Korovai

Korovai

Russian karavais at the Berlin International Green Week
Alternative names	Karavai, Kravai
Type	Bread
Main ingredients	Wheat flour

The korovai (Ukrainian: коровай, Polish: korowaj), karavai (Russian: каравай) or kravai (Bulgarian: кравай) is a traditional Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian and Polish bread, most often used at weddings, where it has great symbolic meaning, and has remained part of the wedding tradition in Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and by the Ukrainian diaspora. Its use in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine dates back to hospitality and holiday customs in ancient Rus. In Russian wedding tradition it is also called "bread and salt".

The bread has ancient origins, and comes from the pagan belief in the magical properties of grain. Korovai was a large round braided bread, traditionally baked from wheat flour and decorated with symbolic flags and figurines, such as suns, moons, birds, animals, and pine cones. Wheat stalks, herbs, nuts, flowers and fruit were used to embellish the korovai. The bread has no set design, and the style and ornamentation of the korovai varies by region, although colors red, gold and silver were most commonly employed in decoration.

The bread was traditionally prepared in the home of the bride by women who sang traditional songs to guide them through the making. These women were called the korovainytsi (pol. korowajnice), and were most often invited in odd numbers to do the job of making the bread, usually seven.

The embellishments served a symbolic function. Two birds, made out of dough, represent the couple, and other birds represent family and friends. The entire arrangement is surrounded by a wreath of periwinkle, a symbol of love and purity. The korovai receives blessings before it is placed in the oven for baking.