Каша means any type of boiled grain. No ethnic group eats more boiled grain than the Russians. And we're not talkin’ just plain old cream of wheat. We're talkin’ oatmeal, buckwheat, rice, barley... you name it.

Probably the most popular version is манная каша cream of wheat, which is also called манка. In the States we like to think that grain products are healthy for us, but манка is usually boiled up in sugar water, sweet as can be, and then served in a bowl... and then you slice off, oh, say, a quarter kilo of butter and set it on top of the steaming cream of wheat. It then melts into a magnificent golden puddle that covers the манка. It's gloriously delicious. My carotid clogs at the very thought.

Овсяная каша is oatmeal; it is also called овсянка. Гречневая каша is porridge made from buckwheat (not related to wheat); it is also called гречка. Everyone who serves in the Russian army eats copious quantities of гречка, and once they are out of the service, they never want to see the stuff again.

Каша is not always sweet, and it's not just for breakfast. Any of the каши can be boiled up with meat or other main dish ingredients, thrown into a casserole dish with mushrooms, and then baked in the oven for supper, like the рисовая каша с овощами, rice kasha with vegetables, pictured to the left (recipe | mirror). Каша is also used as stuffing in пирожки.