Smoked Pork (Apaki)

Apaki, the traditional smoked pork of Crete is a unique delicacy, with a characteristic, full taste that you will remember for long. In older times, when meat was a luxury in Crete, apaki was the most eclectic food produced after sacrificing one of the few and valued pigs for its meat. The meat used for producing apaki is soft pork fillet. The pork fillets would be soaked for a couple of days in vinegar and wine, and optionally in a mixture of olive oil, salt and pepper. Then it would be time for smoking them, and here lied the secret of the traditional apaki recipe. Each region in Crete would use different kinds of wood to produce the coal needed to smoke the meat, from olive wood, to cypress, lemon or orange wood. On top of the coal, a mix of herbs would slowly burn, in order to give to the smoked pork its full flavor. Among these herbs were thyme, sage, basil, oregano, and others, again based on the local flora. The end result is superbly delicious, and, if you happen to visit a small village in rural Crete, it is warmly recommended to taste the local apaki: chances are you will be pleasantly surprised.