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I met Mrs. Nicolaou in 2019, and she kindly showed me how she makes the Arcatena from fermented chickpeas. I planned to return the following year, but covid delayed my visit by 2 years!
Mrs. Nicolaou, a well-known baker of the Arkatena bread, was part of a group of women from the village of Koilani who presented the Arkatena bread to the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO to gain certification, enabling this bread tradition to be protected under UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage (Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO).
The ancient and beautiful land of Cyprus is an island, which helps explain how this small region became famous, and yet remains isolated. The location of Cyprus is in the most eastern region of the Mediterranean Sea, lapping the shores of Turkiye, Syria, and Lebanon.
One cannot elaborate on the Arkatena bread of Cyprus, without also mentioning the current politics of the island. The Republic of Cyprus was incorporated in 1960, after centuries of Turkish and British rulers, whereupon it also became a member of the United Nations and then the European Union in 2004. The peninsula of northeastern Cyprus is currently occupied by Turkiye since 1974 (light green), which remains a continuing dispute.
References for Arcatena
Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO. http://www.unesco.org.cy/About-Cyprus_UNESCO,EN-ABOUT,EN
Fskolos, P.M. et al. 2017. Pilgrimage of Jeruselam: Poems of Anthony Drakos. Limassol.
Katsounotou, M. et al, 2023. Traditional Breads from Cyprus. The Arkatena. Traditional European Breads. Springer Nature, Stuttgart.
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