As you know, Cyprus cuisine is not only Hallumi cheese, it is also a large selection of meat dishes, which is especially famous for the area called Picille, located in the very center of the island.
Pitsille is not an administrative, but rather a cultural region, which unites 41 villages and is located on the administrative territory of the regions of Limassol, Nicosia and Larnaki. In the east, Picilians are limited by Maheras forest, in the West Forest of Troodos, in the south of the Limassol forest, and in the north, Adeelfi Forest.
The Pitsille area includes the villages of Agros, Akapna, Aracapas, Dieron, Laguder, Melini, Ficard, Odu and others. Most of them (20 villages) are located in the region of Limassol, 19 more in the region of Nicosia and two in the region of Larnaki. These edges are famous for their local delicacies: the ham "Lunza", the sausages of "Lucanic" and the smoked pork "Hiromeri". The peculiarity of these treats is that they are prepared with the addition of local varieties of red wine and spices.
Here's how the smoked meat "Hiromer" was traditionally cooked. This was required pork ham or its scapulae part. They removed the skin, removed fat, salted, rubbed it well and soaked in red wine for 12-15 or even 40 days. After that, well -marinated meat was pressed with a rectangular stove on which the stone was laid so that the “Hiromer” was characterized by a characteristic shape. Then the ham was suspended into the chimney of the furnace or a special smokehouse, where it was smoked on thyme twigs or sage stems at a temperature of not higher than 28 degrees. The finished meat was cut into thin slices or cubes and served as a snack for wine and worshiping, as well as the first dish during the dinners. The delicacy was expensive, so only wealthy Cypriot residents could afford it.
It is interesting that it was necessary to cut a pig, from the meat of which the “Hiromer” and other treats were made, it was necessary in the period from Christmas to the Epiphany, that is, from December 25 to January 6.
In the photo: Production of Cyprus meat delicacies “Hiromerus”, “Lunza”, “Lukanika”. Source: AllaboutLimasssol.com
This article was first published in the "Vestnik Cyprus" on March 30, 2021. Part of the information could be outdated.
