Ntakos (Koukouvagia)
Ingredients for four people:
4 small barley
2 tablespoons of olive oil,
2 large jammed tomatoes chopped in cubes
salt
freshly ground pepper (optional)
50-100 g Xynomyzithra (Cretan cheese)
150 g grated feta (Cretan cheese)
1 teaspoon of oregano
Run the recipe
Boil the barley with water, just wet, so as not to be soft.
Chop the tomatoes, we put salt and pepper and add the oregano, caper, and olives in slices and stir.
Spread the tomato over Ntakos and add the feta.
At the end add a little olive oil and a little oregano.
The History
The story begins in the 1950s, in post-Ottoman Empire Rethymno. On the outskirts of the city, to the countryside, there was a tavern gathering all the forbidden goodies of the time: papers, smoke, women. The conservative society of Rethymno did not allow such stores inside the city.
In this tavern they made the nuts round and offered them for fast, tonic food, drenched with oil and the goodies they had on them. It was a nightclub. There were also rumors that the owner was called Koukouvagias (Owl), there is that name in the area. Rumors that there were many owls in the area, by witnesses of the nightlife of the taverns. It is certain that it came to be the passage between the gentlemen and the expression “go to the night for an owl” and to mean the delicacies of the time, all kinds, gastronomic and not only that!
Beautiful story! I hope to tell it right, through the cups of the White Hare of Douloufakis that accompanied her. Now I will smile when I suggest “Go for an owl” and the others will not understand!
Since you understand, the name “koukouvagia” is the version of the Ntakos in Rethymno, with a round nut. The nut is divided into upper part and down part. The upper part is the fluffiest because it has gone up either from the yeast or from the dry yeast and is the good part. That is why this is always served to strangers. The down part is more compact and stays for the locals.
