Arkatena of Omodos. Bread leavened at midnight

Arcathena of Omodos They look like large, round buns or sesame crackers. Anyone visiting this mountain town will see them almost immediately in bakeries and local produce shops. However, their most unusual feature remains hidden from view.

Traditional arkatena is not made with regular yeast. The base is a special leaven called Arkatis, produced during the fermentation of chickpeas. In the past, recipes were kept secret from neighbors, the leaven was prepared at night, and certain steps were performed according to rules that were supposed to ensure the success of the entire process.

Arkatena starts with chickpeas

This is what distinguishes them from ordinary bread.

Chopped chickpeas are placed in a container with spices, covered with hot water, and then kept warm. During fermentation, a foam begins to appear on the surface, containing microorganisms that will later allow the dough to rise.

This fermenting foam is Arkatis.

The Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO defines arkatena as artisanal bread prepared using a leaven obtained from the foam formed during the fermentation of chickpeas.

Tradition is primarily related to Omodos and Koilani, although it was also found in other wine villages in the mountainous part of the Limassol district and in some towns in the Paphos region.

Therefore, this is not a "chickpea-flavored" bread. The chickpeas are primarily used to initiate fermentation.

The leaven had to be prepared at midnight

And this is where the story gets really interesting.

The official description of the tradition indicates that people who know the method of producing arkatis they were reluctant to reveal her secretsIt was believed that revealing the recipe could deprive the leaven of its "strength" and prevent the bread from rising.

However, this is not the only custom associated with its preparation.

The chickpeas were ground in a counterclockwise direction and the proper leaven had to be prepared at midnightThe Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO interprets these practices as an attempt to use magical elements to ensure successful fermentation.

Today, we would look for a successful leaven in the right temperature, proportions of ingredients and activity of microorganisms.

In the past, experience, passed down from generation to generation, was paramount. If a certain method worked, it was better not to change it.

The night really mattered

However, not everything can be reduced to superstition.

The preparation of arkatis is lengthy and requires maintaining high temperatures. According to a description provided by the Omodos authorities, the chickpea and spice mixture was monitored overnight. If the arkatis failed, the subsequent bread would not rise properly.

Instead of a light and crumbly arkaten, you could get a hard baked product.

Cypriot sources also indicate an interesting connection with the season. In the past, arkatena was especially often prepared around August 15, when high temperatures made it easier to maintain the heat needed for fermentation.

Night work therefore had both a symbolic layer and a very practical justification.

How is arkatis made?

Traditionally, spices, including ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and bay leaves, were placed in a wide glass vessel.

Then crushed chickpeas and hot water were added.

The vessel was placed in a bowl, covered with straw and a woolen cloth, and left in a warm place for several hours. The foam that appeared on the surface was skimmed off several times and used to prepare the dough.

It was the quality of this foam that determined whether the arkatena would rise properly.

There were no ready-made yeast sachets, no thermometer, and no humidity control device. The person preparing arkatis had to rely on the mixture's appearance, smell, temperature, and their own experience.

Aromatic spices were added to the dough

Once the arkatis was ready, it was time to start kneading the actual dough.

Various recipes included, among others:

• flour,
• mastic,
• mahlep,
• nutmeg,
• rose water,
• sesame.

The exact composition could vary depending on the family, town and type of bread prepared.

That's why arkatena don't taste like a regular roll. They have a distinctive aroma, a delicate sweetness, and a hint of spices that immediately reveal that they're traditional Cypriot baked goods.

Soft bread or hard rusks

Arkatena can come in several forms.

They can be eaten immediately after baking as soft bread. Traditionally, they were referred to as, among other things, poxamathkies.

They can also be re-baked or left in the oven longer to dry completely. This creates hard and crumbly rusks called xerathkiastaBy removing moisture, they can be stored much longer than fresh bread.

In Omodos, larger sesame breads were also prepared, called panisidaThey were offered to the church during holidays, celebrations, and services dedicated to the memory of the deceased.

Another variety was the oblong one mizan, consisting of several connected parts.

One method of preparing leaven made it possible to obtain several types of bread intended for different occasions.

The recipe was supposed to come from Smyrna

According to local tradition, the method of preparing arkaten came to Omodos from Smyrna, today's Izmir.

The recipe was supposed to have been brought by a woman called HadjistasouAfter arriving in Cyprus, she married a resident of Omodos and settled in the village, where she taught the local women how to prepare arkatis.

Official sources, however, disagree on the exact date this recipe appeared in Omodos. The local authorities' website indicates approximately 1880, while the Heartland of Legends project materials speak of approximately 1860.

It is therefore safest to assume that the modern tradition of arkatena developed in Omodos in the second half of the 19th century.

It's an interesting example of how cuisine travels with people. A product now considered a symbol of a single Cypriot town may have originated from knowledge brought from the eastern Mediterranean.

The name itself may reveal how much work they required.

Name Arkatis probably comes from the Greek word ergatis, meaning an employee or worker.

The explanation is meant to refer to the time-consuming process of preparing the leaven, which lasted all night and required patience.

It's hard to find a more appropriate name.

First, the chickpeas had to be crushed and a container with spices prepared. Then, the temperature was monitored, fermentation was allowed, and the foam was skimmed off several times.

Only then could the dough be kneaded, the bread be risen, the oven preheated and the baking started.

If rusks were being prepared, the whole process took even longer.

This was definitely not a product that could be made in an hour.

It was better not to reveal the recipe to anyone

In ancient societies, the ability to prepare good arkatis was specific and valuable knowledge.

Not everyone had to have it.

Those familiar with the recipe feared that revealing it to someone else would weaken the leaven. From today's perspective, this may sound like superstition, but secrecy also helped protect the specialized knowledge of a particular family.

Regularly preparing active leaven without a thermometer, laboratory yeast cultures, and precise instructions required experience.

Knowledge was passed down primarily through observation and collaborative work. It was important to see what the right foam looks like, to sense the right temperature, and to learn to recognize when the arkatis was ready.

Arkatena was served at weddings and baptisms

Bread was not intended only for everyday eating.

Arkatena accompanied residents during important family and religious events. They were served at:

• births and baptisms,
• weddings,
• guest visits,
• church holidays,
• funerals and services for the deceased.

During traditional weddings, arkatena was offered, among other things, during the ritual bathing of the bride and groom, and during the preparation of the dish. resi and the ritual of sewing the marital bed.

Bread was often served with wine, halloumi or meat.

Mothers also prepared them after the birth of a child and exchanged baked goods with other villagers. During funerals and memorial services, arkatena can be served on its own or with halloumi.

Like many traditional products in Cyprus, arkatena served several functions simultaneously: as food, as a treat for a guest, as a gift, and as part of a religious ritual.

Omodos is still famous for its arkatena

Tradition did not end with the old furnaces.

Arkatena are still among the most characteristic products of Omodos, alongside local wine, zivania, grape products and traditional handicrafts.

The village has bakeries specializing in this type of baking. You can buy both soft bread and dry paksimadia intended for longer storage.

Modern establishments also use arkatena as a base for breakfasts and brunches. Traditional bread is served with halloumi, eggs, vegetables, honey, or other toppings.

The way it is served is changing, but the basic story of the product still begins with chickpeas, heat, and hours of fermentation.

In September, Omodos fills with visitors

This is a good time to publish this text.

Every year September 14 Omodos celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It is one of the largest religious events held in the town.

The celebrations last three days. Vendors line the square in front of the Timios Stavros Monastery, and visitors can purchase local products—including, of course, arkatena.

Thousands of people then pass through the village, passing bakeries and shops filled with bags of large, round rusks.

Most visitors will simply buy them. However, the product's story is far more interesting than its unassuming appearance.

Chickpeas, the North, and a Little Bit of "Magic"

Chopped chickpeas.

Hot water.

Appropriate temperature.

A whole night of work.

Plus a secret recipe, grinding the beans in the right direction and the belief that arkatis must be prepared exactly as previous generations have taught.

Today we know that fermentation processes are responsible for dough rising. However, for many years, no one needed to know their microbiological explanation.

All you had to do was know what time to start, how to keep warm, when to skim off the foam, and what absolutely not to do.

Perhaps this is why the arcanena survived.

Before they became a local product bought by tourists, they were knowledge that had to be learned from someone who really knew how to use the fermenting yeast.

And the story of each baked good began many hours before the oven was even heated – with a pot of chickpeas prepared in the middle of the night.

Sources: Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO, Omodos Community Council, Deputy Ministry of Tourism – Visit Cyprus, Heartland of Legends, Republic of Cyprus.