Bukovynian mashed beans

What it is

Kolochena, or mashed, beans is a simple Lenten dish made from boiled beans, mashed into a thick puree. In Bukovyna, beans have long been referred to as fasole. They are soaked overnight, boiled until soft, and then mashed with a pestle or passed through a meat grinder, adding a little broth until the mixture becomes thick, like sour cream.

The puree is seasoned with oil, onions fried to a golden color, and garlic. It results in a hearty dish similar to a pâté, which is eaten with bread. Some housewives do not mash the beans but stew them whole with onions.

Beans are one of the mandatory dishes of the Bukovynian Holy Evening. They are mentioned in the folk calendar of Bukovyna from 1875, and in modern villages—from Hutsul Putilshchyna to suburban villages near Chernivtsi—'fasulky' or 'kolochena fasolia' are served on the Christmas Eve table alongside varenyky, holubtsi, and mushrooms.

History and name

Ethnographer Hryhoriy Kupchanko mentioned beans and peas in the folk calendar of Bukovyna (1875) among the dishes of the Christmas Eve table. According to the newspaper 'Holos Ukrainy', in the Hutsul village of Dovhopillia in Putilshchyna, 'fasulky' are prepared on Christmas Eve, while in the suburban Zavoloka near Chernivtsi, they make 'kolochena fasolia' and boiled beans.

Mashed beans with oil, onions, and garlic are known to neighbors: in Romania and Moldova, this is fasole bătută, a dish of the Orthodox fast. We did not find the name 'fasolia po-chernivetsky' in ethnographic sources; in the villages, it is referred to as 'kolochena' or 'tvochena' fasolia or simply bean puree.

Ingredients and allergens

Variant: mashed, with onions and garlic

Dry beans500 g dryDried beans (in Transcarpathia 'pasuli', Hungarian bab) — the basis for thick soups of the region's Hungarian cuisine.

Onion2 pcs.Fried onion in lard or oil is a common seasoning in Carpathian dishes.

Garlic2–4 clovesA seasoning for bograch, kiselytsia, sausages, and trout.

Also: sunflower oil (3–4 tbsp.), salt (to taste), black pepper (to taste, optional)

Contains allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the traditional recipe
Diet: lenten · vegan · gluten-free

Variant: stewed whole, with onions

dry beans, onion, sunflower oil, salt

Contains allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the traditional recipe
Diet: lenten · vegan · gluten-free

Ingredients of the traditional recipe; every cook and every place may do it differently — please ask when ordering. We cannot guarantee the absence of allergens or traces.

How it is traditionally made

Serves: 4–6 servings

• Dry beans — 500 g dry
• Onion — 2 pcs.
• Garlic — 2–4 cloves
• Sunflower oil — 3–4 tbsp.
• Salt — to taste
• Black pepper — to taste

1. Sort the beans and soak them in cold water overnight, for at least 6–8 hours; drain the water.
2. Cover with fresh water and boil on low heat until completely soft—usually 1–2 hours: older beans take longer to cook. Salt at the end.
3. Drain the beans, reserving one cup of the broth.
4. Mash the beans with a pestle or pass them through a meat grinder, adding broth until the puree is thick, like sour cream.
5. Finely chop the onion and fry it in oil until golden.
6. Mix part of the onion into the puree along with the oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper; garnish the top with the remaining onion.

How it is served

Warm or cold, with bread; on Christmas Eve, as one of the Lenten dishes of the twelve-dish dinner.

Variants

Some Bukovynian housewives do not mash the beans but stew them whole with onions. On Christmas Eve, in some villages, boiled beans are also served alongside.

The traditional method as described by our sources; every family does it its own way. We have not tested this recipe in a professional kitchen.

Where it is eaten

The area is approximate and based on the sources below. The dish is cooked outside it too, and ethnographic borders are blurred.

All of Bukovyna: from Hutsul villages of Putilshchyna to suburban villages near Chernivtsi. The area is approximate.

When it is eaten

Occasions: Christmas Eve · Lent · Everyday food

In tradition

Beans are a mandatory dish of the Bukovynian Holy Evening: they are prepared from Hutsul villages of Putilshchyna to suburban villages near Chernivtsi. The tradition of Holy Evening in Bukovyna has been included in the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage (No. 107n.k.s., order No. 268 dated 24.04.2025).

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