Apaki is produced from lean smoked pork, it represents the finest of flavorful cold cuts. It is the perfect meze to accompany tsipouro. However, it is also loved for its unique smoky taste, the aroma of its Cretan herbs, and its lean texture, giving dishes using it a special character that is unburdened by excess fat.
It is prepared by the villagers of Anogia in Crete who, driven by the need to preserve meat in large quantities, apply a process that comes from an age-old technique harmoniously embracing the rich and unique flora of the island.
Apaki is a traditional natural product that contains no preservatives. It owes its distinct flavor to the high quality of its ingredients: the fine meat, the vinegar, and the wonderful aromatic herbs of the fertile lands of Crete.
All ways of enjoying apaki are delightful. It can be eaten plain or slightly warmed in a pan or oven and accompanied by good raki or wine. It highlights the flavor of bean soup, legumes, and “ladera”. It can be used to make a tigania or used as a wonderful base for a variety of pasta sauces or used to enhance the taste of soup, pizza, and salad, as well as omelets.
