Christmas is coming, homes and cities will wear their feasts, they will get light and color, while the kitchens will flood with the aromas of traditional sweets. But what is their story?

Melomakarona

The best melomakarona is crisp outside and quite melted (with honey) inside, sprinkled with nut and seasoning spices. The word is Greek (honey and macaroni), macaroni comes from the medieval Greek word "macaronia", (it was a funeral dinner based on pasta, where the deceased was afraid). "Makaron" has its root from the ancient Greek word "macaria", which was a piece of bread in the shape of the melomakaron that was offered after the funeral. Later, when the "macaria" was enriched with honey syrup, it was called melomakarono (honey and macaria) and was established by the Greeks of Asia Minor as a sweet of Christmas festivals called palmia.

Why was it established as a Christmas candy?
The answer lies in honey, which is considered since antiquity a symbol of welfare and creation, so we wish we will bring it to us the new year.

Kourabiedes
To make perfect shrimps we use good quality fresh butter, lots of almonds (preferably whole) and abundant powdered sugar. What is the story of a tuxedo?According to the Professor of Sociology of the History of Panteion University Dimitris Stathakopoulos, the word kurubis is rooted in Azerika Qurabiya, in the Turkish Kurabiye and of course in the Greek Kourabies, which means Kuru = dry, biye = biscuit. However, the name biscuit was established in the Middle Ages, originating from the Latin, bis-cuit, which means cooked twice (in ancient Greek it was called pyramid). The Latin bis-cuit was spread through the Venetian merchants, and in Asia a new mixed word (Latin-oriental) Qurabiya / Kurabiye emerged in the course of time and returned to the West in the Greek language with the name "kurambies" in the sense of dry Biscuit. Later in the dry biscuit was added almonds and powdered sugar, so we finally arrived at our favorite tortoise that Christmas fills the platters and looks like a snowy mountain !!!

Vassilopita
We taste it as soon as time changes, according to the tradition the housewife cuts the house after crossing it with the knife, the first pieces are cut for Christ, the Virgin, the house, the poor and then follow the family members. This, of course, that is of concern to everyone is who will fall the flurry that is placed in the basil pie and which promises luck all year round !!!!
The history of the basilite according to the religious tradition begins several years ago (1500 AD), in Caesarea of ​​Cappadocia, where Grand Basil was a bishop. When the Cappadocian prefect tried to occupy and plunder Caesarea, Basil asked the rich of the city to gather all the golden golden beads that the people had to deliver as a ransom. In the end, the governor retreated, and in order for Grand Basil to return the jewels fairly, he instructed to make small buns and put in each of them jewels that he distributed to the city's inhabitants.

Merry Christmas Happy New Year
Papadopoulou Agni-Maria &
Vlachaki Maria Nutritionists