Well that's a misleading headline if ever there was one.
As a reward for completion of another piece of work, I have allowed myself a tea break and opening a packet of stuff I grabbed in the dutyfree in Larnaca airport. I meant them as cakes or biscuits (not sure which they really are) for the office, but they haven't got there in time.
Billed as Greek Traditional Cookies they are called Melomakarono with honey and walnuts and they are delicious. While I was waiting for the kettle to boil, I noticed that on the back there was no sell by date (not so unusual in Greece). Then I noticed "preservatives free" so I was expecting a disappointing taste as who knows how old they really were.
Reading the list of ingredients, I wonder which is the one which gives the special taste:
Flour, sugar, oil, semolina, honey, baking powder, soda, cognac, ammonia, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, glucose.
I assumed the cognac, until I read "ammonia". And that's not a preservative?
Actually the Greek says "choris syntiritika" which sounds more like "without synthetics".
Whilst in Cyprus I was struck by how easily I manage to slip back into reading (and remembering) Greek signs even though I never learnt any Greek formally. Perhaps there is hope for me with the Georgian alphabet. Must do more practice.
