Kuba

The story

Kuba, a dish of barley and dried mushrooms cooked slowly until the grains soften and soak up the mushrooms' deep flavor, is the traditional meatless option for Christmas Eve dinner, especially in southern Bohemia, and it is considered older than the carp tradition that dominates today. In times when fish was more expensive or harder to come by in the interior of the country, a simple combination of grain and forest mushrooms was a more affordable stand-in for meat on a day of strict fasting. Folk etymology explains the name “kuba” in different ways — some connect it to a personal name, others to an old regional term for a simple peasant dish. It is often seasoned with marjoram and garlic and baked in the oven until a browned crust forms on top. In some families kuba is still served alongside the carp, as an extra, humbler dish that recalls the older, simpler versions of Christmas Eve dinner, before the table grew crowded with so many different foods.