One of the most symbolic dishes in Serbian culture and cuisine is Žito or wheat. This dish is used for many events throughout the year, such as the Slava, Orthodox Christmas, and when holding memorials for the dead, in which case the dish then gets a different name, Koljivo. And if that isn’t confusing enough, there’s also a dessert version served in patisserie shops, topped with whipped cream. In this post, I’ll be explaining how to properly cook, chill, and serve this delicious hearty dessert.

This recipe is for the dessert version, which is served in a bowl, topped with a generous amount of whipped cream, and then sprinkled with ground walnuts. In some patisserie shops, after cooking they use a food processer to blend the wheat resulting in a finer, thicker texture that is then scooped into bowls like ice cream. I prefer the old fashioned way, leaving the wheat whole (as with most recipes).

While the dessert itself only calls for a handful of ingredients, the most important of them all is of course the wheat. You need to purchase “wheat berries” as they’re called. I always purchase the imported kind found at my supermarket in the Eastern European section, but I know there are a ton of other brands that sell them as well. I’ve even found some on Amazon. What you’re looking for are the white wheat berries.

Over the years, I’ve learned a thing or two from various family members when it comes to preparing this dish. One of the first things I was taught was to soak the wheat overnight. This does two things: helps the wheat cook faster, and helps the wheat “bloom/blossom” or open up completely when cooking.

When served for a holiday, the wheat is cooked and then sugar and ground walnuts are added. Finally, the top is covered with more ground walnuts and usually, a cross is then made with sugar. These days, I’ve seen some modern versions with chocolate chips on top and other candy, which isn’t my cup of tea, but to each their own.

Now that you’ve read more about wheat than you probably ever wanted to, let’s get into how to make it.

Žito sa Šlagom / Serbian Wheat Pudding

Recipe by The Balkan HostessCourse: DessertCuisine: Balkan, Serbian

Servings

servings

Cooking time

hours

Soaking time

hours

Žito sa Šlagom can be found on most dessert menus and is also hearty, filling, and traditional.

Ingredients

2 cups (400 g) wheat berries
1st Water
6 cups (1.4 L) cold water
2nd Water
8 cups (1.8 L) cold water
Remaining Ingredients
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
2 cups (235 g) ground walnuts
Optional – 1 tablespoon (9 g) vanilla sugar (I use 1 packet)
For Topping
Ground walnuts
Whipped Cream

Directions

Soaking the Wheat
In a small bowl, add the wheat and pour in enough water so that the wheat is completely submerged. Stir, just because. 🙂
Soak for 24 hours (on the kitchen counter is fine).
Cooking – 1st Water
After soaking the wheat for 24 hours, drain it and pour it into a large pot. No need to rinse the wheat. Pour in 6 cups of cold water and cook on medium-high heat until the water boils.
Continue cooking for 20 minutes on medium-high stirring occasionally. The water will turn a light brown/amber color.
After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and drain the wheat.
Cooking – 2nd Water
Return the drained wheat to the pot and add in 8 cups of cold water.
Cook the wheat on medium-low heat for approximately 2 hours, partially covered for about half the time. Stir occasionally at first, and then increase the frequency as the water evaporates/gets soaked up by the wheat. When the water is almost completely evaporated, stir constantly to prevent the wheat from burning.
You’ll know the wheat is cooked when the mixture becomes creamy, the wheat round, and when tasted the wheat will be soft but still remain in whole pieces. See the photo below.
If at this point your wheat is still too firm, add in 1 cup of water at a time and continue cooking until it resembles my description above. Add in a cup of water, cook for 15-20 minutes, and test again.
After the wheat is cooked, remove from heat and set aside to cool down to room temperature, stirring every 10 minutes or so just so it doesn’t form a skin on top.
When the wheat is cooked, add in the sugar, ground walnuts, and vanilla sugar if using. Stir everything well and adjust for sugar depending on your sweetness preference.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl, level out so it’s flat, and cover with plastic wrap so that the plastic is touching the top of the mixture.
Refrigerate and serve cold, with a dollop of whipped cream on top, and a sprinkle of ground walnuts.

Notes

Make sure you are using cold water when cooking the wheat, this helps the wheat open up/bloom during cooking.
If you don’t have vanilla sugar on hand, add about 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract instead.
Make it vegan/posno! If you don’t want to serve it with whipped cream, cover the top with about 1/2 cup (~100 g) of ground walnuts. Then scoop out the mixture and serve that way instead.
Be patient. If you add in the sugar while the wheat is still hot, it will melt and create a syrup which will then make your wheat runny. It must be at room temperature before adding the sugar.

Are you looking for other dessert ideas? Make sure to check out the dessert section!

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