Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Millet was a staple food across large parts of Ukraine long before potatoes became widespread. In the Poltava region, a unique technique was developed over generations that transforms individual millet grains into small pearl-like pieces known as Kachana Kasha, or rolled millet. The method has survived for centuries and remains part of Ukraine's culinary heritage. Today, chefs and food historians view dishes like this as more than just recipes: they are living pieces of cultural memory that help preserve regional traditions and identities. Yevhen Klopotenko is one of Ukraine's most celebrated chefs and a leading advocate for the rediscovery of traditional Ukrainian cuisine. His work focuses on documenting, protecting and popularizing culinary traditions that were often overlooked or suppressed during the Soviet era.
Chapters
00:00 A unique Ukrainian technique
00:25 Why millet mattered in Ukraine
01:07 Journey to the Poltava region
02:22 The traditional rolling process
03:54 Drying and cooking the millet
04:41 Can this ancient method go global?
Credits:
Report: Yevhen Klopotenko
Camera: Lev Kostenko / Oleg Gienko
Edit: Kateryna Romashchenko
#dweuromaxx #Ukraine #Kachanakasha
Recipe for Kachana kasha
Ingredients:
- 80 g millet
- 4 eggs
- 600 g flour
Instructions
1. Pour 80 g of millet into a large, deep bowl. In a separate bowl, add 600 g of flour.
2. Whisk 4 eggs in another bowl until well-combined.
3. Gradually add 1 tablespoon at a time of the egg mixture and flour to the millet. After each tablespoon, use circular motions with the back of your hand to roll the grains so that everything is coated with the egg-flour mixture.
4. Continue adding the eggs and flour until all the egg mixture is used. The millet should turn pale, increase in size and form small pellets. This process may take up to 1 hour.
5. Spread the millet pellets in a thin layer on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Dry them in the oven for 1 hour at 90–100°C (194–212°F).
6. If you plan to use the product immediately in a recipe and do not intend to store it, you can dry it for about 30 minutes at 90–100°C (194–212°F).
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DW Food brings you the perfect blend of culinary trends, easy DIY recipes, exciting food secrets & a look behind the scenes of Europe’s culinary culture.
Millet was a staple food across large parts of Ukraine long before potatoes became widespread. In the Poltava region, a unique technique was developed over generations that transforms individual millet grains into small pearl-like pieces known as Kachana Kasha, or rolled millet. The method has survived for centuries and remains part of Ukraine's culinary heritage. Today, chefs and food historians view dishes like this as more than just recipes: they are living pieces of cultural memory that help preserve regional traditions and identities. Yevhen Klopotenko is one of Ukraine's most celebrated chefs and a leading advocate for the rediscovery of traditional Ukrainian cuisine. His work focuses on documenting, protecting and popularizing culinary traditions that were often overlooked or suppressed during the Soviet era.
Chapters
00:00 A unique Ukrainian technique
00:25 Why millet mattered in Ukraine
01:07 Journey to the Poltava region
02:22 The traditional rolling process
03:54 Drying and cooking the millet
04:41 Can this ancient method go global?
Credits:
Report: Yevhen Klopotenko
Camera: Lev Kostenko / Oleg Gienko
Edit: Kateryna Romashchenko
#dweuromaxx #Ukraine #Kachanakasha
Recipe for Kachana kasha
Ingredients:
- 80 g millet
- 4 eggs
- 600 g flour
Instructions
1. Pour 80 g of millet into a large, deep bowl. In a separate bowl, add 600 g of flour.
2. Whisk 4 eggs in another bowl until well-combined.
3. Gradually add 1 tablespoon at a time of the egg mixture and flour to the millet. After each tablespoon, use circular motions with the back of your hand to roll the grains so that everything is coated with the egg-flour mixture.
4. Continue adding the eggs and flour until all the egg mixture is used. The millet should turn pale, increase in size and form small pellets. This process may take up to 1 hour.
5. Spread the millet pellets in a thin layer on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Dry them in the oven for 1 hour at 90–100°C (194–212°F).
6. If you plan to use the product immediately in a recipe and do not intend to store it, you can dry it for about 30 minutes at 90–100°C (194–212°F).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe to DW Food:
bit.ly/DWFood_Sub
DW Food brings you the perfect blend of culinary trends, easy DIY recipes, exciting food secrets & a look behind the scenes of Europe’s culinary culture.
