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 Spoon sweet sour cherry | |
| Type | Jam or preserve |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Balkans |
| Main ingredients | Fruit,sugar |
Spoon sweets are sweetpreserves, served in a spoon as a gesture of hospitality inBosnia,Serbia,Albania,Greece,Turkey,Kosovo,Cyprus, theBalkans,[1] parts of theMiddle East, andRussia. They can be made from almost any fruit, though sour and bitter fruits are especially prized. There are also spoon sweets produced without fruit.
Some of the fruits that are used include seedlessgrapes,mulberries,strawberries and other berries,bergamot,apricots,quinces,apples,pears, sour and sweetcherries,oranges,kumquats,lemons,grapefruit,tangerines,pomegranates,figs,prunes, etc. Even soft fruit likemelon orwatermelon can be thus prepared, although retaining a relatively firm texture is challenging. Other varieties include green, unripewalnuts,pistachios,hazelnuts, and othernuts, or even flower petals likerose. Many fruits or parts of fruits that are normally inedible, such as the various citrus peels and blossoms, or sliced citrus fruits with their peel intact, can be made into sweet, flavorful preserves, as can some vegetables such as babyeggplants orcherry tomatoes. A well-made spoon sweet retains the original shape, color, aroma and taste of the fruit.InSyria,eggplant, unripe or greenwalnut andpumpkin jams are offered to guests, especially during winter.
Spoon sweets are usually offered to guests served by the teaspoon in a smallporcelain orcrystal glass dish or bowl, with coffee or tea and cold water. Most of the time they are homemade, but they can also be found in most supermarkets; these are more likely to be made with glucose syrup rather than sugar, for reasons of cost and ease of preparation.
They can be used asice cream oryogurt toppings, or in the Western way as a spread on toast for breakfast. Spoon sweets are commonly eaten alone or with cheese.
Spoon sweets (γλυκό του κουταλιούglykó tou koutalioú 'sweet of the spoon') are popular inGreece andCyprus, usually served withGreek coffee and a glass of cold water. Most are made of whole fruit, though some kinds are made of pieces or purees.
One typically Greek spoon sweet is the snow-white and intensely aromaticvaníllia (βανίλια, [va'niʎa]) which isnot made ofvanilla, but ofmastic resin, for which theAegean island ofChios is famous. This is usually served as a spoonful of sweet on a table spoon dropped into a tall glass of ice-cold water and popularly called "βανίλια υποβρύχιο"vainíllia ypovrýchio, a "vanilla submarine". It is a thick, white, sweet paste made industrially by beating mastic resin with table sugar. When cold, it has the consistency of hardcaramel candy: it is meant to be licked like alollipop as, at body temperature, it gradually becomes softer and more chewable. TheGreek diaspora introduced this treat to other countries as far away asJapan.[2]
It is regarded as the official sweet of thePatriarchate of Constantinople.
Whole fruit preserves can be found in most Greek andCypriot homes. They are made by slowly and gently boiling fruit in water and sugar over several hours or days, until the syrup sets. Thus the main prerequisites to making good spoon sweets are said to be "patience and a heavy pot". Some lemon juice is often added to preserve the fruit's original color, as thecitric acid prevents oxidation. A small quantity of blanched almonds, slivered or whole, may also be added for crunch, often to baby eggplants, apples or grapes. Ingredients variously added during the boiling, and then discarded, include a quill ofcinnamon bark, amint bouquet, or the green, fragrant leaves of the shrubPelargonium odoratissimum (apple geranium) orPelargonium graveolens (rose geranium) which add some astringency and a slight aroma offrankincense and is especially popular in theIonian islands.
The overall method of preparation is essentially the same as that ofmarmalade, except that fruit pieces remain firm and whole; a well-made spoon sweet is chewy.
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Spoon sweets (Albanian:Reçel) are very common throughout Albanian cuisines and generally eaten in combination withxhezve coffee, balancing out the bitterness of the coffee. Popular spoon sweets variants are Reçel i kumbullave (Plum spoon sweets), Reçel i ftoit (Quince spoon sweets), Reçel i mollave (Apple spoon sweets), Reçel i portokallit (Orange spoon sweets), Reçel i rrushit (Grape spoon sweets), Reçel i kungullit me arra (Pumpkin spoon sweets with nuts), etc.
They are generally made at home and preserved in old jars, ready to be served to guests and family members on festival days.
