Name - Origin
Κρίθινο Ψωμί
It was also called 'mixed bread' when, in its preparation, both wheat and barley flour were used.
The kneading method of barley bread was the same as the one followed for the preparation of wheat bread.
Functional and symbolic role
Barley bread was dark in colour and was made during periods of wheat harvest. Poor families used to make dark bread using mixed flour, i.e. using wheat and barley flour (Kyprianou Th. X., 2003 ) A woman from Karpasia reports that in the months of March and April, the people would eat only bread bread, since that was the period when barley was produced (Kypri Th. D, Protopapa K. A., 2003). Barkey bread was dark and was considered to be inferior to wheat bread (Kyprianou Th. X., 2003).
Barley bread was considered to be inferior, and therefore not used on festive occasions.
Additional information and bibliography
Apart from barley, in difficult times of drought, the resourceful Cypriot housewives would use roots and tubers of wild greens found in the fields, which she would use to make flour and bread (Kypri Th. D, Protopapa K. A., 2003).
Kyprianou Th. X.(2003) Το σιτάρι. Λαογραφική Κύπρος, 33 (53), p. 64-69.
Kypri Th. D, Protopapa K. A. (2003) Παραδοσιακά ζυμώματα της Κύπρου, Publications of the Scientific Research Centre XVIII, Nicosia.
Dimitriou Demetra
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