Name - Origin
It is a piece of bread that is baked twice in the oven and becomes a rusk (Yangoullis 2009, entry καυκαλλιά,η, 197). A bread loaf would be divided in two and placed in the oven to dry out (Petrou-Poeitou 2013, entry Καφκαλιά, 56).
Half or even whole dried bread (Kypri 1979 [2002²], entry καυκαλλιά,η, 212): "soak a kavkallian, let us eat". This dried bread is called kavkallia, because it resembles both in shape and in hardness with kávkalo, a shell (Kypri 1989, entry kavkallia, 468).
ETYM. < kavkallin < original κavkos > Byz. κavki + ending -allin (Yangoullis 2009, entry καυκαλλιά,η, 197).
A crab's shell is also called kavkallia (Yangoullis 2009, entry καυκαλλιά,η, 197; Kypri 1979 [2002²], entry καυκαλλιά,η, 212).
In order to bake a kavkalia, they would cut the bread lengthwise into two pieces which they would bake in the oven (until the following day) to dry out (Kypri 1989, entry καυκαλλιά,η, 468).
Functional and symbolic role
Kavkalia made with barley was considered to be more tasty.
Kavkalia would be stored in baskets and kept for a long time (Kyprianou 1970, 12).
When baking bread into kavkalia, the starch dries out and prevents the bread from turning mouldy (Stavrinou 1993, 100-101).
Additional information and bibliography
Yangoullis K. G. (2009), Θησαυρός Κυπριακής Διαλέκτου. Ερμηνευτικό, Ετυμολογικό, Φρασεολογικό και Ονοματολογικό Λεξικό της Μεσαιωνικής και Νεότερης Κυπριακής Διαλέκτου, Βιβλιοθήκη Κυπρίων Λαϊκών Ποιητών, 70, Theopress Publications, Nicosia.
Kypri Th. D. (ed.) (1979 [2002²]), Υλικά διά την σύνταξιν ιστορικού λεξικού της κυπριακής διαλέκτου, Μέρος Α΄, Γλωσσάριον Γεωργίου Λουκά, Publications of the Centre for Scientific Research, XLI, Nicosia.
Kypri Th. D. (ed.) (1989), Υλικά διά την σύνταξιν ιστορικού λεξικού της κυπριακής διαλέκτου, Μέρος Γ΄, Γλωσσάριον Ιωάννου Ερωτοκρίτου, Publications of the Centre for Scientific Research, XIV, Nicosia.
Kyprianou Ch. St. (1970), Μερικές κυπριακές τροφές του χωριού Τσακκίστρα, Publications of Lapithos High School, Lapithos.
Petrou-Poeitou E. (2013), Από πού κρατάει η σκούφια τους. Λέξεις και ιστορίες από τον κόσμο της γεύσης, Epiphaniou Publications, Nicosia.
Stavrinou Andreas D. (1993), Το Πραιτώρι της Πάφου -της Κύπρου- : κοινωνικό-ιστορικό-λαογραφική μελέτη κι έρευνα.
Stalo Lazarou, Dimitriou Demetra, Eleni Christou, Argyro Xenophontos, Tonia Ioakim
