Local recipies of Lefkas

Local Lefkas products

An integral part of the cultural tradition of Lefkas is its traditional products like wines, sweets and many others.

Lefkas salamithe

The famous air dried salami of the island is of Italian style and came to Lefkas by the inhabitants of Burano in Italy. It’s made by pork meat and fat and whole peppercorns, salt and garlic. All the ingredients are minced together, then the intestines are filled and bound with string to become a bunch. They are then hang in a shady and ventilated room to cure and harden. One of its secrets is the very fine slices in which is cut before consuming. The island sausages are also worth mentioning, tasteful and fragrant, made in a similar way, with intestines, seasoning and garlic.

Wine

In Lefkas there is a production of quality wine worth tasting. Especially the barzamino variety wine which is cultivated in the municipalities of Sfakiotes, Karia, Apolon and Elomenos, in heights from 200-700 m, is considered one of the best varieties in Greece. Other varieties of Lefkas wine are giomatari, black giomatari, black sweet, keropati, white and lagkero, a soft and mild wine.

Broidery from Karia (karsanika)

Impressive local handworks are the famous Lefkaditian broidery of unique beauty. Karia broidery, the known Karsaniki stitch, is a special broidery technique completely different from every other stitch in Greece and beyond. It’s a contraption and creation of the women of Karia after which it was named.

Traditional pastry

Lefkas is known for its traditional sweets like pasteli, mandolato and oil-pie which are the most famous.

Other famous Lefkaditian products are lentils of Eglouvi, honey, soumada (a refreshment made of bitter almond), liquors like rozoli, mint and rose.

Recipes from Lefkas

Oil-pie

Ingredients:

• A baking pan no 32
• 3 glasses oil
• 3 glasses water
• 2 glasses sugar
• Sesame, cinnamon, whole almonds without skin
• 1 kg flour
• 1 handful semolina

Execution:

Boil the water and the sugar for 10 minutes and keep it warm. Put the oil (after keeping a quantity of three fingers) in a shallow pot on the stove. Then pour slowly the flour to become a thick porridge and stir continually with a wooden scoop or spatula always over medium fire, until it takes a golden colour. Then add slowly the warm syrup and continue stirring until it absorbs all the liquid. It will become a soft halvas. Put it in the baking pan after sprinkling it with sesame and push it to have a straight surface. Sprinkle with sesame, cut the pie into rhombs and put an almond over every rhomb. Bake in an oven with medium temperature for about one hour. Try with a knife if the dough can be lifted from the baking pan walls. Then the pie is ready. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Cut it when it cools.

Egg-pie or cheese-pie

Ingredients:

• 7-8 handmade phylo dough
• 12-15 well battered eggs
• 1 can undissolved evaporated milk in the eggs or ½ kg fresh milk
• 1 ½ cup oil or 1 cup oil and ½ cup butter (it is preferred because it adds flavour)
• 1 kg sfina cheese or any other hard cheese
• A baking pan for electric oven

Execution:

Make the phylo dough and leave it. Batter the eggs very well and add in them the milk. Cut the cheese in big pieces. Put one phylo, the biggest, in the oiled baking pan so as to cover all its walls and to include the pie. Coat the phylo with oil (and butter) and pour with a scoop some of the egg mixture while sprinkling with the cheese.

Repeat with all the remaining phylo. Then turn inwards the first phylo and put over the last one turning it inwards as well. Coat it with butter and eggs to become a crust, sprinkle some water and pinch it with a fork. Bake in a medium oven for about an hour ensuring that the bottom of the pie is baked and that it can be lifted off the baking pan walls.

Traditionally this pie is made during the week we eat cheese before Lent. It’s an genuine Lefkaditian pie.

Dried cod with potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1.300 gr salted cod
• 1-1 ½ kg potatoes
• 1-1 ½ cup oil
• 2-3 lemons (juice)
• 1 big onion
• 1 garlic
• Pepper
• 2-3 glasses water

Execution:

From the previous evening put the cod in a bowl with water to desalinate, after cutting it in pieces. Change the water 2-3 times.

The following day, before cooking it, take out the scales and wash the fish well. In a medium shallow pot put the cut potatoes, the grated onion, the garlic and mix them. Put the cod pieces with the skin on top. Put a lot of pepper, the oil and water, cover the pot and leave it to boil in medium heat. Be careful because it may need more water. When all the ingredients are boiled and the broth is thick, pour the lemon and shake the pot. Leave it to shimmer and remove it from the stove.

The sauce must be thick and white. If you put less oil set the sauce with 1 tablespoon of corn flour.