Russian
Xerophagy
Бородинский Хлеб — Borodinsky Bread (Russian Dark Rye with Coriander)
If Russian black bread is the everyday loaf, Borodinsky is the famous one. Slightly sweetened with molasses, deeply a...
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Today's Fast
June 15, 2026
Apostles Fast
Prophet Amos; St Jonah, Metr. of Moscow
Prophet Amos / St Jonah, Metr. of Moscow / Holy Prophet Amos (8th c. BC)
Troparion: St. Nicephorus the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople: Tone IV. The truth of things revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith,/ a model of meekness and a teacher of abstinence/ wherefore th...
Recipe of the Day
Καλαμάρια με Πατάτες — Kalamari me Patates (Squid and Potato Stew in Tomato)
Greek
Fast With Oil
Fasting Recipes
Russian
Xerophagy
Чёрный Хлеб — 100% Rye Sourdough (Russian Black Bread)
The dark, dense, sour loaf that has anchored the Russian fasting table for a thousand years. Not a wheat bread with r...
Other
Xerophagy
Monastic No-Oil Xerophagy Bread
This is the simplest bread a person can bake. Four ingredients, one rise, one bake. No oil, no sugar, no milk, no egg...
Other
Xerophagy
Everyday Fasting Sourdough Boule
This is the daily bread of the Orthodox faster. Four ingredients: flour, water, salt, and a sourdough starter. No oil...
Other
Xerophagy
Raw Mango and Cashew Energy Bars
When the Typikon prescribes xerophagy — the strictest fasting level, with no cooked food, no oil, no wine — you need ...
Other
Xerophagy
Raw Zucchini Noodles with Tomato and Fresh Basil
Spiralized raw zucchini dressed with crushed tomatoes, garlic, basil, and salt is the closest thing xerophagy has to ...
Other
Xerophagy
Stuffed Celery Boats with Almond Butter and Raisins
Ants on a log. That is what Americans call this when they make it with peanut butter for children. But strip away the...
Other
Xerophagy
Overnight Soaked Oats with Berries and Almonds
Here is the xerophagy controversy you will encounter online: are overnight oats "cooked"? The answer, practically spe...
Middle Eastern
Xerophagy
Raw Bread Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs (Fattoush-Style)
Fattoush is the great Levantine bread salad — torn pita mixed with tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, and herbs in a suma...
Middle Eastern
Xerophagy
Walnut and Fig Balls with Cinnamon and Honey
These are the sweet, dense, energy-packed bites that get you through the long services of Holy Week when your body is...
Other
Xerophagy
Raw Sprouted Chickpea Spread
Hummus is one of the great fasting foods, but traditional hummus requires cooking the chickpeas and adding tahini (ma...
Other
Xerophagy
Sochivo — Christmas Eve Wheat with Honey and Poppy Seeds
Sochivo (also called kutia or kolivo depending on the tradition) is the ritual dish of Christmas Eve — the last and m...
Other
Xerophagy
Apple and Celery with Peanut Butter
This is not glamorous. A sliced apple, some celery sticks, and a scoop of peanut butter — it sounds like a child's af...
Other
Xerophagy
Honey and Walnut Bread
Bread torn by hand and dipped in honey with walnuts scattered on top — this is not a recipe, it is the oldest way to ...
Other
Xerophagy
Raw Beet and Carrot Salad with Lemon and Walnuts
Raw beets are sweeter than you expect, and they pair remarkably well with the earthiness of carrot and the bitterness...
Other
Xerophagy
Gazpacho-Style Raw Tomato Soup
Traditional Spanish gazpacho contains olive oil and bread. This xerophagy version strips it back to its raw essence: ...
Other
Xerophagy
Banana and Almond Butter Wraps
This is the most calorie-dense, most satisfying, and most portable xerophagy meal that requires no preparation beyond...
Other
Xerophagy
Raw Sauerkraut and Bread
Fermented cabbage is a pillar of Slavic xerophagy — Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian, and Bulgarian monasteries all rely o...
Other
Xerophagy
Dried Fruit and Nut Energy Balls
These no-cook energy balls are the closest thing to a protein bar that xerophagy permits. Dates provide the binding —...
Other
Xerophagy
Cucumber, Tomato, and Olive Salad with Lemon and Salt
This is the xerophagy version of a Greek salad — stripped of its oil, its feta, and its cooked elements. What remains...
Other
Xerophagy
Fresh Fruit and Nut Plate with Honey
This is not so much a recipe as a philosophy of eating: take what is fresh and in season, pair it with raw nuts and h...
Other
Xerophagy
Dates Stuffed with Walnuts
This is a Middle Eastern monastic staple that has sustained desert monks for centuries. Medjool dates are nature's ca...
Other
Xerophagy
Raw Vegetable Platter with Avocado Dip
Tahini requires processing and sometimes roasting of the sesame seeds, and hummus requires cooked chickpeas — so the ...
Other
Xerophagy
Trail Mix for Fasting Days
This is the most portable and calorie-dense xerophagy food you can prepare. A bag of this in your pocket gets you thr...
Other
Xerophagy
Monastery Bread with Olives and Raw Tomatoes
This is the quintessential xerophagy meal — the one that monks on Mount Athos and in monasteries across the Orthodox ...
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