Our project group was invited into a family home in the village Xamoudochori on October 18th, 2018 to see how tsikoudia is made. Tsikoudia is a local cretan distilled alcoholic drink which is made from crushed grape skins and is offered to visitors as a welcoming gesture or at the end of a meal.
The Paraskaki family, our hosts, welcomed us in and explained the distillation process to the students. Here are the steps in short:
● The crushed grapes, called strafyla (what is left behind once grapes have been pressed to make wine), are allowed to ferment and then are distilled. The fermented strafyla are placed in a special cauldron called Kazani.
● The Kazani is sealed airtight with a mixture of flour, ash and water, which turns into a gasket.
● While the grape mixture is boiling in the Kazani chamber, steam is produced. The steam passes into a pipe which travels through a tank of cold water.
● The steam becomes liquid and then comes out as tsikoudia.
● It is then tested for the alcohol percentage.
The particular Kazani that belongs to the Paraskaki family was built in the year 1912 and has been in working service for the village ever since. It is noteworthy that the distillation process becomes a celebration in which family and friends bring food and sample the drink as it is being made.
After interviewing Mr Paraskakis, the students visited the vineyards of the family and our host guided them around the grapevines that the family cultivates. They even sampled grapes from three varieties to see how different they are in taste.
To our surprise, at the end of the tour a barbecue party awaited us prepared by the host family. We all had a pleasant time enjoying every minute of our visit to the village. It is good to know that the tradition continues, showing, through these kinds of activities, how important the gatherings of people are in the Cretan society.
We appreciate the generous hospitality given to us by the Paraskaki family.