Paximathia


Paximathia, also spelt paximadia, or paximadi/paximathi, is a hard bread of Greek origin that is prepared with whole wheat, chick pea or barley flour. It has been referred to as being similar to biscotti or as a type of biscotti. Paximathia is a common food in Greece and many Greek bakeries sell the bread, which is often served as a breakfast food with marmalade or cheese. Paximathia is purveyed in Greek specialty stores in many areas of the United States.

Etymology

The name paximathia comes from the Greek term paximadion, which is derived from Paxamus, a 1st-century Greek author who wrote, among many things, a comprehensive cookbook. The word first appears in a recipe for laxative biscuits composed by the Greek physician Galen.

History

Paximathia were traditionally consumed by Greek farmers, as well as the Byzantine military and thrifty priests. Greek farmers would eat paximathia in their fields after soaking it in water and olive oil, which would soften it. This was sometimes accompanied with foods such as homemade cheese and a few olives, often as sole accompaniments. It used to be baked in outdoor ovens approximately every ten to fifteen days, after which the bread would be sliced thickly into wedges and placed back in the ovens to dry, which would serve to preserve it. Paximadia was a staple food for the inhabitants of Crete.

Preparation

Paximathia is prepared with whole wheat, chick pea or barley flour. Other ingredients used in its preparation may include eggs, vegetable oil, cinnamon, cloves and orange zest. In contemporary times, paximathia is typically baked overnight in bakers' ovens that have been turned off, whereby the bread is cooked from the remaining heat. This method cooks the bread to a dry state without creating brittleness that can cause undesirable crumbling. Paximathia is sometimes broken into pieces and served in salads after being dampened.

Varieties

In Crete, a variety of paximathia is called kouloura, which is ring-shaped, prepared dried, served drizzled with olive oil and is typically topped with oregano and grated tomato. Eptazymo is the Cretan style that is prepared with chick peas.

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