Name - Origin
Χταπόδι
Octopus vulgaris.
Octopus was prepared as 'kathisto', pickled and dried. When preparing kathisto octopus, women would put enough olive oil and dry, brusque wine together with the octopus in the tsoúkkan (clay pot), add onion and pepper and let all simmer over a low fire. Pickled octopus was first boiled and then put in a container with vinegar for a week.Cypriots used to dry the male octopus. They would clean, wash, beat and cut the octopus and leave it in the sun for days until it was dry (Xioutas P, 1978).
Functional and symbolic role
Octopus was an ideal mezé for Cypriots during the summer months (Xioutas P, 1978), although fishing was not widespread on the island.
The Cypriots do not appear to have been consuming molluscs during the fasting periods.
Additional information and bibliography
Xioutas P. (1978), Κυπριακή λαογραφία των ζώων. Publications of the Centre for Scientific Research, XXXVIII, Nicosia.
Demetra Dimitriou