Cyprus Post participates with a common theme issued for the seventh consecutive year by the Member States of the Postal Union for the Mediterranean "Euromed Postal". This year's theme is "Traditional Gastronomy".
According to the Cyprus Post, the stamp of Cyprus depicts a purely traditional Cypriot food, Kolokasi, which is cooked in various ways. Kolokasi with its characteristic conical shape and special taste is identified with the Cypriot Gastronomy and the whole culture of the island. Its nutritional value is considered very nutritious and significantly shields the immune system. Zucchini is rich in vitamins A and C, proteins, carbohydrates and contains fiber and amino acids.
In his statements, the Mayor Sotiras, Georgios Takkas welcomed the initiative of the Cyprus Post to choose as a representative product for our country the Kolokasi Sotiras product, which together with the product "Kolokasi-Poules Sotiras" from August 2016 are the first cup a product certified by the European Union as a "Product with a Designation of Origin". He stressed that the efforts made by the Municipality of Sotiras in collaboration with the producers of the product are bearing fruit as the huge nutritional value of Kolokasios Sotiras has become known and is being promoted in Cyprus and abroad. According to Mayor Sotira, the local product of Sotira has now associated its name with the area which produces more than 70% of the Cypriot crop of Kolokassi. He also pointed out the fact that kolokasi has now been included in every kitchen and is included in the menu of important restaurants and hotels, both in Cyprus and abroad, while its contribution is great in the stimulation of restaurants in the area which -mainly in Sotira- include the product high in their menu.
Kolokasi Sotiras (PDO)
It is the first Cypriot product that acquired PDO in August 2016. Kolokasi has been cultivated in Cyprus since the 12th century AD. for its edible trunks, maples (the central trunk located just below the ground surface) and poules (secondary or subsidiary trunks growing sideways). In the area of Sotira it was transferred from Karpasia at the beginning of the 20th century. The soil and climatic conditions of the region, but mainly the expertise of the producers, who through the centuries have developed special practices of cultivation and harvesting, determine its unique characteristics.
The oldest reference to the Cypriot colocasia places it on the table of the festive dinner for the wedding of Richard the Lionheart with Berengaria on May 12, 1191 in the castle of Limassol (Jeffery, 1926).
Kolokasi Sotiras was awarded in 2015 as the best Agricultural Product at the Gourmet Awards and in 2017 as the Cypriot Product of the Year by the Time Out Eating Awards.
Famagusta.News