl and lit during the memorial service.

http://www.theologic.com/oflweb/inhome/koliva.htm

“With the Saints grant rest, O Lord, to the soul of Thy servant(s) where there is neither pain, nor sorrow, nor sighing, but life unending.” – from the Memorial Service


Koliva is the traditional boiled wheat dish made in remembrance of the dead in Greece and throughout the Greek diaspora. The recipe, though simple to prepare, requires time and patience and care. And in a wonderful way, because the process is somewhat lengthy, making koliva ourselves instead of buying it allows us this time to spend with the memories of loved ones no longer with us.

Today we all have such full and often hectic schedules that homemade koliva just seems out of the question. I’m here to tell you, you can do this!  The koliva recipe below is broken down into steps and stages, making this a completely doable project and a special tradition to keep in our families.

Briefly, memorial services or mnemosina in the Orthodox Church consist of prayers for the souls of those who have fallen asleep and the service itself is basically an abbreviated funeral service.

Individual Memorial Services can be held
• 3, 9, 22, 40 days after death
• 3/6/9 months, annually after death
Saturday of the Souls, held in remembrance of all those who have fallen asleep, are:
• Saturday before Meatfare Sunday (1 week before Great Lent begins)
• Saturday before Cheesefare Sunday
• the first Saturday of Great Lent
• Saturday before the feast of Pentecost

It is interesting to note that the Orthodox Church often uses the phrase ‘fallen asleep’ in place of died as a reminder of the resurrection and promise of eternal life.  We see this reflected also in our English word cemetery comes from the Greek κοιμητήριον or sleeping place and the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos in August which is, in Greek, Κοίμησις Θεοτόκου (Kimisis) or falling asleep.  

Koliva can be decorated very simply or in some cases involve extremely elaborate designs. Koliva for individual memorials or funerals will often also have the first and last initials of the departed incorporated into the design. Almost every koliva will prominently feature a cross in the design and this can be as simple as two freehand straight lines of almonds or highly detailed creations. Here is a sheet of 4 simple stencils that you can print out to help the less than artistically inclined like myself!

Please remember, all decorative elements must be edible! The entire koliva, decorations and all, will be mixed together before serving so make sure not to add anything that might send someone to the dentist.

For more koliva design ideas in addition to those featured in this post just search for ‘koliva’ in Pinterest – some are absolutely amazing!

Traditional Koliva Recipe (click to download printable copy here)

Ingredients
• 2 cups dried wheat berries (6 cups cooked)
• 8 cups water
• 1 1/3 cup toasted almond flour*
• ½ cup toasted sesame seeds
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 ripe pomegranate (approx. 1 cup pomegranate seeds)
• ½ cup golden raisins
• 2 cups powdered sugar
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Decorative options
Remember, must be edible!!! (these are in addition to the amounts above if you also are using to decorate with)
• whole, blanched almonds**
• candy covered Jordan almonds
• golden raisins
• pomegranate seeds
• cinnamon sugar – equal parts cinnamon and granulated sugar
• dusting colors (Mix one part dust to 4 parts granulated sugar)
• Silver dragees

2 days before memorial service
• Morning,- soak wheat all day; Evening, – boil wheat, drain, set out to dry overnight
1 day before memorial service
• Morning – transfer now dry cooked wheat into large bowl, cover and refrigerate; Evening – prep all additional ingredients; mix in with cooked wheat; plate wheat mixture; cover with toasted almond meal and pat down well/smoothly with wax paper: set out all decorative elements
Night before or morning of memorial service (before church)
• Cover plated wheat mixture with powdered sugar; smooth down with wax paper: decorate

Make ahead option: 
You can go as far as mixing all the ingredients into the cooked wheat and keep in a Ziplock back in the refrigerator for up to 3 days ahead. Then plate and decorate on the night before or morning of the memorial service.

INSTRUCTIONS
Soak wheat berries for approx. 8 hours or overnight in 10 cups of cold water.

Drain, rinse and add to large pot with 8 cups cold water. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook for about an hour until soft but not mushy. Grains of wheat will begin to plum and almost split.

*Add a cinnamon stick, the peel of 1 orange or 1 tsp anise seeds to the boiling water for extra flavor.

Drain cooked wheat well and transfer to a clean, lint free towel or sheet laid on countertop. Spread wheat out in a single layer.

Allow at least 3-4 hours to dry completely, preferably overnight. You can do this up to 3 days ahead and store, covered in the refrigerator.
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• Lightly toast almond flour in frying pan over VERY low heat until just soft brown in color. This takes a few minutes and it may not seem like anything is happening but stir frequently and be careful not to burn! Set aside.
*If this is your first time, make sure you have double the almond flour amount on hand in case you accidentally over cook the first time ☺

• Lightly toast sesame seeds in frying pan over VERY low heat for max 3-4 minutes until the seeds just begin to release their sesame aroma. Set aside.

• Cut and de-seed pomegranate and set aside on paper towel to dry.

• Chop fresh parsley well and set aside. *Make sure to rinse parsley well and pat dry before chopping.

• Chop walnuts into small pieces and set aside.

• Break up golden raisins/sultanas, soak in boiling water for 15 min, set aside.

Once wheat is completely dry, transfer from towel/sheet to large bowl. Combine wheat with other ingredients except the powdered sugar.

Remember to reserve 2/3 cup toasted almond flour.

Mix gently and well to incorporate everything completely and plate. Pat down gently.
Transfer wheat mixture to bowl or platter of your choice and gently pat down.

Cover with remaining 1 cup of toasted almond flour and pat down gently and well. A piece of wax paper does this job perfectly.


When the wheat mixture is no longer visible, carefully sift powdered sugar over the almond flour.  Pat down and smooth with wax paper. Decorate as desired.

BE VERY CAREFUL transporting the koliva to church! Consider decorating your koliva at church if you are going to make an intricate design – this is a great option and much less stressful!
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* Alternate options include crushed paximadia, graham crackers breadcrumbs, or toasted chickpea flour: If using zwiebacks (paximadia) or graham crackers, make sure these are crushed very fine. Remember that they will add to the overall sweetness of the koliva. If you refer a less sweet finished dish, consider going with the breadcrumbs or toasted flours.
**Almonds (buy blanched or blanch at home – simply cover twice in boiling water emptying and rinsing with cold water between each boiled water bath and gently rub brown skins off with dish/paper towel)
This recipe makes approx. 7 cups of koliva that is ample for a large platter for a funeral service or individual memorial.  You can use half the recipe (and freeze the other half for up to 6 months) for Saturday of the Souls when other people will also be bringing koliva on the same day.
For a very large funeral or large memorial service, simply double (or triple) this recipe and use a sheet pan to accommodate the larger amount with doilies tucked underneath to fancy up the pans edges.

Thanks to Kiki from the Greek Vegan for this recipe!