Called “glyka tou koutaliou” in Greece, spoon sweets, the colorful preserves of fruits, nuts, and some vegetables put up in sugar syrup, are age-old hallmarks of Greek hospitality and deliciously versatile products with applications way beyond dessert in the international kitchen.
These preserves are made in every season: delicately threaded orange peels, bergamot, citron, lemon, and bitter oranges in winter; apricots, cherries, and immature nuts such as walnuts and pistachios in late spring and early summer; sour cherries, sweet cherries, watermelon rind, pumpkin, even tiny eggplants and whole tomatoes in summer and early fall. They match well with cheese and yogurt.
