It's time for festive pancakes with recipes from the area of Mani !
With the festive period of Christmas getting closer and closer, let’s see how they make pancakes and other traditional festive treats in the area of Mani in the Peloponnese...
The lady cooks of the area of Mani present us with different delicious treats for every important day during the festive Christmas period. So, we have Christ-bread for Christmas Day, a special pie for New Years day and mouth-watering pancakes for the Epiphany.
Apparently sweet treats and especially pancakes are really valued down there in Mani and they constitute a local traditional delicacy. Unlike other regions of Greece, the ingredients have been kept simple and inexpensive since in the past the inhabitants of Mani relied mainly on the cultivation of their land and the raising of livestock, therefore they were nourished plainly for survival and not as much for pleasure.
The mothers and daughters of every household know how to make those special pancakes even nowadays and the tradition keeps up vividly! In essence, the special pancakes are prepared during the festive period of Christmas and consumed on Christmas Day and Epiphany. They are made out of a special dough with flour, a pastry which is conjured in the shape of a big macaroni which is placed in a swirl within a pan of oil.
The very first pancake they make, has the shape of a cross which will bring good luck to their household for the new year.
Christ-breads are prepared and served on Christmas Day and they decorate every festive table in every house in Mani. Their making resembles that of pancakes although they have more elaborate decorations with crosses, stars and other festive shapes!
