In the villages of Pitsilia and Marathasa, as well as in Tilliria and Paphos, the preparation of posyrti was customary and essential.
Name - Origin
A dark-colored cured meat product from pork meat, matured in red dry wine and then smoked. It has an intense, characteristic smell of wine and smoke and a slightly salty taste (MANRE, 2010)
Posyrtí is derived from the greek word αποσυρτός (aposyrtós) < αποσύρω (aposíro - withdraw) (Yiangoullis, 2009).
For the preparation of posyrti, Cypriot women would salt a skinon piece of meat and marinate it in red dry wine and dry coriander or cumin for about 12 days (Houtri, 2009). They would then smoke the meat for some time by hanging it near the fireplace and then they would place it in a cool aerated room to mature. Posyrti could be stored for over a year (Xioutas, 1978). Once the fat would turn pale yellow, i.e. rancid, the meat was no longer edible (Neophytou, 1991).
Functional and symbolic role
A good quality posyrti was considered to be the one consisting of two or three parts of lean meat and two layers of fat, or one layer of lean meat and one layer of fat (Xioutas, 1978).
Cypriot women used to give their children posyrti during breakfast and in the afternoon, since it was substantial food. The Cypriot villagers used to eat posyrti either as a snack or as a meze, usually fried or grilled (Xioutas, 1978). In the villages of Pitsilia and Marathasa as well as in Tilliria and Paphos the preparation of posyrti was essential (Neophytou, 1991).
Additional information and bibliography
There were two types of posyrti, called mitsia (small) and miali (big). The distinction is based on the part of the animal used: the small one was made from the upper part of pork neck, while the big one was made from pork abdomen (Neophytou, 1991).
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.
Neophytou K. (1991) Συντήρηση κρέατος, Λαογραφική Κύπρος, 41: 63-73.
Xioutas P. (1978), Κυπριακή λαογραφία των ζώων. Publications of the Centre for Scientific Research, XXXVIII, Nicosia.
Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Houtri M. (2009) Traditional Sausages of Cyprus. Press and Information Office, Nicosia.
Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment (2010), Gastronomical Map of Cyprus, Press and Information Office, Nicosia.
Antonia Matala, Demetra Demetriou
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Posyrti of the Pitsilia area is a cured meat product consumed either as fried or grilled and served mostly for breakfast, in sandwiches or as an appetiser.
