Fanouropita: a Rhodes-inspired recipe - Traveling Psychiatrist

Saint Fanourios, the patron saint of Rhodes, is commemorated tomorrow, 27 August. Fanourios means the one who reveals (fanerono means reveal in Greek), and according to the tradition, Saint Fanourios helps people find their lost belongings or even missing persons. In Rhodes and other places in Greece and Cyprus, believers bake a cake called fanouropita on 26 August; then, the following day, they take it to the church where it is blessed and then offered to more believers. Despite its name, fanouropita is not a pie (pita means pie in Greek), but a fasting cake made with 7, 9, or 11 ingredients (always an odd number).

Alex’s fanouropita

To make it healthier, I have replaced the sugar -traditionally used- with honey, and I have also skipped the final step of sprinting icing sugar over the baked cake.

Ingredients:

540 grams flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
350 mls Greek olive oil
50 mls Metaxa or Greek sweet wine (such as Vinsanto)
125 grams Greek honey
Juice (200 mls) and zest from 2 oranges
160 grams raisins

Method:

Mix the dry ingredients together.
Mix the wet ingredients together.
Combine the dry with the wet ingredients. Add the orange zest and the raisins.
Preheat the oven to 180 C (160 C fan). Brush a 24 cm (9 in) round cake tin. Transfer the mixture into the tin.
Bake for about an hour, until the cake is deep golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Set aside for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

Rhodes

One of the most-known Greek islands, Rhodes is the third most populous and the fourth largest in the country. In case you’re wondering, Crete and Euboea (Evia) are the largest islands of Greece, both by size and population, whereas Lesvos is the third largest by size. Back to Rhodes now… This is the largest of the Dodecanese, and home to the capital of this group of islands, which also includes Kos.

Situated in the north-east tip of the island, the city of Rhodes was once home to the Colossus, the statue of Helios, the god and personification of the sun. Erected near 280 BC, the Colossus of Rhodes, as the statue is known as, was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Nowadays, the Colossus is no longer there. However, the city of Rhodes remains of historical interest. The Medieval Old Town is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe, and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are also quite a few medieval castles spread on the island. Although it’s been over five centuries since the island was ruled by the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem, Rhodes is still known as the Island of the Knights.

Nowadays, Rhodes is one of the most visited islands in Greece, a very popular destination for Greek and international tourists. So far, I have been there only once, on a school trip quite a few years ago. One of my most cherished memories is our visit to the Valley of the Butterflies, a beautiful nature reserve filled with thousands of butterflies in the summer months.

Alex’s fanouropita

Ingredients:

Method:

Rhodes

Further reading (and baking):