Bankuha is a culinary brand of Svislach, included a few years ago in the list of intangible historical and cultural heritage of Belarus.
The "Bankuha-Fest" was held for the first time in the town of Porazava in the Hrodna region, writes Reform.news.
The festival united local traditions, folk rituals, and culinary heritage. Visitors could taste the famous Porazava bankuha, traditional dishes from the Svislach district, and experience a Svislach wedding. Residents of Porazava gathered to recall their local traditions during the reconstruction of wedding rituals and to compete in culinary contests.
Once, bankuha (Lithuanian analogue — šakotis) was an essential attribute of any wedding. Local hostesses even competed among themselves — whose cake would be the tallest and most branched. They guarded their recipes and passed them down only through inheritance.
This confectionery product is baked near an open fire in an oven. In Porazava, it is considered a cake or a pie and is prepared for weddings, birthdays, or other big holidays. The name comes from the German word "Baumkuchen," which means tree-cake. A similar cake is known in Lithuania as šakotis, and in Poland as sękacz.
In appearance, bankuha resembles a small fir tree with branches. This is achieved thanks to a special baking technique. A long metal rod is used, with a cone-shaped wooden roller fixed on the opposite side, around which the bankuha is formed. The roller is wrapped with oiled paper and tied with twine, on which knots are tied at regular intervals. Two or three hostesses participate in the cooking process: one quickly rotates the grill, fixed near the fire in the hearth, while the other pours liquid dough onto the wooden roller, the remnants of which drip onto a metal tray. Part of the dough remains on the mold, and each subsequent layer of dough is poured after the previous one has baked.
Bankuha came to the Svislach district approximately at the beginning of the 20th century and has been preserved in its original form. Today, only four residents of Porazava — carriers and successors of the tradition — know how to prepare this delicacy.
The recipe and appearance of Porazava bankuha differ from similar products in neighboring countries. Belarusian bankuha is more branched and has no additional decoration, while German Baumkuchen can be smooth and decorated with chocolate and glaze.
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