Zalatina

«Ζαλατίνα» <br/> Πηγή: Υπουργείο Γεωργίας

Traditionally, zalatina is made with pork meat boiled well and seasoned with salt, pepper, chilli pepper and rosemary. Vinegar, bitter orange juice and lemon juice are also added.

In the past, zalatina was made out of the head and legs of a wellbred pig

Name - Recipe

Cypriot name of dish

Ζαλατίνα. Zalatína.

Greek name - description

Ζαλατίνα. Zalatina was a dish made by housewives using the head, ears, tongue, eyes and jaws of a pig (Xioutas 1978, 152-153). They were boiled and cooked in fat and vinegar (Kypri 1979 [2002], entry ζαλατῖνα,η, 153). In addition to vinegar, lemon juice was added (Kypri 1983 [2003], entry ζαλατῖνα,η, 13).

Language remarks

ETYM. < French gèlatine (Yaνgoullis 2009, entry ζαλατίνα,η 152; Petrou-Poeitou 2013, article ζαλατίνα 43) / Latin gelare, meaning to coagulate / gelée a kind of food, Italian gelatina (Kypri 1979 [2002], article ζαλατίνα,η, 153; Petrou-Poeitou 2013, article ζαλατίνα 43)

Ingredients

Version A:
1 ½ kg of bone-in pork
2-3 pork feet
2 pork ears
2 cups of lemon juice
2 cups of bitter orange juice
1 cup of vinegar
1 sachet of gelatine
red chillies, finely chopped
fresh rosemary

Version B:
pork meat and bones
pork head
vinegar
lemon
salt
rosemary

Method

Version A:
In a large pot, add plenty of water and bring to a boil. Add the meat, ears and feet and boil for 4-5 minutes. Then rinse them under cold water. Replace the water in the pot and add them. Bring to a boil until they are thoroughly boiled and cooked. Occasionally skim off the foam and add salt. When cooked, remove them from the pot and place aside to cool. When cool, separate the meat from the bones and cut the meat into small pieces. Leave the broth on the fire to boil until enough of it has evaporated. Then add the bitter orange and lemon juice and the vinegar. Strain the broth through a very fine strainer and pour it back in the pot adding the meat, rosemary and chilli peppers. Boil until well cooked. Dissolve the gelatin in a cup of hot water and add it to the meat in the pot. Remove from the heat and place a few pieces of meat on a deep platter. Then, fill the dish with the broth. On each platter, place on top a red pepper and a sprig of rosemary. Allow to cool and refrigerate.

Version B:
Clean and wash the pig's head and boil it for 3 hours. Remove from the pot and allow to cool. Separate the meat from the bones and cut it into small pieces. Put the bones back in the pot and leave them to cook for several hours. Remove the bones and strain the broth through a fine strainer. Put the broth back in the pot and add the meat, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and rosemary. Heat for a while and then transfer the meat and broth in small containers and leave to cool. The zalatina is ready (oral testimony of Haritos Haritou, Kyperounda).

Cooking method

Boiling.

Comments

Traditionally, gelatine was not used. In Paphos villages they used to make the boiling hot zalatina which was the same as the common zalatina, except that it was consumed before the broth thickened (Xioutas 1978, 152-153).

In the book "Dikomo: Yesterday and Today" by George I. Mavrokordatos, the following is noted about the zalatina: "We take the pig's head and feet, we scrape the head well with a blade. We cut it into five or eight pieces and boil them until the meat separates from the bones. Then we remove the meat and strain it. We put it in bowls, we add rosemary and bay leaves, bay leaves and pepper, a bit of vinegar, we squeeze lemon and bitter orange juice, add a bit of cinnamon leave for 2-3 days until the tremura [tremura = jelly] thickens" (Mavrokordatos 2003, 306). The same description for the preparation of zalatina is given by George St.Petasis in his work 'The town of Kythrea: historical, archaeological, cultural and folkloric overview' (Petasis 1992, 261).

Functional and symbolic role

Nutritional Value and Importance in the Diet of Cypriots

Zalatina was considered an ideal mezé for cold winter nights, so it was consumed with a glass of zivania or wine (Xioutas 1978, 152-153).

In the old days it was believed that the paler the colour of zalatina, the better was its quality (Xioutas 1978, 152-153).

Festive Occasions

The zalatina was an ideal mezé and was present in every home on the day before Lent, which marked the beginning of Lent (Xioutas 1978, 152-153).

The process of slaughtering domestic pigs, which had a ritual character, is shared with many Mediterranean countries. The pig is the only animal of which, if properly grown, all the parts are used after slaughter. Traditionally, zalatina in Cyprus was made after the slaughter of the well-bred pig, usually using the head and feet. The meat was boiled well and seasoned with salt, pepper, pieces of chilli pepper and rosemary. Vinegar, bitter orange juice and lemon juice were also added.

Additional information and bibliography

Time period

19th - 20th c.

Supplementary information

The housewife would boil the pork pieces in water until the lean parts of the meat were soft. She would then remove the meat from the pot and leave the broth on the fire until the water had completely evaporated, and would add lemon or bitter orange juice. At the same time, she would divide the meat into small containers and add peppercorns, pieces of red chilli pepper and rosemary. When the broth was ready, she would pour it into the containers over the meat. After a few hours a white layer of solidified broth - with a gelatinous texture - covered the meat. The whiter the colour of the gelatine, the better the quality of the zalatina.

Βibliography

Yangoullis K. G. (2009), Thesaurus of the Cypriot Dialect. Interpretative, Etymological, Phraseological and Nomenclatural Dictionary of the Medieval and Modern Cypriot Dialect, Library of Cypriot Folk Poets,70, Theopress Publications, Nicosia.

Karavas (2002), vol. 5, Publication of the Refugee Association 'O Karavas', Nicosia.

Kourri P. and Lazarou S. (eds.) (2007), Traditional recipes of the village of Kyperounda (unpublished data).

Kythraiotou F. (2009), Food: a reason for a relationship, University of Nicosia Publications, Nicosia.

Kypri Th. D. (ed.) (1979 [2002²]), Materials for the compilation of a historical dictionary of the Cypriot dialect, Part A, Glossary of George Loukas, Publications of the Centre for Scientific Research, XLI, Nicosia.

Kypri Th. D. (ed.) (1983 [2003²]), Materials for the compilation of a historical dictionary of the Cypriot dialect, Part B, Glossary of Xenophontos P. Pharmakidou, Publications of the Centre for Scientific Research, IX, Nicosia.

Kypri Th. D. (ed.) (1989), Materials for the compilation of a historical dictionary of the Cypriot dialect, Part C, Glossary of Ioannou Erotokritos, Publications of the Centre for Scientific Research, XIV, Nicosia.

Mavrokordatos C. I. (2003), Dikomo: Yesterday and Today, Nicosia.

Xioutas P. (1978), Cypriot animal folklore, Publications of the Centre for Scientific Research, XXXVIII, Nicosia.

Petasis G. (1992), The town of Kythrea: historical, archaeological, cultural and folklore overview, Stelios Leivadiotis Ltd.

Researcher / Recorder

Florentia Kythraiotou, Dimitra Demetriou, Stalo Lazarou, Eleni Christou, Savvas Polybiou, Argyro Xenophontos, Tonia Ioakim

Photos