«Αγριόχοιρος» Πηγή: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wild_Boar_Habitat_quadrat.jpg
Wild boar.
Name - Origin
Αγριόχοιρος ή αγριογούρουνο.
Additional information and bibliography
Arkoshiros (wild boar) is presented as one of the game that required a skilful and brave hunter. This is illustrated in the folk tale 'The Spanos and the Fourty Dragons'. In this tale the efforts of Spanos to defeat the fourty dragons that cut off the water from his village are depicted. His plan involves several tricks by which he manages to convince the dragons that he is a young man worthy to live with them. After many adventures and trickery, he finally succeeds to kill the dragons and releases the water so that it can flow to his village. One of the tests the dragons put Spanos through was to kill a wild boar. After he manages to convince the dragons to invite him to stay with them, they ask him to kill a wild boar in order to eat him. In this way, they think they can get rid of Spanos, whom they feared. Spanos manages by chance to kill the biggest wild boar and the dragons are again impressed by his bravery. Through the tale we see how difficult and dangerous it was to hunt this particular animal (Tsaggaris, 1986)
The first wild boars in recent Cypriot history were introduced to Cyprus in 1990 by Nicolas Fournaris from the village of Parekklisia in Limassol, who imported five wild boars from Greece. On 6 September 1991, the first four piglets were born in captivity and they began to multiply from then on. In December 1994, five pregnant females and one male escaped to the Limassol forest. In November 1995 it was estimated that there were around 60-90 animals in the Limassol forest and in August of that year, the first five animals were shot by hunters. In 1996, a new release took place at the border of the Troodos National Forest Park, near Kato Amiantos. According to rumours, these animals were released by hunters. At the beginning of 1997 small groups of wild boars were seen simultaneously in different parts of the forest (Hadjisterkotis 2006).
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.
Tsaggaris H. (1986), Κυπριακόν παραμύθιν. Ο σπανός τζι’ οι σαράντα δράτζιοι (Cypriot fairy tale. Spanos and the fourty dragons), Printco.
Hadjisterkotis E. (2006), The recent history of the import and possible extinction of the wild boar in Cyprus, Press and Information Office, Nicosia (http://www.moi.gov.cy/moi/pio/ pio.nsf/ 60f24dd3d8b73c09c2257076004d01c9/6cd4a92e4037a426c22 57210004c25dc?OpenDocument).
Maria Tsaggari / Stalo Lazarou, Argyro Xenophontos
Foods
Afelia
Pieces of pork, fried and cooked in wine and coriander, often served with pilaf bulgur with yoghurt.
Traditional Recipes
Afelia
Afelia is a typical Cypriot pork dish with wine and coriander. They are often served with potatoes or pilaf bulgur with yoghurt.
Foods
Ampelopoul(l)in - blackcap
Blackcaps are a strictly protected species of wild birds in Cyprus; their killing/hunting and possession/consumption is prohibited.
Traditional Recipes
Game birds with halloumi
Recipe for stuffed game birds (partridges, pigeons or quails). “Brush with butter, put oregano and pieces of halloumi in the cavity and roast in the oven." (Stavroula Vorka, Kornos)
Traditional Recipes
Game birds with lemon and šinnos
A recipe for cooking game birds (song thrush or others). They are boiled and flavoured with šinnos (pistacia lentiscus) and lemon juice.
Foods
Game meat in the 18th c.
Report of Archim. Kyprianos (1788) on game meat during the 18th century.
Traditional Recipes
Hiromeri
A cured cold cut, hiromeri is placed in wine and then smoked. Both of the preparation stages take months in all to complete.
Traditional Recipes
Kaourmas from Marathasa
Local variation of a widespread traditional dish with meat and potatoes. The meat used is pork, or goat.
Traditional Recipes
Kokkaloú cured pork ribs
The method of preparation of kokkalou is reminiscent of lountza. Cured kokkalou is cut into pieces and either barbecued or fried.
Traditional Recipes
Kolokasi (taro) yahní with pork
"Put the taro in a bowl and squeeze half of the lemon on top. Cut the meat into small pieces, [...] and sauté until golden brown. Then add the onion, celery and tomato and simmer until cooked' ('…
Traditional Recipes
Laopittes
"We used to make laopittes when we had a surplus of pork fat and especially during Christmas when the whole family would gather." (Marina Kattou, Vouni Limassol)
Traditional Recipes
Loukaniko (sausage)
A type of sausage made in Cyprus from pork and matured in salt, red wine and a variety of spices. It is dried in the sun and then smoked daily for 8-10 days.
Foods
Loukaniko - Cyprus sausage
Pork sausages produced from coarsely minced pork, soaked red wine, to which various spices are added and smoked.
Foods
Loukaniko Pitsilias
Pitsilia sausages are produced in the communities of the Pitsilia area, from coarsely minced pork which is 'cooked' (matured) in local dry red wine, to which various spices are added. It is, then,…
Traditional Recipes
Lountza cooked in wine
In this recipe the several-day process of making lountza is simplified. The pork is fried, then cooked in wine and coriander.Cyprus lountza is a type of cured ham made from pork tenderloin matured in…
Traditional Recipes
Louvi (black-eyed beans) with hiromeri (smoked pork ham)
A unique recipe with a combination of ingredients inspired by the traditional Cypriot cuisine.
Foods
Paphitiko loukaniko - Paphos sausage
Paphitiko loukaniko is prepared in Paphos district from minced pork meat that is cured in local red dry wine and dried in the sun.
Traditional Recipes
Partridge with eggs
The recipe comes from the Pelendri in the mountains (Limassol district). It is prepared during the hunting season or when frozen partridges are available at home. It is also served as a mezé,…
Traditional Recipes
Pickled blackcaps
A favourite dish of the past. They were usually served pickled or boiled.** Blackcaps are a strictly protected species of wild birds in Cyprus; their killing/hunting and possession/consumption is…
Traditional Recipes
Pishíes from Deryneia
Pishíes was one of the main traditional sweets served on festive occasions. In the old days, they used to prepare pishíes mostly when they had pork fat available so they could fry them.
Traditional Recipes
Pork chops in wine
The chops are marinated overnight in wine and coriander. The marinade ingredients are later used during cooking, forming a delicious sauce.
Traditional Recipes
Pork pancetta with thyme honey
Traditional Cypriot ingredients, such as wild asparagus and smoked hiromeri, accompany this modern pork dish.
Traditional Recipes
Pork with beetroot
The dish has the characteristic red colour of the beetroot, which is also used to colour all the other ingredients. It used to be cooked with onion and celery at weddings in the area of Pitsilia.
Traditional Recipes
Pork with zucchini and potatoes yahni
The pork, zucchini and potatoes are sautéed separately, then cooked together in a tomato sauce. Recipe from Choirokoitia in Larnaca district.
Traditional Recipes
Posyrtí
In order to prepare the Cypriot version of bacon, the pork is placed in wine for 8-10 days and then smoked daily for 20 days.
Foods
Preparation of traditional charcuterie
The main types of traditional Cypriot charcuterie are loukanika (sausages), lountza, hiromeri, zalatina, posyrti (bacon), tsamarella and apohti.
Traditional Recipes
Quail with mediterranean stuffing
A recipe from Famagusta. Quail, a popular game in Cyprus, is stuffed with tomatoes, olives and halloumi, common staples in the traditional Cypriot cuisine.
Traditional Recipes
Roast turkey with hiromeri stuffing
Hiromeri is a smoked pork ham, a flavoursome traditional delicacy of Cyprus.
Traditional Recipes
Souvla with vegetables
While barbecued with vegetables, the meat absorbs their flavours.
Traditional Recipes
Spare ribs in tomato sauce
"In a pot, sauté the spare ribs until they are golden brown. Add the tomato juice, salt, pepper and the potatoes and let them simmer." (Ourania Christodoulou, Kyperounda)
Traditional Recipes
Stuffed pork fillet
Traditional Cypriot ingredients, such as lountza, halloumi, dried figs and sausage, accompany the pork fillet in a modern dish. Stuffed pork tenderloin is a similar dish (see recipe).
Traditional Recipes
Stuffed pork tenderloin
A modern recipe that draws inspiration from international cuisine in its conception and presentation, yet maintains the local flavour through the variety of traditional Cypriot ingredients.
Foods
S̆iros, shiros
Every part of the animal, even the theoretically useless parts, such as the ears, the intestines and the feet were important and useful.
Traditional Recipes
Thrushes in tomato sauce
Mezé for hunters. The thrushes are lightly fried and cooked in wine and tomato juice or grated fresh tomatoes.
Traditional Recipes
Titsiri(d)es
“Cut the fat of the pig into small pieces. Fry them until they are well cooked” (Panayiota Mikkeli, Kyperounda, Limassol).