World Grain - June 2021 - 22

PALYANITSA:
B
a popular, classic bread The hearth-baked wheat loaf is by far
the most consumed bread in Ukraine
by Vladimir Wengorz and Daria Egorova
read has a very special status in Ukrainian culture
and is served at nearly every meal. The most
popular, classic product is palyanitsa - a hearthbaked
wheat loaf that was once reserved for festive occasions
and was even honored with a special postage
stamp in 2013.
A distinguishing
feature of
palyanitsa is the
'smiling mouth'
- a semi-circular,
lateral incision in
the bottom third
of the loaf.
In the Ukraine, bread is much more than just a staple
food. In the traditional Slavic culture, access to bread was
a sign of prosperity, health and good fortune. To have no
bread on the table was synonymous with poverty. Among
the older generation, especially, respect for bread is so
deeply rooted that even leftovers that have gone stale
are not thrown away. And many citizens still remember
their schooldays in the Soviet Union when their teachers
marked the " Day of Bread " with admonishing lectures on
the " long road from corn to bread " and " the weary hands
of our farmers and bakers. "
And although the situation is far more relaxed nowadays
- the respect for bread remains unchanged. Bread
has its place in the substantial national cuisine at every
time of the day. As an accompaniment to the sliced pork
fat salo, with the spicy meat jelly kholodets or eaten
with filling soups like borscht and solyanka, a thick slice
of fresh bread is always part of the meal. The total annual
consumption of bread and other bakery products in
Ukraine averages around 100 kilograms per head of the
population, with 80% consisting of rustic bread varieties,
while the rest is pastry goods.
Honored with a postage stamp
There is no great diversity of bread varieties in the
Ukraine. Sandwich and toast loaves or baguettes, for example,
are not widely known. Instead, Ukrainian consumers
buy palyanitsa (also called polyanitsa or palyanitsya),
a round, hearth-baked wheat loaf, nearly every day.
In times gone by, this type of bread enjoyed a high reputation,
since wheat flour was considered a luxury and only
used on feast days. " To combat hunger " on a regular basis,
the bread served was made from rye flour or rye meal.
Nowadays, palyanitsa is by far the most popular bread
variety in Ukraine - and honored with a specially issued
postage stamp.
Meeting 'GOST' standards
The production of authentic palyanitsa is regulated by
instructions dating back to the days of the USSR, when
government standards were issued to ensure that important
staple foods were of standardized, reliable quality
throughout the Soviet Union.
Among other things, GOST No. 12793-67 defines that
" Ukraina Palyanitsa " loaves must have a weight of 1,750
grams (kg), a diameter of 22 to 23 centimeters, a height
of 10 to 14 centimeters, and an acidity of 3.4 to 3.6. The
product description " Kirovogradskaya Palyanitsy " applies
to loaves that are nearly twice as heavy (1.6 kg) and
have a coarser crumb and a thicker crust but are otherwise
subject to the same production regulations.
Although the Soviet standards have not been binding
for the country since the breakdown of the USSR, many
Ukrainian bakeries still use them as a guideline for meeting
the high standard consumers expect of their traditionally
favorite bread.
The characteristic, distinguishing feature of palyanitsa
is the " smiling mouth " - a semi-circular, lateral incision
in the bottom third of the loaf. To this day it serves
as a reminder that bread is a symbol of good fortune and
well-being.
22
June 2021 / World Grain / World-Grain.com
Photo courtesy of Mühlenchemie
http://www.World-Grain.com
World Grain - June 2021

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