Kokoretsi

Kokoretsi is a traditional dish of the Balkans and Anatolia consisting mainly of seasoned lamb or goat offal. Recipes usually include chopped intestines, sweetbreads, hearts, lungs and/or kidneys, marinated in lemon, olive oil and oregano, and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Greeks traditionally consume it at Easter, though it is available year-round.

Preparation

First, the heart, the kidneys, the lungs etc. are cleaned thoroughly and cut into medium sized pieces. They are then put onto a spit in the form of a large souvlaki and seasoned. After that, the small intestine is used to partially cover the pieces of the internals by winding it around the spit. The kokoretsi is then ready to roast over charcoal.

Gardoumpa is a variant of kokoretsi, but roasted in a pan in an oven, instead of an open fire.

Food Industry

Many Greek tavernas serve kokoretsi. Due to mad cow disease in the late 1990s, banning the consumption of the animals' offal was considered. However, due to importance of kokoretsi in Greek tradition, the idea was abandoned.

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