Pasta

As an island based mainly on self-sufficiency, Lemnos has two different traditional pasta products which are still produced either in every household or in the local workshops, and can be purchased from shops selling local products. From the flour and semolina of the Lemnos wheat and Mavragani wheat, Flomaria (noodles) and Trahanos (trahanas) are made. Both are prepared in large quantities and stored for consumption in winter by families. These pasta are mainly made in the summer and in the past, due to the lack of any such equipment, the whole process was done in groups: the neighborhood would get together and make one housewife's pasta first, and then all of them would help to prepare the necessary quantity for each house. Even today, the preparation of pasta on the first three and last three days of August is avoided, as according to popular belief it is considered to be unlucky, ‘Drimes’ in the local dialect. Alongside flomaria and trahanos, one can taste ‘aftoudia’ or ‘valanes’ or ‘molivoudia’, fresh pasta which, after being cooked in hot water, is doused with petimezi (‘must’) and "melichloro" cheese. In the past, this food was considered as payment for the workers during the harvesting season.