Tiganides

Traditional of Christmas in Greece! – part 1 The “tiganides� (in Mani villages) In all the houses, in Christmas eve people made and baked the tiganides, the pancakes of Mani.

In a table near a light corner, mother and girls made the prepared dough into thick spaghetti, the tiganides, and folded them in four. Then they threw it in the big pan which was full of hot oil on the fire to cook. The first tiganida, large and round with a cross in the middle was for the Christ, the second for the house etc. The baked tiganides were placed into patties (round pans from bakiri) and basins. When they were well strained the mother put them in baskets and hung them up. The quantity of dough to make tiganides should be enough and always similar to the number of the family. The fire on tiganides should be strong and tolerable. That is why the father was cutting thick logs. It was the best fuel for the occasion. Children watched everyone and if it was not Wednesday or Friday they tasted and made their estimations. And every time they found almost the same flaws in molding and baking, especially when someone wanted to drink water, they told him to turn his back to the pan for not be seen by tiganides and suck the oil. The "sad", who had a recent death in their family, did not bake tiganides, but they could taste them from their relatives and friends. Other sweets they made at home during this period was the buns and melomakarona (cookies with honey).