From the humblest homes to the richest mansions, every house had a traditional oven in its yard and many are still in use today in the Heartland of Legends villages. For centuries, the oven was so essential for everyday life that it even inspired riddles about it; “What is a camel on its knees, with its mouth open?”

Wood-fired ovens are built by esteemed craftsmen, whose knowledge of building an efficient oven has been passed down through generations. Renowned oven builders would travel all over the island to practice their craft. The process begins by marking a circle with a 3-meter circumference at the chosen site. The circle is then dug out approximately half a meter deep to build its foundation with stones and mud. On this foundation, a 2-feet high mantel is built and the gap is filled with stones, soil and manure, which served as insulation to retain heat. Afterwards, the entire surface is covered with a concrete slab, thus creating the base of the oven.

A mudbrick dome with an opening serving as a door, is built atop the slap. The dome is then coated with a mixture of mud and straw to seal any gaps between the bricks and achieve a smooth exterior surface. Additionally, the outer walls of the dome are whitewashed to improve insulation, increase water resistance and enhance oven’s look. The final step, the so-called Kaminiasma, takes place a few days after construction; the oven is fired up intensely with plenty of wood. While the fire burns, the floor is rubbed with a grader to crush the burning coals and spread them evenly in every corner of the oven. Only after a successful Kaminiasma is the oven ready for its first use.

Before using the oven, it must first be fired up, a process called Pyroma. When the inner bricks turn white, it means that the oven has reached the required temperature. The ashes and coals are then removed from the floor with a syrtis, a long stick with wet rags wrapped around its tip. Once the surface is clean, the loaves of bread or other food containers (usually metal or clay) are placed inside, the door is shut with a metal plate and sealed with mud.

Ovens are used to bake breads and other traditional savories and pastries such as flaounes, prosfora (leavened bread used in Orthodox Church), koulouria (bagels). Discover more about our baked delights on the “Bread for the soul” route.

Traditional dishes such as kleftiko and ttavas are also cooked in wood burning ovens. Kleftiko is slow-cooked lamb marinated in olive oil and lemon juice, while Ttavas is a dish of lamb or goat meat with rice, onions, tomatoes and potatoes. There are many regional variations of this dish, with the most famous version coming from Lefkara village.

Cooking in traditional ovens is a wonderful experience that brings us back to our roots and connects us to earth. The food cooked in these clay ovens is not only delicious and aromatic, but also exceptionally healthy, preserving all its vitamins and nutrients.