Hello there! I know I rarely make cooking posts, but today I woke up to find my grandma on the balcony making trahana and I thought it would be a good idea to share some shots of the process with you.
For those who don't know it, trahana (τραχανάς) is some some sort of pasta. It makes great soups and in my family we usually have it with milk, imagine a soup made of milk and trahana. It's also a tasty idea to add some buttered croutons in, they take the dish to a whole new level(we originate from Thrace, I don't know where else people eat it that way).
You can check an article from wikipedia for more information on trahana, if you like.
How to make it?
Well, there are various recipes, you can use either milk or yogurt and flour or cracked wheat. You can also use eggs if you like. My grandma makes it with milk, flour and semolina.
I woke up a bit late, so when I got outside she had already made the dough and split it in small pieces.
Then rest it in a long table outside to dry.
The old curtains go on top to keep annoying flies away.
I remember, years back, when she laid some tables quite a few meters long. But that was when she was younger and didn't get tired as easily as she does now...
After a while, she will take some of the dough and leave it under the sun to dry better.
When the dough is dry enough and can be easily turned to crumbs,
she takes her dermoni (δερμόνι), (I have no idea how this thing is called in English, but it is actually a big grater),
and starts grating the pieces to make small crumbs.
Like in this picture
Want a video to have a taste?
The flour absorbs humidity and makes grating easier
And tadaaa! The crumbs are ready!
The crumbs will be spread all over the same table and covered with the curtain to dry.
She leaves the fresh trahana out for hours and every once in a while gives it a good mix, because it must be dried really well. Any traces of humidity will cause it to go off sooner. This is why she chooses hot and sunny days to make it.
In the evening, she will take it all into the house and have it spread over a clean sheet on the bed, with the curtain on. It will stay in there for days, with the occasional mixing. When it's completely dry, the trahana will go into jars or food bags and into the kitchen cupboard!
Any traditional handmade food you want to share from your country?
I'll be glad to know about it!
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Thank you so much for your time!
Until my next post,
Steem on and keep smiling, people!
