Fanuropita, a traditional pie for August 27: why should there be 7 or 9 ingredients

Next Tuesday (27.08.24) the Greek Church will honor the memory of Saint Fanourios, and churches will be filled with special pies prepared by housewives.

Believers ask Saint Fanourios to find lost things or to fulfill a wish (for example, to find a good groom for unmarried girls) and for this they present him with fanouropita.

The ingredients used for this cake are usually 7 or 9, as the numbers 7 and 9 symbolize the sacraments of the church, the days of creation, and also the angelic orders. During its preparation, the housewives make sure that the candle is lit and the incense is burning. To prepare Fanuropita you will need 9 ingredients:

1. 1 pack self-rising flour
2. 1 glass of water
3. 1 cup sugar
4. 1/2 cup vegetable oil (preferably refined, odorless)
5. 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
6. 1 orange (you will need its juice and zest)
7. 2 handfuls of walnuts or almonds (grated)
8. 1 bag of raisins
9. 2 teaspoons cinnamon.

Execution

• In a bowl, mix all the solid ingredients. In another, larger bowl, mix all the wet ingredients.
• Then slowly pour the solid ingredients into the liquid ones and mix well until you get a homogeneous mass.
• Place the dough in a greased pan, sprinkled with a little flour, and bake at 180 degrees for about 1 hour.
• Once the pie is done, sprinkle it with a little powdered sugar and cinnamon.

The prayer that is recited when preparing Fanuropita:

«Κύριε Ιησού Χριστέ, ο Ουράνιος Άρτος, ο της βρώσεως της μενούσης εις τον αιώνα πλουσιοπάροχος χορηγός, ο δοτήρ των αγαθών, ο δέ Ηλιού ?? ήτων και σωτηρία των ψυχών ημών.

εις δόξαν σήν και τιμήν του αγίου ενδόξου μεγαλομάρτυρος Φανουρίου. Παράσχου δέ, αγαθέ, τοις ευπρεπίσασι τους πλακούντας τούτους, πάντα τά εγκόσμια καί υπερκόσμια αγαθά σου.

Εύφρανον αυτούς εν χαρά μετά του προσώπου σου, δείξον αυτοίς προ ς σωτηρίαν. Τα αιτήματα τών καρδιών αυτών καί πάσαν τήν βουλήν αυτών ταχέως ο δηγών αυτούς προς εργασίαν τών εντολών σου, ίνα διά καί ί μεγαλοπρεπές όνομά σου, πρεσβείαις της υπερευλογημένης The καί πάντων σου τών αγίων. Αμήν“.

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