Let see how they are made:
After the pressing of the grapes, the producers take the must and put it in the “chartzin” (large bronze vessel) in a low fire. Then, they add a special earth, called “asproi”. The “asproi” is added in small proportions because after the boiling it will start to rise. With the addition of “asproi” the must cleans and gets a darker shade. During the boiling of the must, the impurities, which come at the surface, are taken away. When it is completely clean, the boiling stops and the must is left to cold in another cauldron.

Thereafter, the must and the flour are mixed. The proportion in “okades” (1 oka is almost 1 kg) is 8:1. The mix is put in a low fire and it is stirred until is cooked. This is how palouzes is made.

The next step is the manufacture of soutzoukos. Firstly, the nuts are shelled and dipped into water in order to become softer and easily put on the sticks (threads about 2-3 meters long). Thereafter, the sticks are dipped in the “moustalevria” (mix of must and flour) until the nuts are completely covered. This is repeated three times. When this is finished, the sticks are hanged for 5-6 days until the soutzoukos becomes completely dry. Some people prefer it hot so they eat it right after the dipping.

Halloumi
The women of the village make the traditional cheese of Cyprus, “halloumi” (made of goat and sheep’s milk) until now. Unfortunately young people don’t seem willing to continue the tradition, which will be probably lost in some decades.

Lets see how halloumi is made in Letymbou:

Firstly, the milk is heated at a low temperature inside “chartzi” (traditional large copper caldron). Thereafter, the producer adds “pithkia” which is a special powder/enzyme that thickens the milk. An hour later, the milk is set and then the halloumi is cut and put in the “talaria” (special wicker-baskets). Later on, the halloumi is being pressed on hand so that all the liquids are removed.

After the “pressing”, it is placed in the “tiroskamni” (traditional tool) and it is cut into pieces (approximately 200gr each). The rest of the liquid, which have remained in the caldron, is reheated at a high temperature thus producing “anari” (white soft cheese).

The halloumi pieces are then placed back into the caldron, inside the “norros” (whey), and are heated in a low flame until they are completely cooked. The cooking procedure lasts for about 60 to 90 minutes during which the small pieces of halloumi must be occasionally stirred with a special dipper. After being cooked they are again placed in the “tiroskamni”(cheesemaker’s stool) to cool down. Afterwards they are salted and various aromatic elements (such as mint) are added. When the halloumi is cold, it is placed into plastic or glass vessels with “noro”.

The halloumi and the anari have a white color, unlike the majority of the other cheeses.

Trachanas
The “trachanas” is a very popular soup in Cyprus. It is delicious and very nutritious. Its main ingredients are sour milk and coarse wheat. Below, we will explain briefly how is made.

The wheat is washed and then it is grinded on a quern. The grinding is done by inverse rotation so that the seeds are shelled and broken. When the procedure is completed, the sour milk is poured in the “chartzin” (large bronze vessel) with the coarse wheat. The mixture is heated and mixed until it becomes thick and creamy. When it cools down, it is cut in balls and put in the “tsestous” (dish made of straw) until it becomes dry. These dried pieces are kept in a cool place and they are preserved for a very long period.

Every time that someone wants to cook trachanas, they take some of these small pieces and put them in the water for some hours. Thereafter, they boil it in broth. While boiling, you can add a little bit of milk or small pieces of halloumi. The trachanas is served hot with salt, pepper and lemon.

In older times this soup was very popular, especially for the cold winter nights. The villagers also used to eat it before they left for work at dawn. It is still the favorite soup of the Cypriots. Nowadays, you can find it in supermarkets.

Resi
The “resi” was actually wheat. Young women accompanied with violins usually did the preparation of this food. They carried it in the old taps of the village and cleaned it the previous of the wedding day as it was one of the main wedding dishes.

It is actually a pilaf of lamb and coarse wheat cooked in the broth of chicken, pork and beef. The pieces of lamb were put in large cauldrons and they were braised in low heat. Later on, the coarse wheat was added. When the food was ready, it was served to the guests. It was very popular in Limassol and Paphos.

Nowadays, only four people make the resi: Yiorgoulla Trifonos, Savvas Kouspos, Sofia Charalambous Hadjisolomou and Eleni Charalambous Hadjisolomou.