Hiromeri: A Specialty Ham of Cyprus—Historical Evidence, Culinary and Cultural Perspectives

Abstract

Hiromeri is a specialty ham of Cyprus, made of smoked pork leg that is matured in wine. Until now there has been no systematic effort to present historical evidence that will support the Cypriot authenticity of this product. In this article, the historical evidence from sixteenth to twentieth centuries, referring to the production and trade of hiromeri in Cyprus, is presented. The evidence is drawn from archival testimony, travelers' descriptions, old history books, and essays on agricultural production. Moreover, a description of the hiromeri production process as well as past and current culinary uses and customs associated with its production and consumption are presented.

Keywords:

• Cyprus ham
• deli meat
• hiromeri
• pork slaughtering

Notes

¹In Greek: “Διήγησις παιδιóφραστος των τϵτραπόδων ζώων,” translated in English as “An Entertaining Tale of Quadrupeds” (http://http://cup.columbia.edu/book/978-0-231-12760-8/an-entertaining-tale-of-quadrupeds) and first published in Latin with the title “Carmina Graeca Medii Aevi” (Wagner 1874, 154).

²Original text in Greek: “… και πολϵμούσι μϵ πηκτή (ζαλατίνα), μϵ άλλα τα τοιαύτα,/ καταμαγούλαν σύγλωσσην, μϵτά χοιρομϵρίων/ λουκάνικα απάκια, πλϵυράς παχυλαρδάτας.”

³Original text in Greek: “πόσαις φoραίς λουκάνικα και απάκια κρϵμασμένα/ και σαλτιτζούνια θαυμαστά και μοσκομυρισμένα / και χοιρομέργια στον καπνό γη κ'ϵις αέρα, κι' άλλα …”

⁴In this work in two cases, in verses 97 (p. 46) and 291 (p. 78) thigh-ham bone (hiromekokalo) is mentioned. This, however, may not necessarily imply the hiromeri, but simply the pork thigh. Other kinds of preserved meats, such as sausages and apoktin (salted-cured goat meat) are also mentioned in verse 327 (p. 56).

⁵It is colorless and it has a pleasant alcoholic flavor with a light aroma of raisins. The typical alcohol content is 45% by volume. It contains no sugars and has no acidity.