Spoon sweets are sweet preserves, served in a spoon as a gesture of hospitality in the Balkans, the Middle East, and in Russia. They can be made from almost any fruit, though sour and bitter fruits are especially prized. There are even spoon sweets not made from fruit at all. Jam from berries Jam (also known as jelly or preserves) is a type of sweet spread or condiment made with fruits or sometimes vegetables, sugar, and sometimes pectin if the fruits natural pectin content is insufficient to produce a thick product. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ...

Some of the fruits that are used include grapes, mulberries, bergamot, apricots, cherries, oranges, lemons, pomegranates, quinces, figs, prunes, and tangerines. Other varieties include vegetables, pistachios, hazelnuts, and other nuts, and flower petals like rose. Many fruits or parts of fruits that are normally inedible, such as citrus peel, can be made into sweet, flavorful preserves, as can unripe nuts and vegetables such as eggplant. Spoon sweets usually retain the original shape, color, aroma and taste of the fruit. It has been suggested that Veraison be merged into this article or section. ... Species See text. ... Trinomial name Citrus aurantium subsp. ... Binomial name Prunus armeniaca L. For other uses, see Apricot (disambiguation). ... “Cherry tree” redirects here. ... Binomial name (L.) Osbeck Orange—specifically, sweet orange—refers to the citrus tree Citrus sinensis (syn. ... Binomial name (L.) Burm. ... Binomial name Punica granatum L. The Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 5–8 m tall. ... Binomial name Cydonia oblonga Mill. ... Species About 800, including: Ficus altissima Ficus americana Ficus aurea Ficus benghalensis- Indian Banyan Ficus benjamina- Weeping Fig Ficus broadwayi Ficus carica- Common Fig Ficus citrifolia Ficus coronata Ficus drupacea Ficus elastica Ficus godeffroyi Ficus grenadensis Ficus hartii Ficus lyrata Ficus macbrideii Ficus macrophylla- Moreton Bay Fig Ficus microcarpa- Chinese... Prune refers to any of more than 125 varieties of fruit, most grown for drying. ... Binomial name Citrus reticulata Blanco For other uses, see Tangerine (disambiguation). ... A plate of vegetables Vegetable is a culinary term which generally refers to an edible part of a plant. ... Binomial name Pistacia vera L. The pistachio (Pistacia vera L., Anacardiaceae; sometimes placed in Pistaciaceae) is a small tree up to 10 m tall, native to mountainous regions of central and southwestern Asia such as the Kopet Dag mountains of Turkmenistan southwest to northeastern Iran and western Afghanistan. ... Binomial name Corylus avellana L. The Common Hazel (Corylus avellana) is a shrub native to Europe and Asia. ... Hazelnuts from the Common Hazel Chestnut A nut can be either a seed or a fruit. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Binomial name L. The eggplant, aubergine or brinjal (Solanum melongena) is a solanaceous plant bearing a fruit of the same name, commonly used as a vegetable in cooking. ...

Spoon sweets are usually offered to guests served by the teaspoon in a small china or crystal dish, with coffee or tea and cold water. Most of the time they are homemade, but nowadays they can also be easily found in most supermarkets. Quartz crystal Synthetic bismuth hopper crystal Insulin crystals Gallium, a metal that easily forms large single crystals A huge monocrystal of potassium dihydrogen phosphate grown from solution by Saint-Gobain for the megajoule laser of CEA. In chemistry and mineralogy, a crystal is a solid in which the constituent atoms...

They can be used as ice cream toppings, mixed with yogurt, or in the Western way as a spread on toast for breakfast. Missing image Ice cream is often served on a stick Boxes of ice cream are often found in stores in a display freezer. ... Yoghurt Yoghurt or yogurt, less commonly yoghourt or yogourt, is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. ...

Greece

Spoon sweets (γλυκό του κουταλιού 'sweet of the spoon') are popular in Greece and Cyprus, usually served with Greek coffee and a glass of cold water. Most are made of whole fruit, though some kinds are made of pieces or purees. Turkish coffee is a specific way of preparing coffee. ...

One typically Greek spoon sweet is the intensely flavoured Βανίλια [va'nilja], which is not made of vanilla, but of mastic resin, for which the Aegean island of Chios is famous. This is usually served as a spoonful of sweet on a spoon dropped into a tall glass of water and called βανίλια υποβρύχιο 'vanilla submarine'. The Greek diaspora introduced this treat to other countries as far away as Japan.[1] It is said to be the official treat of the Orthodox Patriarchate. Vanilla pods Vanilla is a flavouring derived from orchids in the genus Vanilla native to Mexico. ... Binomial name L. Mastic (Pistacia lentiscus) is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing to 3–4 m tall, mainly cultivated for its aromatic resin on the Greek island of Chios,[1]. It is native throughout the Mediterranean region, from Morocco and Iberia at the east through southern France and... Insect trapped in resin. ... The Aegean Islands (Greek: Αιγαίον Πέλαγος, Aigaíon Pélagos; Turkish: Ege Adaları) are a group of islands in the Aegean Sea, with mainland Greece to the west and north and Turkey to the east; the island of Crete delimits the sea to the south. ... Chios (Greek: , alternative transliterations Khios and Hios, see also List of traditional Greek place names; Ottoman Turkish: صاقيز Sakız; Genoese: Scio) is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea five miles off the Turkish coasts. ... A patriarchate is the office or jurisdiction of a patriarch. ...

Whole fruit preserves can be found in most Greek and Cypriot homes. They are made by slowly boiling fruit in water and sugar over several hours or days, until the syrup sets. A small quantity of lemon juice is often added to preserve the fruit's original color, as the citric acid prevents oxidation. The method of preparation is essentially similar to that of marmalade, except that fruit pieces remain whole. Citric acid is a weak organic acid found in citrus fruits. ... Marmalade spread on a slice of bread Marmalade is a sweet preserve with a bitter tang made from citrus fruit (most popularly oranges), sugar, water, and (in some commercial brands) a gelling agent. ...

References

• Claudia Roden, A Book of Middle Eastern Food, 1970. ISBN 0-14-046-159-0.

External links

• Chios Spoon Sweet