View source for Kasha

{{short description|Type of porridge}}
{{About|the food}}
{{Infobox prepared food
| name             = Kasha
| image            = Гречневая каша.jpg
| image_size       = 250px
| caption          = [[Buckwheat]] kasha
| alternate_name   = 
| country          = 
| region           = [[Eastern Europe]]
| creator          = 
| course           = 
| type             = [[Porridge]], [[oatmeal]]
| served           = 
| main_ingredient  = [[Cereal]] ([[buckwheat]], [[wheat]], [[barley]], [[oats]], [[millet]] or [[rye]])
| variations       = 
| calories         = 
| other            = 
}}
In English, '''kasha''' usually{{efn|Merriam-Webster's Dictionary definition: ''a porridge made '''usually''' from buckwheat groats'', {{cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kasha|title=Merriam-Webster's Dictionary|access-date=21 May 2020}}}}{{efn|Oxford Dictionary definition: ''(in Russia and Poland) porridge made from cooked buckwheat '''or similar grain'''.'', {{cite web|url=https://www.lexico.com/definition/kasha|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829215538/https://www.lexico.com/definition/kasha|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 29, 2021|title=Lexico|access-date=21 May 2020}}}}{{efn|Collins Dictionary definition: ''dish originating in Eastern Europe, consisting of boiled or baked buckwheat'', {{cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/kasha|title=Collins English Dictionary|access-date=21 May 2020}}}} refers to the [[pseudocereal]] [[buckwheat]] or its culinary preparations. In Slavic languages, "kasha" means [[porridge]]. In some varieties of Central and [[Eastern European cuisine]], ''kasha'' can apply to any kind of cooked [[grain]]. It can be baked but most often is boiled, either in water or milk, but the word can also refer to the grain before preparation, which corresponds to the definition of '[[groat (grain)|groats]]'. The word "kasha" is used in [[Belarusian cuisine|Belarus]] ({{Lang|be|каша}}), the [[Czech cuisine|Czech Republic]] ({{Lang|cs|kaše}}), [[Lithuanian cuisine|Lithuania]] ({{Lang|lt|košė}}), [[Polish cuisine|Poland]] ({{Lang|pl|kasza}}), [[Romanian cuisine|Romania]] and [[Moldovan cuisine|Moldova]] ({{Lang|ro|cașa}}), [[Russian cuisine|Russia]] ({{Lang|ru|каша}}), [[Slovak cuisine|Slovakia]] ({{Lang|sk|kaša}}), [[Slovenian cuisine|Slovenia]] ({{Lang|sl|kaša}}), [[Kazakhstan]], and [[Ukrainian cuisine|Ukraine]] ({{Lang|uk|каша}}).

The English-language usage of kasha, which refers primarily to buckwheat, probably originated with [[Jews|Jewish]] immigrants, as did the form {{lang|yi|קאַשי|rtl=yes}} ''kashi'' (literally translated as "porridges").<ref>[[Sol Steinmetz|Steinmetz, Sol]]. ''Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms''. p. 42. {{ISBN|0-7425-4387-0}}.</ref>

== In Ashkenazi Jewish culture ==
As an [[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazi-Jewish]] [[comfort food]], kasha is often served with onions and brown [[gravy]] on top of [[farfalle]], known as [[kasha varnishkes]].<ref name="soulandgone">{{cite web |title=Le Cordon Jew |url=http://www.soulandgone.com/2008/05/22/le-cordon-jew-%d0%bb%d0%b0%d0%bf%d1%88%d1%83-%d0%b4%d0%b0-%d0%ba%d0%b0%d1%88%d0%b0-%d0%bf%d0%b8%d1%89%d0%b0-%d0%bd%d0%b0%d1%88%d0%b0/ |date=May 22, 2008 |access-date=2011-01-15 |archive-date=2015-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150325000145/http://www.soulandgone.com/2008/05/22/le-cordon-jew-%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BF%D1%88%D1%83-%D0%B4%D0%B0-%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%88%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%89%D0%B0-%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%88%D0%B0/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Kasha is a popular filling for [[knish]]es<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewish-food.org/recipes/knishkas.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=2007-05-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070421182005/http://www.jewish-food.org/recipes/knishkas.htm |archive-date=2007-04-21 }}. Retrieved May 30, 2007.</ref> and is sometimes included in [[matzah ball|matzah-ball]] soup.{{citation needed|date=February 2014}}

== In Poland ==
[[File:Norblin_-_Femme_faisant_du_gruau.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|A woman grinding kasha, an 18th-century drawing by [[Jean-Pierre Norblin de La Gourdaine|J.-P. Norblin]]]]
In [[Polish language|Polish]], cooked [[buckwheat]] groats are referred to as {{lang|pl|kasza gryczana}}. {{Lang|pl|Kasza}} can apply to many kinds of groats: [[millet]] ({{Lang|pl|kasza jaglana}}), [[barley]] ({{Lang|pl|kasza jęczmienna}}), [[pearl barley]] ({{Lang|pl|kasza jęczmienna perłowa, pęczak}}), [[oats]] ({{Lang|pl|kasza owsiana}}), as well as porridge made from [[Farina (food)|farina]] ({{Lang|pl|kasza manna}}).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://culture.pl/en/work/polish-food-101-groats|title=Polish Food 101 ‒ Groats|publisher=Culture.pl|date=9 April 2015|access-date=21 May 2020}}</ref> [[Bulgur]] can also be referred to as a type of kasza in Polish ({{Lang|pl|kasza bulgur}}).

As Polish [[blood sausage]] is prepared with buckwheat, barley or rice, it is called [[kaszanka]] (kasha sausage).

Annual per capita consumption of groats in Poland was approximately {{convert|1.56|kg|abbr=on}} per year in 2013.<ref>Biuletyn Informacyjny ARR 4/2013, Handel Wewnętrzny 4/2013 IBRKK</ref>

== In Russia ==
[[File:Tattari uunipuuro.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Buckwheat porridge made in oven]]
The largest gross buckwheat consumption per capita is in [[Russia]], with {{convert|15|kg|abbr=on}} per year, followed by [[Ukraine]], with {{convert|12|kg|abbr=on}} per year.<ref>[http://www.agroprofi.com.ua No 8 &#91;008&#93; 26 жовтня] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150118180210/http://www.agroprofi.com.ua/ |date=2015-01-18 }}, 2007; [www.agro-business.com.ua/.../1655-2013-06-25-11]</ref> Buckwheat comprises 20% of all cereal consumption in Russia.<ref>[http://en.id-marketing.ru/articles/market-of-buckwheat/ Russian Market of Buckwheat in 2009 - September 2010] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303213240/http://en.id-marketing.ru/articles/market-of-buckwheat/ |date=2016-03-03 }}</ref>

In [[Russian language|Russian]], buckwheat is referred to formally as {{lang|ru|гречиха}} ({{transliteration|ru|grechi(k)ha}}), or colloquially as {{lang|ru|гречка}} ({{transliteration|ru|grechka}}), which gave rise to  the [[Yiddish]] words ''gretshkes/greytshkelach'' and ''retshkes/reytshkelach''.

Kasha is one of the Russian traditional dishes. Together with [[shchi]] it used to constitute [[staple food]]s for poorer people. This fact is commemorated in the Russian saying, "{{lang|ru|щи да каша{{spaced ndash}}пища наша}}" ({{transliteration|ru|shchi da kasha{{spaced ndash}}pishcha nasha}}), which literally translates as "shchi and kasha are our food".<ref>[https://www.culture.ru/s/vopros/shchi-da-kasha/ ПОЧЕМУ ГОВОРЯТ «ЩИ ДА КАША — ПИЩА НАША»?]</ref>

Butter is often eaten with most kasha recipes, hence another Russian saying: "{{lang|ru|кашу маслом не испортишь}}" ({{transliteration|ru|kashu maslom ne isportish}}), which translates to "you cannot spoil kasha with butter".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://lidenz.ru/nourish-your-language/ |title=Nourish Your Language: Foodie Words Refashioned |access-date=2017-01-31 |archive-date=2016-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115074722/http://lidenz.ru/nourish-your-language/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://lidenz.com/the-russian-love-for-kasha/ |title=The Russian love for kasha - Liden & Denz Institute|date=14 December 2020 |access-date=2025-10-21}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{portal|Food}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Grit (grain)|Grit]]
* [[Gruel]]
* [[Jewish cuisine]]
* [[Kaszanka]]
* [[List of ancient dishes|List of ancient dishes and foods]]
* [[List of buckwheat dishes]]
* [[List of English words of Russian origin]]
* [[List of English words of Ukrainian origin]]
* [[List of porridges]]
* [[List of Russian dishes]]
{{div col end}}

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* {{commonscat-inline|Buckwheat groats}}
* {{Wiktionary-inline|kasha}}

{{Jewish baked goods}}

[[Category:Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine]]
[[Category:Belarusian cuisine]]
[[Category:Cereals]]
[[Category:Czech cuisine]]
[[Category:Lithuanian cuisine]]
[[Category:Porridges]]
[[Category:Polish cuisine]]
[[Category:Ukrainian cuisine]]
[[Category:Buckwheat dishes]]
[[Category:National dishes]]
[[Category:Russian cuisine]]
[[Category:Slovak cuisine]]