Agrél(l)in - wild asparagus | Cyprus Food Museum

Name - Origin

Cypriot name of food

Αγρέλ(λ)ιν, αρκοαγρέλ(λ)ιν, κουτσαγρέλλιν. Agrél(l)in, arkoagrél(l)in, koutsagréllin.

Greek name - description

Άγριο σπαράγγι.

Wild asparagus (Asparagus acutifolius) Εdible green (Kypri 1983 [2003²], entry αγρέλλιν,το, 50).

Language remarks

According to Constantinos G. Yiangoullis, agrélli comes from the words ágrios (wild) + elion, t/c ayrelli (Yiangoullis 2009, entry αγρέλ(λ)ιν,το, 37).

According to Eugenia Petrou-Poeitou the word comes from αγριέλι: άγριος (wild) (Petrou-Poeitou 2013, article Αγρέλι, 22).

According to George Loukas: ασπάραγος or ασφάραγος (asparagus) ancient, σπαράγγι according to others. It is used instead of the word ακρύλλιον (akryllion), because it is tender like the tip of the shoots of the plants, e.g., of radishes (Kypri 1979 [2002²], entry αγρέλλιν,το, 12). The same is pointed out by Ioannis Erotokritos in his Glossary: “Due to the tenderness of the asparagus, the word is used for everything tender" (Kypri 1989, entry αγρέλλιν,το, 111). The word, however, may be derived from the Latin accrescere (= to grow due to the growth of other plants). More correctly from the Latin acer-acris, meaning bitter, as is the property of this plant (Kypri 1979 [2002²], entry αγρέλλιν,το, 12).

In his Glossary, Xenophon P. Pharmakidis notes that the plural of the word is agréllia and that it is the asparagus plant (Kypri 1983 [2003²], entry αγρέλλιν,το, 50) of the family of Liliales (Great Encyclopedia of Cyprus, vol. 1, entry αγρελιά,η, 131).

Wild asparagus were also called arkoagrélia (Panaretos 1967, 262) or koutsagrélia (Papoulias 2006, 46-47; Gennadios 1914, 152).

According to Gennadios' Phytological Dictionary, the species found in Cyprus are: asparagus aphyllus, asparagus acutifolius (commonly called koutsagrélli) and asparagus verticilatus. The domestic 'gardening' species is also found, which is Asparagus officinalis/Liliaceae (Gennadios 1914, 152-153).

According to Loucas Savvides, the following species of wild asparagus are observed in Cyprus: Asproagrélli - Asparagus stipularis/Liliaceae Mavroagrélli - Asparagus acutifolius/Liliaceae (Savvides 1999, 8).

Processing method

The collection and consumption of wild asparagus was done during the winter months: 'Agrellin is good in January, February. From March onwards it is not good.' ('Petrou-Poeitou 2013, entry Αγρέλι, 22)

Wild asparagus can be eaten fried or boiled (Savvides 1999, 8).

They are fried alone or with eggs, to which mushrooms and/or greens and/or potatoes and/or salted meat are sometimes added. In modern Cypriot cuisine, they make also a soup ('agrellósoupa') and pilaf rice or bulgur. They are preserved in vinegar (note: Kyriaki Panteli).

They are fried with eggs and it is considered as a very tasty dish (Kypri 1983 [2003²], entry αγρέλλιν,το, 50).

Wild asparagus were bitter and therefore they were first boiled before being fried with eggs (Katzi 2000, 110).

In Paphos, they used to heat oil (mavrolado) and put salted wild asparagus in it - preferably with coarse sea salt - to remove the bitterness. After a few minutes they would remove them. They would add plenty of lemon juice and it was a wonderful meal (Politis 10/03/2009, 65).

Functional and symbolic role

Nutritional Value and Importance in the Diet of Cypriots

Agréli belongs to the family of Liliales. Its closest relatives are leeks, garlic and onions. It has been considered a very special food since ancient times, not only for its taste and nutritional value but also for its healing properties. It was even classified as an aphrodisiac food (note: Florentia Kythraiotou).

Agrélia are beneficial and diuretic. They are good for the liver and kidneys (Savvides 1999, 8). They contain magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, manganese, cobalt, vitamins and asparagine, a diuretic (Papoulias 2006, 46-47).

It was considered by many as the best mezé (Chadjiavxentis 1994).

Additional information and bibliography

Time period

19th to 21st c.

Supplementary Information

"In total there are 300 species of asparagus in the world, in Cyprus we have two and they are both edible: White asparagus and black asparagus. The former have green shoots and grow at a low altitude, about 600 metres above sea level, while the latter have shoots of purple-deep red colour and grow at an altitude of up to 1500 metres above sea level. White asparagus can be found in Akamas, Petra tou Romiou, Episkopi, Karpasia and Cape Greco. The same applies to black asparagus, except that they can also be found in the mountains, such as in the Pentadaktylos mountain range, under pine forests, in Korakou and in other places' (Politis 10/03/2009, 65).

Wild asparagus "are monocotyledonous, perennial, climbing or bushy plants, native or cultivated as vegetables or ornamental plants... Asparagus has a rhizome which spreads in the soil and from which the upright or climbing stems emerge, which are white, green or reddish in colour and are edible. It has practically no functional leaves; those on the stems are glandular and resemble scales. Photosynthesis is carried out by green, slender shoots called phylloclades. It is a dioecious plant and flowers in summer. The flowers are small, white or greenish-yellow and grow individually. The fruits are grape-shaped, green, white or reddish in colour' (Papoulias 2006, 46-47).

"Asproagrélli is a perennial shrub with sturdy thorns. The young shoots appear in mid-winter (January-February) and have a light or dark green colour. Mavroagréli is also a perennial shrub but the thorns are thinner. The tender shoots have usually a reddish-brown to greenish-brown colour. The wild apsaragus usually grow in uncultivated land, field boundaries, near bushes (palloúres), in woods and shrubs in semi-mountainous and mountainous areas (mavroagrélli in particular). Asproagrélli is found in lowland areas and up to an altitude of 600m, while mavroagrélli is found up to 1500 m" (Savvides 1999, 8).

Asparagus is propagated by sowing (mid-September or late March) and thrives in deep, fertile and brackish soils. (Gennadios 1914, 153).

"The children in Ardana had a habit of collecting wild asparagus and after school hours and especially at the weekend they would run into the fields and return with bundles of wild asparagus in their hands, which were considered by many to be the best meze.

Pannis Antoni traded wild asparagus by buying them from the Turkish Cypriots of Topsiou Kiové and transporting them to Varossi, supplying the tavernas and bars" (Chadjiavxentis 1994).

Bibliography

Gennadios P. G. (1914), Phytological Dictionary: Containing the names, nativity and life of more than a thousand plants, including those cultivated for their usefulness or cultivated by the people, whose history, cultivation, products and diseases are also described, From the Printing House of Paraskevas Leonis, Athens.

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

Katzi M. (2000), «Οι τροφές που μας έδινε η φύση», Λαογραφική Κύπρος 30,50, 104-110.

Kythraiotou F. (2009), Τροφή: αφορμή σχέσης, University of Nicosia Publications, Nicosia.

Kythraiotou F. (2011), Αγρέλια. Τα άγρια σπαράγγια, 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 Xenophon P. Pharmakides, 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 Ioannis Erotokritos, Publications of the Centre for Scientific Research, XIV, Nicosia.

Panaretos A. (1967), Κυπριακή γεωργική λαογραφία, Cooperative Central Bank Ltd., Nicosia.

Papoulias Th. (2006), The Wild Edible Greens of the Mountains and the Plain, Psychalos, Athens.

Pavlides A. (ed.) (1984), Great Encyclopedia of Cyprus, vol. 1, Filokypros, Nicosia.

Petrou-Poeitou E. (2013), Where do they come from. Words and stories from the world of taste, Epiphaniou Publications, Nicosia.

POLITIS (newspaper) 10/03/2009, 65, Article code: 858125.

Savvides L. (1999), Αγριόχορτα που τρώγονται: Από τη χλωρίδα της Κύπρου, Print today, Nicosia.

Chadjiavxentis K. (1994), Άρδανα Αμμοχώστου, I. C. Casoulides, Nicosia.

Researcher/Recorder

Dimitra Demetriou, Tonia Ioakim, Florentia Kythraiotou, Stalo Lazarou, Eleni Christou, Kyriaki Panteli, Savvas Polyviou, Petroula Hadjittofi, Argyro Xenofontos

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