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My neighbour's kitchen: Kolokasi

When I left my home town of Kyrenia in Cyprus during the Turkish invasion in 1974, all I had was the dress I was wearing and my mother’s recipe for kolokasi [chicken and taro stew]. We lost everything in the war.

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By Loula Dimopolous


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When I cook kolokasi, my mother, who chose to stay in Cyprus with other members of the family, is always in my heart. I was 24 then and three days before I left, my mother took me into the kitchen for a cooking lesson.

She said to me before we started: "You love kolokasi; you need to learn how to make it for your future husband and children." Since then, I’ve been making kolokasi every week. It’s comforting and welcoming and homely. It’s also a dish I make for special guests.

The Greek people also cook it, but they learnt it from us. Sometimes they use pork instead of chicken. But the main thing is the taro. Taro season is in August and everyone is out looking for it, calling each other and asking if they have found it. If someone finds it, we put in an order for five kilos.

Recipe

Chicken and taro stew (kolokasi)


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