A type of dessert biscuit, usually prepared during the Christmas season.
Name - Origin
Μελομακάρονα.
Melomakarona is a type of dessert made with dough, oil and honey syrup, baked in the oven and usually served during the Christmas and New Year festive season (Babiniotis 2005, entry μελομακάρονο,το, 1070) / a type of biscuit (Petrou-Poeitou 2013, entry Μελομακάρονα, 87).
PLATE < melo- (< honey) + macaroni, probably because of the elongated shape of the sweet (Babiniotis 2005, entry μελομακάρονο,το, 1070) < honey + French macaron or Italian macaroni. These derive from the Greek word μακάρια [macaria = products of the Macaries Nissoi (Blessed Isles) where the dead would pass through to go to Hades] (Petrou-Poeitou 2013, entry Μελομακάρονα, 87)
Additional information and bibliography
Babiniotis G. (2005), Λεξικό της Νέας Ελληνικής Γλώσσας. Με σχόλια για τη σωστή χρήση των λέξεων. Ερμηνευτικό, Ορθογραφικό, Ετυμολογικό, Συνωνύμων-Αντιθέτων, Κυρίων Ονομάτων, Επιστημονικών Όρων, Ακρωνυμίων, Centre for Lexicology, Athens, Greece.
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
Traditional Recipes
Melomakarona gemista
Traditional Christmas sweets with a filling of walnuts, cinnamon and sugar. When baked, they are drizzled with syrup and sprinkled with walnuts.