Eliopitta - pl. Eliopittes - olive pie(s)
Ελιωτή. Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
Often, eliopitta has the shape of a small round bun and contains whole olives. In other cases, it may be kneaded with pieces of olives, onion and fresh coriander/spearmint, or it may be a rolled pie with a filling containing the previously mentioned ingredients.
Name - Recipe
Elliopittes are also called "poulles" in Pachna, Limassol and in Marathasa. Poulles are baked bread - they are shaped like small bread rolls and contain olives or halloumi. There is a wide variety of them in the Marathasa region (Kythraiotou 2013, 44-45).
Version A
1½kg village flour
3 glasses of water 1½ glass black olives with pits
2 handfuls sourdough
1 handful dried spearmint ½ glass chopped fresh onion
1 tsp salt ½ glass peanut oil
Version B
1kg plain flour (farina 00) 1½ cup peanut oil
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp yeast
1 cup black olives (cut)
3 spring onions
fresh coriander
Spearmint
Water for kneading
Version C
For the dough:
4 cups plain flour (farina 00) ¾ glass oil ¾ glass orange juice
2 tsp b.p.
For the filling:
2 glasses olives, chopped
1 medium onion
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp freshly chopped fresh coriander
A bit of dried spearmint
Version D
1kg of bread dough
2-3 cups pitted black olives
1 cup finely chopped fresh spearmint
A bit of fennel, finely chopped
2 dried onions, finely chopped
Cinnamon
Pepper
Olive oil
Version A
In a basin, place the water, salt, peanut oil and olives. Then add 2 handfuls of sourdough to puff up the dough (nowadays, they use a single handful of yeast instead). Add dried spearmint and the fresh onion. Add the flour and knead well. The dough should not be sticky. Add more flour if needed until the dough does not stick. Take a little dough and shape it into a ball and flatten it a bit. Repeat with the rest of them. When we're done, we place them on a kitchen towel and cover them with another one. Leave them for about an hour to proof and bake them in the oven. In the old days we would use the wood-fired oven, light it and when the opening turns white remove the coal and using a peel put the eliopittes in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. (Pepa Frixou, Pachna, Limassol)
Version B
In a basin, add the flour, the salt, the yeast and 1 cup of oil and rub them together with your hands. Add water and knead well. Allow the dough to proof, add the remaining ingredients and form small olive pies. Wait for them to proof again and bake them in a preheated oven. (MANRE 2006, 48)
Version C
Knead the dough. Roll it out into a pitta, place the olives in it and roll it up. When you put the rolled pitta on the baking sheet, poke it with a fork all the way through and bake it in the oven. (Yiota Kyriakidou, Kyperounda)
Version D
Roll out the dough into an oblong sheet and spread the ingredients mixed on top. If desired, add olive oil to the mixture. Roll the dough into a thick string and twist it at both ends in opposite directions. Cut pieces and press with your hands to make round pies. Bake them in the oven or on the satži. (Kythraiotou 2013, 57)
Baking in the oven.
Traditionally, olive oil was used instead of peanut oil (Stalo Lazarou).
Functional and symbolic role
Regularly consumed during fasting (Stalo Lazarou).
Additional information and bibliography
Extract from an interview with Mrs. Pepa Frixou: Question:
Were there any particular occasions when the eliopittes were prepared for? Was there any custom, any event associated with it? Answer: No.
Question: Where did you learn the recipe from?
Answer: From my mother.
Question: Did you make any changes-modifications to the recipe (ingredients, ratio of ingredients, method of preparation, method of storage, method or means of baking)? Answer: Now they use yeast instead of sourdough. In the old days, eliopittes were baked in a wood-fired oven. In the new recipes for eliopittes, they use carbonated orange juice and add cilantro (fresh coriander) and they pit the olives. In the old days we would use the wood-fired oven, light it and when the opening turns white remove the coal and using a peel put the eliopittes in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
Question: Is this a local recipe? Where do they use it? Answer: It is used in almost all villages.
Question: How often do you make elixirs now?
Answer: When we harvest the olives and on fasting days.
Zinovia Charalambous, October 2010. From Pepa Frixou, 61 years old from Pachna Limassol Edited by Stalo Lazarou
Kythraiotou, F. (2013). Gastronomic guide of Marathasa, Ministry of Education and Culture - Pedagogical Institute, Nicosia.
Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Agriculture (2006). Cyprus Traditional Preparations, Press and Information Office, Nicosia.
Oral testimonies: Yiota Kyriakidou, 32 years old, Kyperounda (see Kourri, P. and Lazarou, S. (eds.) (2007). Traditional recipes of Kyperounda village, unpublished data).
Pepa Frixou, 61 years old from Pachna Limassol. Recorded by Zenovia Charalambous, October 2010. Edited by: Stalo Lazarou
Zenovia Charalambous, Stalo Lazarou, Varvara Yangou/Petroula Hadjittofi
1. Ετοιμάζουμε τα υλικά. Πηγή: Ζηνοβία Χαραλάμπους
2. Προσθέτουμε το αλεύρι. Πηγή: Ζηνοβία Χαραλάμπους
3.Αναμειγνύουμε τα υλικά. Πηγή: Ζηνοβία Χαραλάμπους
4.Ζυμώνουμε. Πηγή: Ζηνοβία Χαραλάμπους
5. Πλάθουμε τις ελιωτές. Πηγή: Ζηνοβία Χαραλάμπους
6. Αφήνουμε τις ελιωτές να <μπουν>. Πηγή: Ζηνοβία Χαραλάμπους
7. Ψήνουμε. Πηγή: Ζηνοβία Χαραλάμπους
Ελιόπιττες σε τσέστο. Άδεια δημοσίευσης: Υπουργείο Γεωργίας.
Φρεσκοψημένες ελιόπιττες. Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
Ελιωτή με σησάμι και κόλιανδρο. Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
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