Kakavia (soup)

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Kakavia (Greek : κακαβιά) is a Greek fish soup.

Its name comes from the kakavi, the tripod cooking pot used by ancient Ionian fishermen. [1] Kakavia is described as the most ancient of Greek fish soups, and related to lineage to the French bouillabaisse; like that stew, kakavia is made with a flexible variety of fish and is associated with fishing villages. [2]

Tripod portable three-legged frame, used as a platform for supporting the weight and maintaining the stability of some other object

A tripod is a portable three-legged frame or stand, used as a platform for supporting the weight and maintaining the stability of some other object. A tripod provides stability against downward forces and horizontal forces and movements about horizontal axes. The positioning of the three legs away from the vertical centre allows the tripod better leverage for resisting lateral forces.

Cookware and bakeware types of food preparation containers, commonly found outside a kitchen; cooking pots, casseroles, saucepans, frying pans, baking tins, stockpots, etc.

Cookware and bakeware are types of food preparation containers, commonly found in a kitchen. Cookware comprises cooking vessels, such as saucepans and frying pans, intended for use on a stove or range cooktop. Bakeware comprises cooking vessels intended for use inside an oven. Some utensils are considered both cookware and bakeware.

Ionians ethnic group

The Ionians were one of the four major tribes that the Greeks considered themselves to be divided into during the ancient period; the other three being the Dorians, Aeolians, and Achaeans. The Ionian dialect was one of the three major linguistic divisions of the Hellenic world, together with the Dorian and Aeolian dialects.

It was traditionally made from the smallest fish caught by fishermen, along with olive oil, onions, and saffron. [1]

Olive oil fat obtained by pressing olives

Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives, a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. The oil is produced by pressing whole olives. It is commonly used in cooking, whether for frying or as a salad dressing. It is also used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps, and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps, and has additional uses in some religions. There is limited evidence of its possible health benefits. The olive is one of three core food plants in Mediterranean cuisine; the other two are wheat and grapes.

Onion vegetable

The onion, also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. Its close relatives include the garlic, leek, chive, and Chinese onion.

Saffron flower and spice

Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigmata and styles, called threads, are collected and dried to be used mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent in food. Saffron was long among the world's most costly spices by weight. Although some doubts remain on its origin, it is believed that saffron originated in Iran. However, Greece and Mesopotamia have also been suggested as the possible region of origin of this plant. C. sativus is possibly a triploid form of Crocus cartwrightianus. Saffron crocus slowly propagated throughout much of Eurasia and was later brought to parts of North Africa, North America, and Oceania.

One modern recipe calls for filleted and chunked whitefish (such as cod, goliath grouper, or snapper), prawns, fish or vegetable stock, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, and a garnish of flatleaf (Italian) parsley. [1] Another calls for three or four kinds of fish cleaned and sliced for poaching (bass, cod, hake, haddock, halibut, trout, pollock, snapper, rockfish, whiting), plus shrimp and perhaps lobster or scallops, along with onions, scallions, or leeks; olive oil; tomato; stalk fennel or celery; fresh parsley; fresh thyme; bay leaf; ground black pepper; white wine and water; and toasted croutons. [2]

Fillet (cut) cut or slice of boneless meat or fish

A fillet or filet is a cut or slice of boneless meat or fish. The fillet is often a prime ingredient in many cuisines, and many dishes call for a specific type of fillet as one of the ingredients.

Whitefish (fisheries term)

Whitefish or white fish is a fisheries term for several species of demersal fish with fins, particularly Atlantic cod, whiting, haddock, hake (Urophycis), pollock (Pollachius), and others. Whitefish (Coregonidae) is also the name of several species of Atlantic freshwater fish.

Cod

Cod is the common name for the demersal fish genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and some species suggested to belong to genus Gadus are not called cod.

Kakavia is similar to other types of Mediterranean fish stew, such as the French bouillabaisse, Italian cacciucco, Spanish zarzuela, and Portuguese caldeirada. [3]

Bouillabaisse traditional Provençal fish stew

Bouillabaisse is a traditional Provençal fish stew originating from the port city of Marseille. The French and English form bouillabaisse comes from the Provençal Occitan word bolhabaissa, a compound that consists of the two verbs bolhir and abaissar.

Cacciucco

Cacciucco is an Italian fish stew native to the western coastal towns of Tuscany and Liguria. It is especially associated with the port city of Livorno in Tuscany and the town of Viareggio to the north.

Caldeirada

Caldeirada is a Portuguese and Galician fish stew consisting of a wide variety of fish and potatoes, along with other ingredients A fishermen's stew, the dish has been described as "a fish muddle that varies from town to town and depends on what the fishermen have managed to catch.".

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 The Essential Mediterranean Cookbook (Murdoch Books, 2005), p. 36.
  2. 1 2 Vilma Chantiles, Food of Greece: Cooking, Folkways, and Travel in the Mainland and Islands of Greece (Simon & Schuster, 1992), pp. 77-78.
  3. William Black, Al Dente: The Adventures of a Gastronome in Italy (Transworld, 2004), p. 63.