Tertziellouthkia

Tertziellouthkia (Τερτζιελλούθκια) are a small hand-made pasta from Cyprus with an EU protected geographical indication (PGI). The name comes from 'tertzielli', a little ring: each piece is a short cord of dough whose two ends are joined into a round or oval ring with a hole in the middle.

They are made from durum wheat flour with water, and/or another flour such as country or wholemeal flour with semolina, water and salt – roughly 1 kg of flour, half a litre of water and a pinch of salt for 1 kg of finished pasta. Dried rings are 1–2 cm across and 0.3–0.7 cm thick, off-white, slightly rough and hard, with under 12% moisture, 60–80% carbohydrates and up to 1% salt.

The dough is rested to gain elasticity, cut into small pieces, rolled by hand into cords and closed into rings; the join remains visible and must hold during boiling. The rings are dried on mesh or in baskets so they do not touch, and makers judge dryness by the absence of stickiness and by the sound the pieces make. They are sold dried or fresh in transparent packs marked 'χειροποίητα ζυμαρικά' (hand-made pasta) and are packed in Cyprus.

Tertziellouthkia are associated with fasting and were served at fasts, feasts and weddings. Traditionally they are boiled in water with carob syrup, grape syrup or honey; some sources trace them back to the ancient Greek 'plytos artos', or boiled bread.