KOUTALA

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One more essential kitchen tool was the koutala (ladle), which was widely used for stirring the food while cooking, as well as serving food. Written sources dating to the 18th and 19th century often mention siderochouliares, namely iron ladles, while in more recent times the koutales were made mostly of copper. They usually consisted of a long handle and a cup-shaped, slotted flat or kouppoto (hemispherical bowl-shaped) ending, the latter reserved mostly for soups. The handle frequently had a small hook at its farther end for hanging on a nail, horizontal cord or small niche on the wall. Typically, the household had three ladles: a large and a small trypiti (skimmer ladle), and a kouppoti (cup-shaped ladle). The large trypiti was used to produce halloumi and other types of food prepared in volume, like the bulgur. Wooden ladles were used for stirring the trahanas and other soups.