Santa Lucia’s Cuccia, with precooked wheat, easy and quick recipe.
This is a traditional Sicilian recipe made with boiled wheat, ricotta, chocolate chips, and candied fruit.
On December 13th, the day of Saint Lucia, in the monastery dedicated to her in Palermo, cuccia was prepared, a Sicilian dessert made with boiled wheat and ricotta cream. The custom of consuming wheat on this occasion dates back to the miracle attributed to the martyr in 1646, when a ship loaded with wheat arrived in Palermo during a severe famine.
To be consumed immediately, the wheat was boiled and eaten without being milled.
In memory of that event, the people of Palermo and Syracuse – cities of which Saint Lucia is the patron – on December 13th avoid flours, preferring vegetables, legumes, panelle, and cuccia.
This ritual has its roots in ancient Greek tradition, where wheat was a symbol of life and fertility.
Cuccia is a characteristic dish especially of the cities of Palermo and Syracuse, which compete for its origin, but it is widespread and appreciated throughout the region.
Once, the preparation of this typical Sicilian dessert involved long soaking and cooking times for the wheat.
Thus, I recommend purchasing the typical wheat usually used to make Neapolitan pastiera, therefore already precooked.
These Sicilian recipes were thought for you:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Sicily
- Seasonality: Santa Lucia
- Energy 405.03 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 58.28 (g) of which sugars 45.70 (g)
- Proteins 9.62 (g)
- Fat 15.48 (g) of which saturated 6.68 (g)of which unsaturated 5.65 (g)
- Fibers 2.84 (g)
- Sodium 241.52 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
To prepare
- 1.1 lbs cooked wheat
- 14 oz sheep ricotta
- 3/4 cups sugar (0 150 g erythritol or 50 g of stevia)
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup candied fruit (if you're diabetic or on a diet, don't add it)
- to taste chopped pistachios
A look at health click
Tools
To prepare
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Fork
- 6 Dessert Bowls dessert
Steps
Prepare
Drain the wheat from the can completely.
Choose a good sheep ricotta, I make it at home click here to learn how.
Place the well-drained ricotta (better if from the previous day)
Then transfer it to a bowl with the sugar, and mash with a fork or mix with a whisk.
Add the wheat to the mixture, the candied fruit cut into small pieces, and the candied orange zest.
Add the chocolate chips, a pinch of cinnamon, chopped pistachios, and mix well.
Transfer the cuccia into the bowls and decorate with more candied fruits, chocolate chips, and pistachio grains.
Here it is, ready for this year’s Santa Lucia’s cuccia.
Storage
Santa Lucia’s Cuccia can be stored in the fridge for a maximum of 3 days or until the ricotta’s expiration date
Santa Lucia’s Cuccia can be stored in the fridge for a maximum of 3 days or until the ricotta’s expiration date
Tips
If you are diabetic or on a diet, besides following the already described advice of substituting sugar with various sweeteners, you should not use candied fruit, opting for various grains like pistachio or almond.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Santa Lucia’s Cuccia
Can I use cow or buffalo ricotta?
Yes, you can.
Yes, you can.
