Omodos, being a large wine-making village, has developed a great variety of products made out of grapes. The onset of making these products is lost in time. Today the products that are made out of grapes are an integral part of every Cypriot's dishes. We display some of these products below:

EPSIMAN

(Must molasses)

After grinding the grapes, mainly dark-coloured ones, the must is separated from the grape husks and is placed in a "chardjin" (large caldron) to boil.

When the must starts to boil, all the impurities that might exist are removed, usually with the use of a skimmer. Then they remove it from the fire and allow it to cool down, throwing into it, bit-by-bit, some thin, white soil. As soon as the soil is added, foam is formed and it must be removed from the caldron. Adding the white soil cleans and sweetens the must. When it is thoroughly skimmed, it is left to cool down completely and it is placed in other vessels two or three times. The "pokathouliasi" (the product left at the bottom of the pot) is thrown away. The must is once again placed in the caldron and it is left to absorb all the juices and thicken without them stirring it. It must simmer down real well, otherwise it will go sour. Finally it becomes as thick as honey and has a black colour, with a sweet and sour taste.

It is kept in glass-made jars and used in many kinds of dishes.

PORTOS

(Pulp with boiled must and wheat)

After the "epsima" simmers down -and only when it starts to boil -wheat that has been washed is thrown in it. It is left to cook thoroughly without being stirred.

It is kept in large bottles used for sweets / deserts and it can be preserved for up to two years if it was simmered down properly.

Some women through roasted sesame in the "portos" after is has been made and taken off the fire.

PALOUZES

(Must jelly)

The same procedure followed for the making of "epsima" is used for the making of "Palouze", up until the point when the must is transfused so that the impurities will be removed.

Before the must is placed on the fire, they add a proportional quantity of flour (about one kilo for every eight kilos of must). The caldron is placed on the fire and with a special scraper it is constantly stirred so as not to stick and form clots. When it starts to set, the women continue to stir it, adding rose water, cinnamon, and mastic.

The stirring continues until it is well cooked and it thickens. When the mixture does not stick on one's hand or the spoon it is an indication that it is well cooked.

It is usually eaten with almond or walnut nuts and it can be preserve only for a few days. In Omodos the "palouze", as well as the other dishes made out of grapes, are produced near the end of the harvest.

KIOFTERKA

(Dry must jelly in rhomboid shape)

They are pieces -cut in the shape of baklava -out of aforementioned "palouze", which are placed in the sun to dry for many days. In this way they become the delicious "kiofterka" that are usually eaten during the winter.

SOUTZIOUKOS

(Must-stick with almonds)

The celebrated "soutzioukos" made in Omodos is also quite well known. The reason for this is that it is always made out of good quality, aromatic grapes.

When the "palouze" starts to set, then the fire is lowered and the so-called "dipping" of the stick begins. The stick is nothing other than a thread, about two meters long, running through almond nuts or walnuts and having its two ends tied to a forked piece of wood.

As soon as the women dip the "stick", they pull it out it and dip it in once more, hang it up to dry for a few minutes and continue dipping other threads. When the first one is dry they dip it in again 2-3 times.

The next day they make another mixture and dip each stick in it 3-4 times like before. They create 4 mixtures in total during 4 different days, thus making a number of coatings in the "sioutziouko". When the process is complete they leave it hanging in the air for about twenty days until it becomes dry.

Most of the "soutzioukos" that is made in Omodos is used for domestic purposes and only some of it is used for commercial purposes.

Editing of text: Panayiotis Socratous Secretary of ecclesiastical committee