Uvelka — Barley Grits, Selected Grade (Ячневая крупа отборная)

The honest yellow grain that's been a Russian staple for centuries — clean, calibrated, ready for the porridge pot.

RUSSIA   ·   UVELKA   ·   600 g

What it is

Cracked barley grits — ячневая крупа or «ячка» — coarsely cut whole barley grain. Two important distinctions: it's not flour (despite the "fine-ground" label — these are coarse grits), and it's not pearl barley (perlovka — same crop, different shape, much longer cook time). Yachka makes a thick, rustic porridge — the classic Russian ячневая каша, a staple of Russian cooking since long before potatoes arrived.

This is Uvelka's loose 600 g pack — same grain as their popular 5×80 g cooking-bag boxes, just in larger free-pour format. Packed by the long-running Chelyabinsk-region grain house whose pack is a fixture in Russian and Eastern European pantries.

How to cook

Rinse the grain under cold water. In a heavy pot combine 1 part barley grits to 2 parts liquid (water for savoury, water-and-milk for breakfast porridge), add a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on the lowest heat for about 20 minutes, until the liquid is fully absorbed. Take off the heat, leave covered for 5 minutes, then fluff and stir in a generous knob of butter.

Composition

100% barley grits (ячневая крупа — coarsely cut whole barley grain), Selected grade. Single ingredient, nothing added.

Per manufacturer (Uvelka, ООО «Ресурс»).

Nutrition (per 100 g, dry)

Manufacturer values — actual figures on the pack are definitive.

Allergens & storage

Contains: cereals containing gluten — barley. No other statutory allergens declared.

Store in a cool, dry place. Keep the pack sealed once opened. Shelf life approximately 18 months from the date on the bag.

Net weight: 600 g  ·  Packed by: Uvelka (ООО «Ресурс»), Chelyabinsk Region, Russia

A simple, useful grain — the kind of thing you reach for on a cold morning.