Pasta: barley, shell noodles, yofkades, cherisia

The pastas of Lesvos, under the names kritharaki, kochylaki, hylopites/giofkades and cherisia, are not just pasta but embody the tradition of home preparation that has passed into small-scale local production, often through the island’s Women’s Agritourism Cooperatives. Hylopites are the most widespread form, and their synonym giofkades (gioufades) is a term often used locally. Cherisia are a subcategory referring to the method of preparation, indicating that they are shaped or cut by hand, ensuring a unique, rustic and non-uniform texture. The key distinction that defines their uniqueness is the use of rich local raw materials, such as fresh eggs and milk, which make them “enriched” compared to ordinary pasta.

The production of traditional pasta extends across the entire island of Lesvos, one of the largest islands of the North Aegean, with a strong agricultural tradition. The island is characterized by varied terrain and soil-climate conditions that favor the cultivation of cereals, livestock farming (mainly sheep and goats), and olive growing. Specifically, the raw materials for the pasta come from local agricultural production, with durum wheat being cultivated in various parts of the island. Livestock farming is particularly developed, providing fresh milk (sheep’s or goat’s) and eggs, key ingredients that distinguish the pasta of Lesvos. The tradition of making them is especially strong in the Women’s Agritourism Cooperatives, which have kept the old methods alive, often in villages such as Mesotopos.

The production method of traditional pasta of Lesvos follows the steps of homemade preparation, even in modern, small-scale standardization.

The process includes the following stages:

1. Dough Preparation: Semolina or durum wheat flour is kneaded with fresh eggs and fresh milk (sheep’s or goat’s) and a little salt. The proportion of eggs and milk is generally high in order to achieve a rich, dense dough.
2. Shaping & Cutting:
   • Hilopites/Giofkades: The dough is rolled out into thin sheets, either with a rolling pin (by hand) or by machine. The sheets are then left to dry slightly and cut into thin, long strips (chyles).
   • Kritharaki/Kochylaki: For these smaller shapes, the dough is pushed under pressure through special dies, which give it the ovoid shape (kritharaki/manestra) or the rounded/hollow shape (kochylaki).
3. Drying: This is a critical stage. The pasta is spread out on clean surfaces and left to dry naturally, usually in the Aegean sun and in well-ventilated spaces, for several days. Slow and natural drying preserves the nutrients, such as the vitamins in the eggs, and enhances their flavor and resistance during cooking.
4. Storage & Standardization: Once completely dried, they are packaged in bags or boxes, ready for distribution. Natural drying ensures their long shelf life.

Traditional pasta has a significant socioeconomic and cultural impact on Lesvos. Their production sustains the island’s rural economy, as it creates demand for basic local raw materials such as wheat, milk and eggs. This value chain mainly supports small producers and Women’s Cooperatives, which play a decisive role in preserving rural tradition and employment in the countryside. In addition, this pasta, as a standardized local product, contributes to the gastronomic identity of Lesvos, attracting visitors’ interest and strengthening the island’s gastrotourism. The preservation of the traditional method of preparation (especially for cherisia and giofkades) ensures the continuity of cultural heritage and dietary customs.

The tradition of making hilopites and trachanas (a related product) in Greece, and of course in Lesvos, is ancient, as it dates back long before the appearance of industrial pasta. Ancient texts mention the word “laganon,” a wide dough made from flour and water that was cut into strips. In Greek cuisine, the makaries (hence the word macaroni), a wheat-based food that symbolized rebirth, already formed part of the diet. In Lesvos, as in the rest of Greece, homemade pasta such as hilopites and trachanas were, up until the first half of the 19th century, the only known forms of pasta. Their preparation was a collective ritual carried out by the women in mid-summer, after the harvest and the gathering of the new wheat, during which they secured food for the winter. The use of eggs and milk (instead of water) in the pasta and the prolonged drying in the sun were practices aimed at greater nutritional value and long-term preservation, fundamental needs of rural life.

In Lesvos, as in many rural areas, pasta making was not merely a cooking process, but an important family custom and social event, which took place mainly at the end of summer. This period, which coincided with the abundance of new wheat (for flour) and the high production of milk and eggs, was ideal for producing the household’s winter “store.” Women would gather in homes, knead large quantities of dough, roll out the sheets and cut the hilopites, or shape the kritharaki and the hachles (trachanas). Drying took place in the yard or on rooftops, under the strong sun. This shared work functioned as a nucleus of social solidarity, recipe exchange and the preservation of know-how from one generation to the next, ensuring that the tradition of handmade pasta would continue.