Epirus cuisine is a bridge between South and North, East and West. Marries lenten olive oil with sheep butter, uses meat and vegetables and poultices (greens), but mainly makes innumerable pies. We tasted, photographed and present you 12 typical traditional dishes of Zagori and Epirus.

The corn is the typical cereal of continental agriculture grown in mountainous fields, and corn flour, much cheaper than wheat, is the basis for breads and pies.

Sto Zagori with its rocky, rugged mountainous areas but also the abundant pastures, the meat was always consumed in large quantities, with the goat, the lamb and the beef having their honor. In its dense forests live deer, wild boars, hares and winged prey, in its rivers abound trout, eels and other freshwater fish.

In the wild a rich flora gives food to bees, animals but also to humans, since in addition to the huge variety of grasses (cabbages) among which the dwarfs growing on the tops of the mountains, meet a feast of mushrooms (from beetles and basil mushrooms up to truffles) fruits (raspberries, helmets), and of course the famous herbs of Vikos gorge which used to be the backbone of traditional pharmacy. The people of Epirus love dairy products and in addition to butter they consume cheeses such as feta, galotyri, kefalotyri and vlachotyri.

We present to you as an example 12 typical traditional dishes of Zagori:

Pies

The pies is the undisputed protagonist of the gastronomy of Zagori, a characteristic dish of the local economy and the local culture of Epirus, was the heart of continental cuisine and were made either by nomads or by permanent households. The unforgettable scholar of continental gastronomy Alexandros Giotis, having recorded 178 pie recipes in "Epirus delicatessen", writes characteristically: "Pie in Epirus is both bread and food, food and meal, because it was the main, central part of the diet of nomadic breeders, tentmakers, Vlachs and Sarakatsani".

The most famous pies of Epirus is cashew pie, the cop, the plaster, the meat pie, the chicken pie, the wave pie, the dark pie, the cabbage pie (cabbages or lapata are the mountain greens), the lentil pie, the pispilita, the pumpkin pie, the kassiata, the lazy pie, the trachanopita, the macaroni pie, the potato pie, the prasopita, the mushroom pie, and from the sweets the milk pie, pumpkin pie with raisins, and the rice pie.

It is comforting that a large number of pies are made in the traditional way in the households of Zagori, but also in taverns and hostels in the area, thus highlighting the gastronomic wealth of the area.

Frying pan

Η frying pan is a dish of the moment offered in Epirus in exceptional cases of unexpected visits or when there is no time for complex cooking. Fry the meat or sausage in a pan with a little butter or cigarettes or a little olive oil and then add the potatoes, peppers, garlic and onions, chopped parsley, salt and pepper, a few drops of lemon and lemon. Beautiful meze for tsipouro.

Crush

The crumb It was a classic dish of Zagorochoria and reminds, at least in terms of its ingredients cook, except that it was eaten ceremoniously on the second day of Easter, without this meaning that it was not cooked in other cases. After the liver is scalded, it is finely chopped as in the cook and fried in butter with the onions. Then add the herbs, herbs, chopped parsley, mint, salt and pepper and simmer in a little water. When the mixture drinks its water, add bread crumbs fried in butter to the pot and mix. A variation is the content of the crumb, to be enriched with beaten eggs, grated cheese and baked in the oven covered with balls.

Pork celery

Typical winter food of Epirus and in fact in many villages was considered a Christmas dish analogous to turkey. In fact, when they took it to the oven, they closed the lid of the pot with dough, to boil the food in its steam.

Scalloped potatoes

The continental potato meatballs are made with mashed potatoes, beaten eggs, dried onion, nutmeg, grated feta, parsley, salt and pepper and fried in butter after first being well floured.

Giants with grass

He describes this recipe in his book "Epirus dish of Epirus" The Alexandros Giotis as follows: Soak the giants in water overnight and in the morning boil them halfway and drain them… Mix the spinach, leeks, onions, dill and place half of the mixture in a pan, top with the giants and cover with the rest of the mixture. Pour the oil, pepper on top and sprinkle with breadcrumbs or fine semolina and bake in a medium oven for about an hour.

Eel on the tile

The eel It can be found in rivers, lakes and technical farms and is still a favorite food of Epirus. It is cooked in the pot with nutmeg, oregano, onion and various spices, in the oven with beaten eggs, but the most impressive variation is on the tile. Wash the tile and place dough at both ends so that no sauce runs. Put the eel in slices with bay leaves, onion and tomato slices, a little oil (the eel produces enough fat) and cook at low temperature for an hour and a half.

Trout with almonds

The trout They are cooked with onion, garlic and parsley, wine and sprinkled with butter and lemon. Another version is stuffed with garlic, peppers and herbs and grilled. A more sophisticated version is trout in the pan with butter and covered with almonds that have previously been lightly roasted in the pan with butter.

Rooster with noodles

First the rooster is boiled, peeled and thrown to be cooked in a red sauce where its onion has been fried with pepper and salt, and juice has been added from the boiled rooster. Served with boiled noodles scalded with butter.

Trachanas with sausages or mutton

Fry the meat, or sausage, in oil and tomato paste. Then they are boiled in water and at the end the trachanas is added to them, which is constantly stirred until it thickens well.

Coconut hare

Ο hare In the evening it is cut into portions and marinated with vinegar, oil, wine, bay leaf, salt, pepper and spices. The next day the hare pieces are deep fried and extinguished with their marinade. After the hare is boiled as needed, add the coconut garlic (garlic, walnuts beaten in the mortar, bread, oil and vinegar) and boil for a few minutes until thickened.

Forest trilogy

In the spring the forests are full of life, and offer their friends countless fruits. It is the season when mushroom hunters come out to pick dozens of types of mushrooms, but also the friends of the grass. A complex quick meze is trilogy in the pan, beetles, wild asparagus and fern tops.

The beautiful lacy beetles, with their delicate aroma and taste, are one of the most popular mushrooms in cooking, the wild asparagus marks the coming of spring and we will find them perched on fences, near running water, while the fern is found in form it and use its top for meze in the pan, or for pickles.

Traditional food of Zagori and Epirus - Greek Gastronomy Guide