Food - Drink
Trahana: Greece's Creamy, Comforting Pasta Dish
By CLARICE KNELLY
Italy may be the pasta capital of the world, but Greece has its own traditional pasta dishes that are definitely worth trying. Trahana is one of the oldest meals in the country, made with pasta in a small, grain-like shape rather than long noodles, and there's no shortage of different ways to prepare this creamy and delicious dish.
Traditional trahana (or trachana) can be served sweet or sour, depending whether it's made with whole or fermented goat milk. The pasta itself, made with semolina or flour in addition to milk, may have spices or vegetables to be mixed directly into the dough, depending on which region of Greece you're residing in.
Making trahana is similar to making other pasta noodles: First, the flour is combined with the fermented dairy and other ingredients, then cooked, kneaded, dried, and crumbled into pebble-like pieces. The pasta may be served in soups, porridges, with cheeses like feta, or with various meats, spices, and sauces.
It's believed that ancient agrarian peoples created trahana to use up milk that would soon spoil, and the pasta is still widely prepared towards the end of summer, when there’s a surplus of milk in the Greek countryside. Once a symbol of humble living, trahana is still a simple, tasty, and nutritious meal that anyone can make.