It’s March, which means that for we, the Greeks, it’s ‘Nistia’ or the Lenten period. While all major religions have some form of ritualistic fasting that is intrinsic to the faith, most are affiliated with both a restriction of consumables as well as a time component…
However, what we, the Greeks find to be so inviting about Nistia is not only the duration, but the particular restrictions we put in place. For us, these amount to the universe saying, ‘slow down and detox a bit!’, but we understand that for other faiths, the message may be a little different.
Most religious rituals are meant to foster and strengthen the connection with God, or a higher power. In any religion, these rites look a little different… or sometimes a lot different, but the motivation is the same. Before I dig into the specifics of Nistia, let’s explore what sects of faith subscribe to the concept of fasting, and what it means to them…
The Importance of Fasting
Symbolically, fasting is an act of sacrifice, in which one sacrifices food and hunger to God as a mark of devotion and surrender. Fasting purifies the mind, controls passion and the senses and checks emotions.
In Islam, fasting is an obligatory part of the religion. For the entire month of Ramadan (the 9th calendar month of the Islamic calendar, lasting 29 to 31 days) followers of Islam fast from dawn until sunset daily. There are ritualistic meals before dawn, and after sunset, but during the daily fasting period, Muslims are expected to abstain from food, drink, sexual activity, and tobacco, as a means to have them focus on their spirituality and prayer.
In Judaism, there are six fast days in the calendar year, some considered ‘minor fasts’ which last from sun up to sun down, and the others are thought of as ‘major fasts’ which last for 25 hours (from sundown the day before the holiday to sundown the next day). These fasts have different motivations – to atone for sins, to mourn, to express gratitude, or as a form of prayer, but all have the same stipulations – no food or drink (not even water) during the fast.
In Buddhism, fasting may be recognized as ‘intermittent’, with food and drink being restricted to certain times of day (i.e. before noon), or restricting the consumption of certain items such as animal products – especially during times of intense meditation.
In Hinduism, there are a wide variety of traditions pertaining to fasting, but they break down in to two different camps: Upvaas are fasts intended to fulfill a vow, while Vratas are fasts in observance of religious rituals. Followers may engage in either kind of fast during the week, depending on their spiritual intent. Depending on what Hindu god(s) devotees follow, that determines the preferred fasting days and additional rules they are meant to follow during the week.
In the various sects of Christianity, unlike other major religions, there are no specific fast days, though some followers of the faith choose to take on ‘Biblical Fasting’ in order to focus on their spirituality. During the 40 days of Lent, many Christians chose to abstain from specific foods, such as meat or processed sugar, as a form of sacrifice and commitment to God. However, many followers also choose to abstain from all kinds of different things, such as alcohol, chocolate, or even social media. In particular, Catholics tend to abstain from the consumption of food and drink on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, to signify the commencement and the end of the Lenten period.
Nistia – Ni Estiome – Don’t Eat
Now that we’ve briefly explored fasting in the other major religions, what exactly does it mean to the Greek Orthodox?
To begin with, for the Greeks, there are approximately 180-200 fasting days per year – at least half the year. While the Nistia periods used to be purely religiously associated, there is now a growing number of people that believe – and with good reason – that Nistia is a great impetus to detox their systems and eat cleaner, healthier food.
In speaking about cleaner, healthier food, perhaps what is most interesting are the rules when it comes to food consumption during Nistia. Unlike in Judaism or Islam, we do not consider fasting to be the abstention from all food and drink; instead, the Greeks abide by a few specific rules:
- No animal products/byproducts – this means no dairy, eggs, meat, or fish (this does not include honey, however, which is permitted during Nistia)
- No olive oil (though usually just on Wednesdays and Fridays)
However, the consumption of fish eggs and shellfish (mollusks and crustaceans) is allowed, which can be confusing to some people.
So, in essence – besides shellfish – Nistia has the Greeks following a vegan diet! This then begs the question, what are some of the more traditional Nistia foods that are eaten during these periods?
Lagana – Lagana is a type of flat bread, ellipsoidal in shape, made without yeast (an ‘animal’ itself!). This special type of bread is mainly eaten on ‘Clean Monday’, the official start of Nistia, the Lenten Period. The custom of lagana refers to the “unleavened bread” of the Old Testament. In addition to the traditional lagana we all know, you used to be able to find lagana with petimezi, a syrup made from grape must, but this is not common anymore. Though many places in Greece have their own versions of lagana, one of my favorite, lesser known versions is the traditional lagana of the island of Zakynthos, made with raisins and anise.
Tahini – Nowadays, we’re all pretty familiar with tahini, the byproduct of mashed sesame seeds which can be used in both savory and sweet culinary applications. With tahini we can make tahinosoupa (tahini soup), tahinopita (tahini pie), hummus, and spread it on slices of bread, as a seed butter of sorts. Tahini is also a quintessential ingredient for certain types of halva, staples of Nistia.
Twice a year, my father would travel to the northern city of Thessaloniki, always returning with a large tin of Haitoglou sesame oil, a native brand of oil in Greece, as well as their tahini paste and some of their halva sweets.
Halva – Halva is perhaps the most famous Greek fasting ‘dessert’, which can be found in a plethora of varieties. The halva you can purchase in stores is made with tahini and may contain nuts, raisins, or cocoa, and is sold in different shapes and sizes. There is also a variety known as Farsalon Halva, made from cornmeal or rice flour, characterized by its amber color and caramelized sugar crust. However, beyond the tahini-based halvas, don’t forget the homemade semolina halva, which can be plain, or made with nuts and/or raisins.
Mollusks and Crustaceans – Shellfish including lobsters, shrimps, crabs, crayfish, clams, cockles, mussels, oysters and scallops, squid, cuttlefish, and octopus are favorites for periods of fasting. Traditionally, as the ‘meatiest’ of the shellfish, octopus features prominently in Nistia cuisine. Often prepared by boiling in vinegar, then cooked in a pan, stewed, grilled or however preferred, octopus plays a primary role on the Lenten table. It is good choice, as it is low in cholesterol, and a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins.
Tarama – Tarama are cod or carp eggs and are, after sturgeon eggs (caviar), one of the most preferred types of fish roe. In the market you can find two main types of tarama: white and red. Red tarama appeared on the market in the 1950s, when at the time, marketers and producers felt that a more brightly colored recipe would attract more consumers than the colorless white preparations made from white tarama. As such, they added pigments and created the red (really pink) tarama, which can still be found today. Because of these pigments, white tarama is considered superior in quality, flavor, and texture.
Bottarga – Using another variety of fish roe, most commonly grey mullet, Bottarga is made using the entire roe sac of a fish, which is salted, massaged to release any air pockets, then pressed and dried – usually in a wax coating. A delicacy all over the world, dating back to ancient times, this salty, delicious treat can be sliced and eaten on its own, grated, or dried further and made into a powder. Near my hometown, you can find one of the most notable producers of bottarga, Trikalinos, specialists in only the finest quality gourmet products – their avgotaraho (bottarga in Greek) is second to none.
Fasting for Health and Creativity
During Nistia, because of the abstention from nearly all animal proteins, it’s important to maintain a balanced diet of beans and legumes, leafy greens, vegetables, nuts and seeds, fruits, and grains and cereals, in order to make sure our bodies get the micro and macro nutrients it needs.
Rest assured, however, that this dietary pattern is not nearly as restrictive as it sounds, and inspires some incredible culinary creativity! In the kitchen, we often depend of animal products to bring our dishes to the next level, but during Nistia, this is not an option – and even our use of olive oil is more limited than normal. This is why we often cook Ladera style, which means that vegetables and/or beans are cooked with a lot of olive oil, with the olive oil being added near the end in order to preserve the flavor and nutrients of the olive oil.
Nistia is a great way to detoxify your body and mind, and focus on the important things in life – though we may abstain from certain foods, we get to experience different ways of enjoying other foods we may not have appreciated before….when one door closes, another window opens…
