Tastes of the Mediterranean

One doesn’t usually think of Macedonia as a Mediterranean country, but Valandovo Valley has an almost Mediterranean climate. Nested in a small valley in the south eastern corner of the country, Valandovo area is known as an agricultural paradise. Thanks to the mild climate and the abundance of sunny days, here grow fruits and trees which cannot be found in other parts of Macedonia or elsewhere in the north of the Balkan Peninsula. This is why Valandovo is a town worth visiting in any season. Exotic plants such as figs and pomegranates, and even the strange Japanese persimmon grow in its orchards. All these fruits are still not part of the regular consumption and the majority of Macedonians are still discovering ways of using and preserving them. Few people know that persimmon, or kaki, for example, cannot be eaten when firm but needs time to soften after it is harvested. The fruit is ready to be eaten, best with a spoon, only when it reaches a jelly like consistency. But even fewer people, apart from the locals, know that there is a variant, which grows on the very same tree, bearing the seeds, which can be eaten like an apple when firm and crisp. This variant is popularly called “male”, or “chocolate” kaki, as it is browner than the ordinary yellow fruit. Kaki is full of tannins, vitamins and rare acids valuable for the organism.  Read more …