How to make coliva

Start by washing the wheat in warm water, an essential process that should be repeated 4-6 times. This step serves to remove impurities and prepare the wheat for boiling. After washing the wheat well, place it in a large pot and add water, respecting the ratio of 2 liters of water to 1 kilogram of wheat. Add a pinch of salt to the water, which will enhance the flavor of the final dish.

To avoid standing by the stove and constantly stirring, I prefer to boil the wheat in the oven. Preheat the oven to 365 degrees F (200 degrees C) and place the pot with wheat inside for about an hour. It is important to monitor the process and add water gradually as the wheat absorbs the liquid, to prevent the coliva from becoming too soft.

Once the wheat is boiled, let it cool until morning, when you will start kneading it. Add sugar, your favorite spices, rum essence, and ground walnuts, mixing vigorously to combine all the ingredients. You can also add a few tablespoons of cocoa to change the appearance of the coliva, enriching it with a darker hue and a more complex taste.

If the coliva turns out too soft, you can incorporate crushed biscuits, which will help absorb the excess liquid. If the consistency is perfect, there is no need to add biscuits. Prepare the molds in which you will place the coliva, lining them with plastic wrap so that you can easily remove the coliva once it has set.

After filling the molds with the boiled wheat, cover them again with wrap and leave them in the cold until morning, before going to church. Before leaving, wrap the cozonaci in foil, ensuring they are nicely arranged. The last step is to decorate the coliva with a generous layer of ground walnuts and edible flowers, which will add a festive touch. If the end of a cozonac doesn’t look good, don’t hesitate to create dough flowers to cover it. This way, not only will your dish look splendid, but it will also be full of tradition and love.

Here is how to make coliva at my house: First, wash the wheat in warm water (repeat this operation 4-6 times), then put it in a pot and boil it on low heat. I put it in the oven because I didn't want to stand by the stove and keep stirring the pot. I boiled it in the oven at a temperature of 365 degrees F (200 degrees C) for about an hour. I put the wheat in the pot and covered it with water (2 liters for 1 kg of wheat) and added a pinch of salt. I gradually added a little water as the wheat absorbed it. I didn’t put too much water at the beginning so that the coliva wouldn’t turn out too soft. After it boiled, I left it to cool overnight, after which I started kneading, adding sugar, spices, rum essence, and ground walnuts (of course, mixing continuously). The water added (if necessary) during boiling should be warm. I used crushed wheat, not whole grains; we like it more pasty. Finally, I added (to taste) a few tablespoons of cocoa (to change its appearance a bit). Now, if the coliva is too soft, you can add crushed biscuits (they help absorb some liquid); if it has the right consistency, there’s no need to add biscuits. Then I prepared the molds in which I placed the coliva, lined them with plastic wrap, and put the boiled wheat in them. I covered them with wrap and put them back in the fridge until morning before going to church. Before leaving, I beautifully wrapped the sweet bread and decorated the coliva with a layer of ground walnuts and flowers.

 Ingredients: How to make coliva: 1 kg wheat, 1/2 kg crushed walnuts, 1/2 kg sugar, 1/2 ground biscuits (optional), lemon zest to taste, orange zest to taste, coconut to taste, raisins to taste, rum essence to taste, a few tablespoons of cocoa, a pinch of salt.

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