Φακές ©Stalo Lazarou
Name - Origin
Φακή.
Lentils belong to the Les esculenta family.
Lentils used to be the most common dish during fasting periods, prepared in different ways such as: (a) boiled together with greens (b) boiled with vinegar (c) "moujendra" i.e. lentils with either rice or pourkouri (bulgur wheat) or tri (a handmade pasta like tagliatelle). Moujendra is a dish that requires a lot of oil which cannot be detected in the dish once cooked. A proverb that derived from this dish and used metaphorically is 'lentils ate the oil' (Xioutas, 1984 p.328). Some other common dishes during fasting periods were yahni (in tomato sauce) dishes, or fried greens with eggs.
Functional and symbolic role
Lentils were frequently consumed (3-4 times per week) during fasting periods and in times of financial distress (MANRE, 2009).
Legumes, when combined with grains, such as lentils with bread or rice or trin are tastier and the protein intake increases (Note: Demetra Demetriou).
Additional information and bibliography
Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou Euphrosyne, 'The role of olive tree and olive oil in the traditional life of Cyprus', in Second International Conference, Traditional Mediterranean Diet: Past, Present and Future, focusing on Olive Oil and Traditional Products, Athens 20-22 April 2005 (CD produced by 'Heliotopos Conferences'), 10 pages.
Xioutas P. A. (1984-1985) Παροιμίες του κυπριακού λαού, Nicosia.
Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment (2009) The cultivation of black eyes beans, Press and Information Office, Nicosia.
Euphrosyne Egoumenidou, Eleni Christou, Demetra Demetriou.
Foods
Legumes during the 18th c.
"Περί οσπρίων" (on legumes), a report by Archim. Kyprianos (1788) in his book "Ιστορία Χρονολογική της Νήσου Κύπρου" (Chronological History of the Island of Cyprus) on the variety of legumes that…
Traditional Recipes
Lentil soup
A very simple recipe for legume soup, enhanced with rice and onion. This soup is usually served with bread and black olives.
Traditional Recipes
Lentil soup with trin
Before adding to the soup, half of the trin is lightly sautéed in olive oil until golden brown. Trin is a type of Cypriot homemade pasta.
Traditional Recipes
Lentil soup with vinegar
Lentils are boiled in water with rice or various greens and vegetables. Towards the end of cooking, olive oil and vinegar are added to the soup.
