Elies xidates - Pickled olives

«Ξιδάτες ελιές» <br/> Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου

«Ξιδάτες ελιές» Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου

«Ξιδάτες ελιές» <br/> Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου

For the preparation of xidates olives, women used to cut the flesh of the olives with a blade and soak them in water for 6 days. Then they would drain them and put them in a container with brine for 20 days.

Name - Origin
Cypriot name of food
Ελιές ξιδάτες. Eliés xidátes.
Greek name - description

Olives preserved in vinegar.

Language remarks

They were called xidates because they were preserved in vinegar.

Processing method

For the preparation of xidates olives, women used to cut the flesh of the olives with a blade and soak them in water for 6 days. Then they would drain them and put them in a container with brine for 20 days. They were preserved in vinegar and brine (Ministry of Agriculture 2010, 7).

Nutritional Value and Importance in the Diet of Cypriots

Olives were the most common food for farmers, while they were always an accompaniment to legumes. They were also consumed during fasting periods ( Hadjicostas 1995, 151).

Time period
19th - 21st c.
Supplementary Information

Olives were collected in the end of October (MANRE 2010, 7)

Bibliography

Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Agriculture (2010), Preservation of olives and olive preparations, Press and Information Office, Nicosia.

Hadjicostas L. (1995), «Η ελιά στο χωριό μου την εποχή του μεσοπολέμου», Λαογραφική Κύπρος 25,45, 149-154.

Researcher/Recorder

Dimitra Demetriou, Petroula Hadjittofi, Argyro Xenophontos