Wheat of the dead: the Apulian recipe for the commemoration of the dead

the grain of the dead it’s a old candy from Puglia, whose recipe has been passed down from generation to generation; it is traditionally prepared on the occasion of the commemoration of the dead November 2. It has popular roots and the use of wheat recalls the theme of life and death as the natural cycle of human existence. The recipe is very simple and only takes a few minutes: the grain, once cooked, is mixed with dark chocolate, walnut kernels, vincotto and cinnamon, then leave to rest in the refrigerator for an hour: the result is a rustic dessert and authentic, to serve at the end of a meal or to enjoy as a snack.

The Halloween, in ancient times this also coincided with the period of the last sowing and, to thank the earth for the fruits given during the year, this was prepared simple desserts and authentic for young and old. Instead of vincotto – cooked fresh grape must – you can use barley malt, rice or honey. Cinnamon, as well as brown sugar, is optional and can be increased or decreased to suit your personal taste.

You can replace cinnamon with cocoa powder sweet, for a decidedly more gourmet touch, or with cardamom. For the version gluten free, you can replace cooked wheat with brown rice or buckwheat. If you have whole grain wheat, just soak it overnight and cook it the next morning in boiling water for about 60 minutes. After that, let it cool and proceed to the preparation. Discover how to make the wheat of the dead by following our recipe step by step.

How to prepare the grain of the dead

Open the grenade (1).

Shell the beans and set them aside (2).

Chop the dark chocolate with a knife (3).

Chop the nuts (4).

Pour the cooked wheat into a bowl after rinsing it under a stream of cold water (5).

Add the chopped chocolate (6).

Add the walnuts (7).

Complete with the pomegranate seeds (8).

Mix well (9).

Cinnamon flavored (10).

Add the sugar (11).

Add a drop of vincotto (12).

Stir again to combine all the ingredients (13).

Leave to rest in the refrigerator, covered with a sheet of cling film (14), for about an hour.

Divide among bowls and serve (15).

storage

The grain of the dead is kept in the refrigerator inside an airtight container for 1 or 2 days at most. Freezing is not recommended.