Apaki il salume Cretese

Crete is considered one of the longest-lived places in Europe and nutrition is one of the reasons why people seem to live longer. However, the secret of this luck is not only in what the Cretans eat, but also in the philosophy that accompanies them such as hospitality, the desire to share and the desire to still have those big and long lunches with family and friends both old and new.

The climatic conditions, the geographical position of Crete and the ecosystem allow, among other things, the year-round cultivation of a multitude of native aromatic herbs which are then used in the kitchen such as Apaki, one of the dishes that you will only eat in Crete .

Apaki is smoked pork, specifically the loin part, which is macerated for two or more days in vinegar and then smoked with local herbs such as rosemary, sage, various mountain herbs ( in Crete there are almost 2000 different species), the cedar, the cypress or olive branches as well as with extra virgin olive oil rigorously produced in Crete. Through this slow natural process, Apaki is enriched with a particular robust taste and the aromas of the wood used for smoking also contribute to giving this delicious and refined flavour.

Once smoking is finished, it can be consumed accompanied by a platter of cheeses, or plain, cut into thin slices and sautéed in a pan for a few minutes, or served cold with a nice salad of wild rocket and olives, and again for fill a tasty omelette.

We can say that Apaki falls into the category of cured meats, a resource that almost no one knows about outside the borders of Greece despite its centuries-old tradition. In addition to the cheeses which in recent decades are starting to become known not only for the famous Feta, Greece also boasts a truly particular range of delicatessen which changes according to the territory and which offers delights for all tastes and palates.

A delicacy to certainly be tasted especially in the Chania area or in Agios Nikoalos, where it seems to be the parts where it is still cooked according to the ancient traditions that have the utmost respect from the inhabitants of Crete, this wonderful island that never ceases to teach us something.

foto by:https://cretanhealthylife.net