Aguonų pienas

Ingredients

Poppy seeds

• 250 gblue poppy seeds
• boiling water, for scalding
• 1 litrewater, for the milk

To sweeten

• 100 gsugar or honey, to taste
• a pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoonvanilla, optional

To serve

• kuciukai, small hard biscuits
• or on its own in glasses

Equipment

• a mortar or a strong blender
• muslin, for straining

Directions

1. Put the poppy seeds in a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over them to cover. Let them stand for fifteen minutes. Return the drained seeds to the bowl. Cover them with fresh hot water. Leave them to soak for several hours. Soft seeds grind far more easily.
2. Drain them thoroughly before grinding. Pound the seeds steadily and patiently. Work in batches for an even result. This takes twenty minutes or more by hand.
3. Blend the drained seeds with a little of the water. Blend on high for several minutes. The mixture should turn milky and pale. Keep going until no whole seeds remain. Add the rest of the water gradually.
4. Blend or stir it thoroughly each time. The liquid should look like thin grey milk. Line a sieve with muslin over a bowl. Pour the whole mixture through it. Keep squeezing until the pulp is nearly dry. Some households do not strain it at all.
5. Stir in the sugar or the honey. Add the pinch of salt as well. Add vanilla if you like, though it is modern. Taste it and adjust the sweetness. It should be sweet but not cloying.
6. Cover it and refrigerate it for a few hours. Serving it is always done cold. Stir it well because it separates. Pour it into bowls over kuciukai.
7. Let the biscuits soften for a few minutes. It keeps two days refrigerated. Stir it thoroughly before each serving.

Technique

• Kucios is the Lithuanian Christmas Eve supper, traditionally with twelve dishes and no meat or dairy.
• Kuciukai are the small hard sweet biscuits made specifically for it and eaten with the poppy milk.

Substitutions

• Ready-ground poppy seed filling sold for baking can be thinned with water, though it is already sweetened.
• White poppy seeds work and give a paler, milder milk.

Variations

• Some households leave it unstrained for a thicker drink.
• Honey rather than sugar is the older sweetener.
• A version with a little ground almond added is made in some families.

History

Served at the Lithuanian Kūčios supper, where both dairy and meat are avoided.

Frequently asked questions

What is Aguonų pienas?

Aguonų pienas is a drink from Lithuania: ground poppy seeds steeped in water and sweetened, poured over kūčiukai. Served at the Lithuanian Kūčios supper, where both dairy and meat are avoided.

How long does Aguonų pienas take to make?

Aguonų pienas takes 30 minutes plus soaking of preparation and 10 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 1 litre. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Aguonų pienas?

Yes, within limits. Ready-ground poppy seed filling sold for baking can be thinned with water, though it is already sweetened. White poppy seeds work and give a paler, milder milk.

What is the most important thing to get right in Aguonų pienas?

Blend or stir it thoroughly each time. The liquid should look like thin grey milk. Line a sieve with muslin over a bowl. Pour the whole mixture through it. Keep squeezing until the pulp is nearly dry. Some households do not strain it at all.