Koufeta Amygdalou GeroskipouΚουφέτα Αμυγδάλου Γεροσκήπου

Appearance & taste

The sugar-coated almonds are oval or almond-shaped and white. The sugar coating is 2 to 4 mm thick and has a characteristic rough surface because the pores remain open: neither wax nor additional smoothing in the coating pan is used. According to the specification, the coating feels softer when chewed than in comparable products and melts easily in the mouth. They taste sweet of sugar and of roasted almonds; as nothing but almonds and sugar is added, according to the specification they are sweeter than similar confectionery. The moisture content is 2 to 4 %. The label states the shelf life of one month from production.

Production

Only almonds and granulated cane sugar are used; both may come from outside the area. The roasted almonds are coated with syrup in the coating pan. According to the specification, the core of the know-how lies in the maker staying at the pan throughout the preparation and constantly adjusting the viscosity and quantity of the syrup as well as the temperature. The timing of the coating and the rotation speed of the pan are also decisive: if coating starts too early, the almonds stick together; if it starts too late, they become dry and do not take up enough sugar.

They are made and packed in Geroskipou. Packing starts only once the almonds have cooled below 45 °C, because otherwise moisture condenses in the bag, and it must be completed by the time they reach ambient temperature. Packed later, they lose too much moisture and are no longer as soft when chewed.

Origin & history

The area is the municipality of Geroskipou within its administrative boundaries. The recipe comes from a family tradition: according to the specification, all of today’s producers in Geroskipou are descendants of the man who began making them there in 1895, and the know-how has been passed down from generation to generation ever since.

The book “Geroskipou – Old and Modern Face” (1992) reports on production after 1930, when the almonds were sold mainly at fairs. A historical and folklore study of Geroskipou from 2000 describes the confection as cooked in a small pan from syrup, sugar and almonds. According to the specification, Koufeta Amygdalou Geroskipou are known throughout Cyprus.