The “lady of the garden,” the sweet pumpkin—Crete’s local variety with the long neck and rounded edges—is a staple in every household. They are harvested in the autumn during the waning moon, so they won’t spoil, and stored in a well-ventilated, dry space. Sweet pumpkins can last up to 5 months.

Children crave them fried with sugar, men prefer them stewed with onions, and housewives make the most delicious pitarakia, filled with sweet pumpkin.

Dough Ingredients:

• Flour, as much as needed

• A little salt

• 1 small glass of olive oil

• Juice from one small lemon

• 1 shot glass of tsikoudia

• 1 glass of lukewarm water

Filling Ingredients:

• 3 kilos sweet pumpkin (cleaned and cut into small pieces)

• 2 large onions, finely chopped

• 1 glass of olive oil

• Salt, pepper, cumin

Step 1
Prepare the filling: The night before, in a deep pot, heat the olive oil and add the onion. Sauté and then add the pumpkin pieces. Let it cook slowly, stirring so it melts. Add the salt, pepper, and cumin. Continue cooking and once the pumpkin is cooked, place it in a colander and let it drain.

Step 2
Prepare the dough: In a mosora, add half the flour, make a small well in the center and pour in the dough ingredients. Mix and gradually add the remaining flour. Knead until the dough is medium-soft and doesn’t stick to your hands. Cover it with a clean cloth and let it rest for about an hour.

Step 3
Prepare the pastry: Using a xyliki, roll out a thin sheet of dough. Use a small dessert plate to cut out round pieces. Place a spoonful of filling in the center and fold it into a half-moon shape.

Step 4
In a frying pan, heat olive oil until hot and fry the pitarakia for 1 to 2 minutes on each side.

Cretan Dialect Glossary
mosora: large clay or metal basin
xyliki: wooden rolling pin for sheet pastry

Lena Igoumenaki
President of the Cretan Cuisine Festival Association