«Ζυμώματα διαφόρων σχημάτων. Το βορτακούδι διακρίνεται πάνω δεξιά. Στα υπόλοιπα περιλαμβάνονται γλισταρκά, ζεμπυλούθκια και ψάρι» Πηγή: Μαρία Θεοφάνους
A type of sesame Christmas bun, in the shape of a small frog.
Name - Origin
A type of frog-shaped bun, one of the sesame buns made at Christmas. According to their shape, these sesame buns have various names (Kypri and Protopapa 2007, 267-268).
The vortakoudia were made with a small piece of dough out of the dough already prepared for the larger bread (see the entry "sesamota" in the Food section).
Functional and symbolic role
Prepared at Christmas.
The preparation of sesame buns in the shape of a frog is symbolic since according to an old tradition the frog was blessed by Christ when the frog brought water to put out the fire that the Jews had lit to burn Jesus (Kypri and Protopapa 2007, 267-268).
Additional information and bibliography
Kypri Th. D. (ed.) (1983 [2003²]), Materials for the compilation of a historical dictionary of the Cypriot dialect, Part B, Glossary of Xenophontos P. Pharmakidou, Publications of the Centre for Scientific Research, IX, Nicosia.
Kypri Th. and Protopapa K. (2007), "Cypriot traditional kneading", Ovens and traditional pastries in Thrace, the Aegean and Cyprus (Thrace-Aegean-Cyprus Programme), Thira, 261-278.
Mavrokordatos G. I. (2003), Dikomo: Yesterday and Today, Nicosia.
Savvas Polyviou, Eleni Christou / Petroulla Hadjittofi, Argyro Xenophontos
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