An aromatic spice made from the seeds of a species of cherry.
Name - Origin
Μαχλέπι.
According to K. Yangoullis, it is the seed of the St. Lucie cherry and it is used as a bread seasoning (Yangoullis 2009, entry μέχλεπι,το, 284). Eugenia Petrou-Poetou notes something similar: it is the seed kernel extracted from the cherry stone and it is aromatic (Petrou-Poeitou 2013, entry Μέχλεπι, 88).
Scientific name: Prunus mahaleb.
ETYM. < arabic mahlab (turkish mahlep) (Yangoullis 2009, entry μέχλεπι,το, 284; Petrou-Poeitou 2013, entry Μέχλεπι, 88)
In French, mahaleb is a species of cherry tree in the Alps (Petrou-Poeitou 2013, entry Μέχλεπι, 88).
Additional information and bibliography
It is used as an aromatic in the preparation of flaounes and tsourekia which are Easter delicacies, on vassilopitta (the New Year’s bread/cake) and other traditional bread preparations like koullouria.
Yangoullis K. G. (2009), Θησαυρός Κυπριακής Διαλέκτου. Ερμηνευτικό, Ετυμολογικό, Φρασεολογικό και Ονοματολογικό Λεξικό της Μεσαιωνικής και Νεότερης Κυπριακής Διαλέκτου, Βιβλιοθήκη Κυπρίων Λαϊκών Ποιητών, Theopress Publications, Nicosia.
Petrou-Poeitou E. (2013), Από πού κρατάει η σκούφια τους. Λέξεις και ιστορίες από τον κόσμο της γεύσης, Epiphaniou Publications, Nicosia.
Argyro Xenophontos, Tonia Ioakim