31 Α feast of flavour Arkatena Omodous Arkatena is a type of “koulouri” (circular bread) made with leaven, using the foam produced from chickpea fermentation (called “Arkatis”). They are producedmainly in the villages of Omodos and Koilani of the Lemesos district. History: Ohnefalsch – Richter (1913), describing the mores and customs of the island, reports that “while kneading, housewives used to make rusks too, in various ways”. […] “At a specific location in the mountains, “paximadia of the workman” were baked from a mixture of cereals, beans and chickpea flour” (Richter, 1913). “Arkatena” rusks were first made in Omodos around 1880. The recipe for the “arkatis”, the secret for the rusk, was brought to Omodos from Smyrna by Hadjistasou, who settled in the village after her marriage. The name“Arkateno” is most probably derived from the Greek word “ergatis” (meaning “workman”), due to the time-consuming production method of “Arkatis”. In the past, Arkatena were offered at christenings and weddings. Pasteli Festival is organized in the village of Anogyra every September. Before the Turkish invasion of 1974, the region of Kazafani was considered the most important region for pasteli production (Parides, 2006). Production method: Carobs are collected, washed and, once dried, milled. They are left to soak in water for about 20 hours before being transferred into special containers (“kofinia”), where the fruit juice called “sierepetti” gradually seeps out and is collected. The juice is boiledwith constant stirring for about 7 hours, yielding the viscous liquid, that is the carob honey. Constant stirring of carob honey for about 4 hours creates a black, amorphousmass. Thismass is left to cool before beingmanually handled. About 1 – 2 kg at a time is cut and, using a wooden stick fixed on the wall, it is kneaded in a specific manner until it takes on a fair, golden colour. This is called pasteli Anogyras. Gastronomy: Carob honey is used for pasteli production and other traditional foods e.g. “tertziellouthkia”, ground sesame puree with carob honey, etc. It can also be used as a spread on bread or mixed with olive oil and eaten with warm bread. Pasteli Anogyras is consumed as a sweet.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUzMzM1NQ==