Kà «ÃÂiukai (à ¡lià ¾ikai, prÃÂskutÃÂ), also called Christmas cakes, are a traditional Lithuanian dish served on Kà «ÃÂios, the traditional Lithuanian Christmas Eve dinner. They are small, slightly sweet pastries made from leavened dough and poppy seeds. They vary in sweetness and are usually eaten dry but can be served soaked in poppy milk or with cranberry kissel.
The ancient dish Kà «ÃÂia was made from wheat, beans, peas, barley, poppies and seasoned with honey. In Aukà ¡taitija, for some time, Kà «ÃÂia was called porridge of coarse barley groats, eaten with poppies and tossing - honey-sweetened water. In PanevÃÂà ¾ys region at the beginning of the 20th century, Kà «ÃÂia was made from a mixture of wheat and peas flavored with water sweetened with poppies and honey. A common feature of the various Christmas variants was that the dish was made from whole or slightly crushed cereals, groats and flavored with honey, poppy seeds or hemp. After the First World War, small poppy seed buns were started to bake in Lithuania, which is called Kà «ÃÂiukai. In Dzà «kija, a flatbread was baked, which the family later broke and soaked in poppy milk. In Suvalkija, the buns were larger than they are now and elongated.
Small round wheat flour with yeast has acquired the common name for Kà «ÃÂiukai (Christmas cakes) relatively recently.
Kà «ÃÂiukai also can be used for games, guesses, spells and gifts on a Christmas Eves magical night. According to ancient customs, housewives should bake Kà «ÃÂiukai on the Christmas Eve day.
In some places, Kà «ÃÂiukai were baked not only from wheat, but also from barley or buckwheat flour.