Zakynthos Informer Zakynthos Informer
Related Articles
Zakynthos:- 3 Traditional Sweet Recipes You Must Try.
Throughout Zakynthos, when visiting you will always be offered something to drink and a sweet. Here are three popular sweets that you may come across in Zakynthos.
- Fitoura
- Glaouna
- Frigania
Zakynthian Fitoura
Fitoura is without a doubt the most characteristic dish that one can find in Zakynthos. Especially when it comes to religious celebrations It is always available at local festivals, in every village around the island, and especially at the feast of Agios Dionysios, the patron saint of Zakynthos. It is actually a dessert that can be made very easily and quickly even on the spot. This is exactly what happens at the festivals where one can buy freshly cooked, so delicious that most are eaten at that moment.
Fitoura has coarse semolina as its main ingredient. You will need 500gms of semolina, the thick type. Pour the semolina into a large pot and stir with 2 litres of water until it dissolves. Then add 1-2 spoons of salt and lets the mixture cook until it forms a thick paste. It is important to stir by resting a wooden spoon on the bottom of the pot so that the mixture does not stick.
When the semolina has thickened enough, pour it into a pan and let it cool. The traditional design of each sweet is cut the mixture into diamond pieces as you see in the picture. Each one is fried in olive oil until they are browned. The final stage of preparation involves the Fitoura, while still hot being sprinkled with lots of sugar and cinnamon.
In a variation that exists in Zakynthos we can see the fitoura served on a plate and drizzled with honey. It is also common to see pomegranate syrup or petamizi (syrup made from grapes) instead of honey, while we always add a little cinnamon at the end.
Glaounas
Their place of origin is considered to be the village of Koukesi (today’s Kallithea), with the local Cultural Association organizing every year an event in honour of this superb sweet known as ” Yiorti Tsi Glaounas”, where these delicious pancakes are made in huge quantities by the women of the village and distributed to those present, amid traditional dances and songs.
To prepare the dessert we need juice from an oragne which we mix with 500 mls of water, sugar as much as you want depending on your sweet tooth, a quarter teaspoon of clove in powder for, half a teaspoon for cinnamon and anise. Gradually add the flour to the mixture and mix until a slightly thick dough is created, thick enough so that the dough doesn’t run off the spoon. At the end we add black raisins. Drop each spoon full off dough into the oil and fry. They only take about 4 minutes to cook, until the donuts are golden brown on both sides. Then remove them from the pan and let them drain on kitchen paper. The last step is to sprinkle the Glaounas with sesame and cinnamon.
Frigania
From olden days, on their Sunday walks, the people of Zakynthos would often go up to Bochali and enjoy a refreshing sweet called Frigania, often served with ice cream, in the pastry shops. The home made Frigania would be of the simple refrigerator confection with layers of Frigania or biscuits, cream and jelly.
Frigania is a type of bread, which has been completely toasted, much like our breadcrumbs before they became crumbs. Funny enough we use Frigania for breadcrumbs as you won’t find them on sale at many supermarket stores. It’s easier just to buy a large packet of Frigania and crush them in the multi-mixer. The people of Zakynthos love their Frigania as syrupy as possible. So we pour a lot of syrup, even if the Frigania is “swimming” in it. So for the syrup boil all the ingredients, 2 cups of water, 1 cup white granulated sugar,1 cinnamon stick, 2-3 cloves in a saucepan for 7-8 minutes, on medium heat, counting the time from the moment the liquid starts to boil. Let it cool completely and strain it. Then make the cream. In a bowl, mix 1 glass of milk with1 cup (120 g) vanilla-flavoured cornflower (the classic type, not instant) corn flower and 3/4 cup (150 g) of white sugar with a whisk.
Heat 3 glasses of milk in a medium saucepan over relatively high heat. When it’s ready to boil, remove from the heat and start adding the cornflower mixture a little at a time, whisking constantly.
Put the pot back on the stove and boil for 3-4 minutes, on medium heat, stirring constantly with the whisk, until the cream thickens. Remove from heat.
Place Frigania in a row, in a single layer, until we cover the bottom of a 20 x 30 cm pan. If necessary, break some to cover the small gaps.
Pour over them generously with syrup. The dessert needs plenty of syrup, the Frigania should be completely soaked, even if a little is left in the pan.
Leave aside for 10-15 minutes, for the Frigania to absorb most of the syrup.
Pour the cream over the Frigania and flatten the surface well.
Leave for 30-40 minutes at room temperature, for the cream to thicken and solidify sufficiently. Now it is up to you on what you would like to place on top of the cream. At home most put jelly and a flavour that is most popular is strawberry. At the local shops most serve with cream and topped with chopped almonds. So, for the cream you will need 3 cups (600 ml) of 35% fat cream, chilled, from the fridge. Beat the cream with 3/4 cup (90-100 g) of icing sugar in the mixer, until it becomes stiff whipped cream.
Spread it over the cream and flatten the surface.
Cover the dessert with aluminium foil and put it in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours, until it hardens well and cools down.
To get up-to-date news or more information about Zakynthos, join our Facebook group or follow our Twitterfeed. All articles on this blog are the property of the authors and The Zakynthos Informer. No articles are to be reproduced, copied or screenshot without the permission of the author.
