«Τσιππόπιττα» Πηγή: Μουσείο Κυπριακών Τροφίμων και Διατροφής - Μαγειρεύω Κυπριακά 2015
In the past, tsippopitta, a fragrant sweet pitta with milk skin, used to be prepared and consumed during the carnival period, the cheesefare week before Lent.
Name - Recipe
Sweet pitta with milk skin, i.e. the cream that forms on the surface of freshly milked milk when boiled.
Τsippa is the skin that boiled sheep's and goat's milk forms when it is left uncovered for a few hours.
Version A:
For the dough:
8 cups of flour
A bit of salt
water for kneading
coarsely ground almonds
tsippa (milk skin)
ground cinnamon
For the syrup:
4 cups of sugar
3 cups of water
a bit of lemon juice
Version B
For the dough:
4 cups of plain flour (farina 00)
½ glass of oil
1 tsp of lemon juice
a bit of salt
lukewarm water
For the filling:
2 glasses of tsippa (milk skin)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ glass of sugar
For the syrup:
2 cups of sugar
1 ½ glasses of water
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp lemon juice
Version A:
After kneading the dough, roll out a large sheet of dough and brush it with tsippa mixed with cinnamon and a little sugar. Sprinkle with coarsley ground almonds, if desired. Roll the sheet into a roll and after twisting it, place it in a spiral pattern on a baking sheet. Bake in a high temperature in the oven until golden brown. Add the syrup and place in the oven for another 5 minutes. If you wish, you may serve it with just sugar sprinkled on top (in the place of syrup). (Ministry of Agriculture 2010, Cypriot traditional preparations, 56).
Version B:
In a basin, put the flour, oil, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a bit of lukewarm water and mix them together. Knead the dough and leave it aside to proof. Beat the two cups of tsíppa, to soften it, and add the sugar and ground cinnamon. Roll out a thin sheet of dough and spread the tsíppa mixture on top. Roll the sheet into a roll and twist it a bit and place it on a round baking tray. Press the pitta down a little on top to bring the pieces together. Brush the pitta with a little tsippa. Sprinkle it with cinnamon and a bit of sugar. Preheat the oven for 20 minutes. Bake tsippópitta in a medium temperature oven for 40 minutes. When baked, wait for the tsippópitta to cool down, then pour the hot syrup over it and sprinkle with almonds or walnuts. (Oral testimony: Georgia Kyrou, Pervolia, Larnaca)
Baking in the oven.
A variation of this pitta is to substitute tsippa with fresh butter or vegetable butter (Ministry of Agriculture 2010, Cypriot traditional preparations, 56).
Functional and symbolic role
Tsippa was higher in fat during the period that animals would give birth (Igoumenidou-Rizopoulou 2008, 'Dairy products').
They used to prepare tsippopitta when they would light the wood-fired oven. During baking of this pitta, there was a verny nice smell all around. In the village of Peristeronopigi people would eat it while in the fields together with the harvesters, during the harvest period (Kypri - Protopapa 2003, 272-273).
Tsippopitta would be prepared and consumed during the carnival period, the cheesefare week before Lent.
Additional information and bibliography
Kypri T. - Protopapa K. A. (2003), Traditional bread and pastries of Cyprus. Their use and significance in customary life, Publications of the Centre for Scientific Research, XVIII, Nicosia.
Rizopoulou-Igoumenidou E. (2008), "Dairy products in the annual cycle of traditional life in Cyprus", The history of Greek milk and its products (1st Workshop, Xanthi, 7-9 October 2005), Kalantzopoulos G. (ed.), Piraeus Group Cultural Foundation, Athens, 401-423.
Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Agriculture (2010), Cypriot traditional preparations, Press and Information Office, Nicosia.
Oral testimony: Georgia Kyrou, 45 years old, Pervolia - Larnaca. Recording: Elena Savva, October 2010.
Varvara Yangou, Demetra Zannetou, Elena Savva/Marina Costantinou, Argyro Xenophontos
Ετοιμάζουμε την τσίππα (Μαγειρεύω Κυπριακά 2015). Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
Βουτυρώνουμε το ταψί μας (Μαγειρεύω Κυπριακά 2015). Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
Ανοίγουμε φύλλο (Μαγειρεύω Κυπριακά 2015). Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
Αλείφουμε με την τσίππα (Μαγειρεύω Κυπριακά 2015). Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
Καλύπτουμε καλά όλη την επιφάνεια του φύλλου (Μαγειρεύω Κυπριακά 2015). Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
Πασπαλίζουμε με κανέλα (Μαγειρεύω Κυπριακά 2015). Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
Τυλίγουμε το φύλλο σε ρολό (Μαγειρεύω Κυπριακά 2015). Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
Το στρίβουμε (Μαγειρεύω Κυπριακά 2015). Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
Το τοποθετούμε κυκλικά στο ταψί μας (Μαγειρεύω Κυπριακά 2015). Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
Αλείφουμε την επιφάνεια της πίτας μας με λίγη τσίππα (Μαγειρεύω Κυπριακά 2015). Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
Ψήνουμε στο φούρνο μέχρι να ροδοκοκκινίσει (Μαγειρεύω Κυπριακά 2015). Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
Προσθέτουμε το σιρόπι (Μαγειρεύω Κυπριακά 2014). Πηγή: Δημήτρης Χήρας.
Τσιππόπιττα, Λευκωσία 2014. Πηγή: Μαρκέλλα Καλλή.
Τσιππόπιττα πασπαλισμένη με κούννες αμυγδάλου. Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
Συσκευασμένη τσιππόπιττα εμπορίου. Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
Τσιππόπιττα κομμένη για σερβίρισμα (Μαγειρεύω Κυπριακά 2015). © Μουσείο Κυπριακών Τροφίμων και Διατροφής.
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