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By Elena Fotiadi
For Greeks, bread
is more than the staff
of life; it’s a way
of life.
As much as I like Greek food, from time to time I will,
at my apartment in Athens, decide to produce a meal from another cuisine. Once this was a Japanese meal – gyoza, negimaki, snow peas, etc. These plates were spread before a group of friends. Chopsticks were provided. Then one of the guests, after a close inspection of the table, informed me that I had forgot to put out the bread. Bread is not, of course, a staple of the Japanese diet. I pointed this out and referred my guest to the rice bowl on the table as that evening’s representative of grain. There was a stunned silence. "You mean," said another guest, "that there really is NO BREAD?"
I’m not an adherent of the Atkin’s Diet; I have nothing against bread. But the Greeks’ obsession with it is somewhat baffling. Perhaps because of this obsession they produce a stunning array of savory bread-based snacks and crackers. (They produce sweet ones as well,
but that is another article all together). In Greece, crackers are not thought of as merely a receptacle for a
slice of cheese, but as a stand-alone food.
In Greece, crackers are not thought of as merely a receptacle for a slice of cheese, but as a stand-alone food
One of the most famous of these bread snacks is Paximadi, or Cretan bread rusks. These are twice-baked chunks of bread made from wheat, chickpea, rye or barley flour. A sub category of Paximadi is called Dakos. Shaped in a round, rather like a bagel, Dakos are one of the main ingredients of Cretan Bread Salad (see side bar).
There are several other varieties of Paximadi,
created mostly on a regional or even municipal basis - exact proportions of flour to water and oil differ, ingredients like cinnamon or fruit essence can be added. Hence you have such Paximadi as: Eptazymo, Kavroumadakia, Kafkala, and Sfakia Rusks. [As an aside, Sfakia is the name of a mountainous region in Crete.
It was one of only two regions that successfully repelled the Germans during WWII. Their rusks are tougher.
For savory bread snacks, the other two major traditional categories are Koulouria and Kritsinia. Hard and shaped like a pretzel, Koulouria are long-lasting
(or, in modern terms, shelf stable). A special version of these, Koulouria Thessalonicis, resemble pretzels even more. They are soft and usually topped with
sesame seeds. Together with Kasseri cheese, they were the classic (and cheap) lunch of a whole post-war
generation of Greek school children.
Like Paximadi, there are many varieties of Koulouria.
Again, many different flours can be used (whole wheat, rye, etc.) But what makes these snacks interesting are the many different ingredients that are added to the basic recipe. There are Koulouria with cheese, Koulouria with olives, with spinach (yes, they are green), topped with nuts, flavoured with orange, etc. The list is nearly endless.
While there are different variations of Kritsinia, this bread snack category is simpler and more suitable as an accompaniment to cheese. They come in two basic shapes: as wafers and as sticks. The most classic version is topped with sesame seeds. Another example is Polysporo, a multi-grain version. Nutty and slightly sweet, this version makes a good host for pungent cheeses.
Greece has a long history of producing bread snacks and many of the many bakeries producing these traditional offerings have been in business for decades.
So, while the variety may be enormous, all versions are authentic and all worth trying. e
Alkis Kalabokis on Cretan Rusks
It is widely accepted that the Cretan diet
is one of the healthiest diets in the world,
not only because of the remarkable amount
of nutrients it contains, but because of its simplicity and the quality of its natural products.
One of the most popular products
that Crete produces is Paximadi, or twice-baked bread rusks. Cretans eat these every day.
They are rich in proteins, vitamins and bicarbonates and are perfect for a healthy diet.
Paximadi are often eaten for breakfast,
but the most common way to enjoy them is as
an ingredient in Cretan Bread Salad.
The recipe is simple: soak Paximadi in olive oil
or water and then top with chopped tomato
and Feta cheese. Feel free to add some capers and/or parsley. Now that’s fast food
the way it should be!
While there are many varieties of Paximadi
it is important to note they are made exclusively from local ingredients, such as the famous
extra virgin olive oil that Crete produces.
This is why In the European Community
has acknowledged these bread snacks
as products of Geographical Protection.
