Tzoumerka is one of the regions of Greece where cattle breeding is abundant, so animal products are not lacking when the area’s residents or its visitors sit around the table. In addition to wild plants, you can also find some grain on the slopes of the mountain. Legumes and nuts complete the dishes. At Tzoumerka you can taste a variety of pies – this is their strong point – freshly baked both in the morning, as well as at lunch, at snack and also at dinner.
I chose to make “vassilopita”, a Greek pie which is a custom to welcome the New Year, because then I had the whole family at home for New Year’s dinner. The dough is regular dough like for all cakes: flour, baking powder, sugar, butter, eggs, orange juice; and to make it “smell” a little Christmas, I added cinnamon, cloves and cognac. I also added plenty of locally produced walnut kernels. I put in a coin wrapped in aluminum foil, because according to tradition, whoever happens to get that piece will be lucky all year round, and I baked and decorated the pie with sugar paste, for the small children in the family who like something sweet. I made what was left into small colored balls and decorated the plates. In the picture you can see the result…
In the area around Tzoumerka, you will try the unique bean pie, – which is exactly what it sounds like – the tarhana pie, but also … the vegetable pie made from wild green plants and corn flour. A characteristic feature of the pies is that most are without filo dough.
In the pubs and restaurants you will find various dishes with meat – super tasty. The meat is prepared in many different ways, but if you ask me what the best dish is, I think you should try pork rind; it is a hearty meal of pork that has been cut into large pieces and placed in a cauldron with minimal water to evaporate. The food is ready as soon as it turns brown…
Of course, you won’t leave Tzoumerka without trying kokoretsi.
Complement your meal with the region’s traditional tsipouro made from grapes, berries, nuts and more.
As we came during the Christmas period, we took the opportunity to try their traditional baklava, which of course made the whole neighborhood smell of nutmeg as it baked in the oven.
The inhabitants of Tzoumerka, as in other mountain villages in Greece, especially appreciate the food prepared in a pot, on low heat; the taste and incredibly soft meat never disappoints.
Even today, they prefer to bake their bread themselves. In the past, they made bobota -corn bread- from flour that was sometimes soft and sometimes hard depending on the variety of corn.
Don’t be surprised if for breakfast you are served – among other things – sweet or salty “popara”, i.e. either milk with bread and sugar, or grated cheese and grated bread that have been boiled together or even chopped onions fried in butter or oil with breadcrumbs.