Page:The nomads of the Balkans, an account of life and customs among the Vlachs of Northern Pindus (1914).djvu/60

 spit to roast over a fire of pine branches, and by its side the fry is set to roast on an iron spit. The latter is naturally done first, and is eaten as a kind of hors d'auvrc accompanied by glasses of raki. Then the lamb itself is devoured with bread, garlic and wine. Next, perhaps, a large tin dish of some sweetmeat such as Băklăvă will be divided amongst the company. Finally all will dance and sing accompanied by such musical instruments as it has been possible to collect. The dancers will only interrupt their wild gyrations to drink one another’s health in the good red wine of Shatishta or to fire off rifles and revolvers by way of shewing that they are thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Vlach feeding as a whole differs so much from the usual fare to be obtained in the other villages of Macedonia, Epirus and Greece proper, that a short digression may here be allowed. In contrast to the Greeks who as a race live principally on bread, olives, cheese and garlic, and eat little meat and that highly seasoned and disguised with sauces, the Vlachs think plain roast meat, hot or cold, in large quantities essential to any meal worthy the name. Even the muleteer as he jogs along his weary road always has a snack of cold lamb, bread and cheese washed down by long pulls at his wooden flask or wine skin. It requires some little skill to drink gracefull}^ from a full wine skm while ambling along on mule-back. The triumph of Vlach cooking however is Pită, which may be considered the Vlach national dish. A pită is a kind of pasty made in a wide, shallow, metal dish which has a hollow, conical metal lid of great importance for the proper baking of the pită. WTien the pită is made the dish is placed on an iron tripod over a wood fire on the open hearth and then the lid which has been previously heated and covered with a thick layer of ashes to retain the heat is placed over it so that both top and bottom may be baked equally. The pită itself is made by laying four or more thin leaves of pastry in the bottom of the dish, on which a thick central layer of vegetables, cheese or finely chopped meat is placed. The whole is then covered over with about six more leaves of the thin pastry, all of which are generously anointed with butter and