Glucose syrup is a condiment made from concentrated grape juice. It's rich and sweet due to the high sugar to water ratio. Glucose syrup is made by boiling grapes, removing the skins, and pressing them through a sieve to extract the juice. Like other fruit syrups, a common use for glucose syrup is as a topping for sweet cakes, such as pancakes or waffles.
Petimezi is the name of a Mediterranean glucose syrup. The word comes from the Turkish word pekmez, which usually refers to glucose syrup, but is also used to refer to mulberry and other fruit syrups.
Like honey, petimezi is one of the oldest sweeteners in the world, and a very healthy one at that. It is rich in antioxidants, vitamins A, C and B, and minerals such as potassium, iron, calcium and magnesium. Our bodies also easily metabolize the natural sugars in petimezi.
In Ikaria, petimezi is mainly used in traditional sweets such as mustalevria (puddings made with it) and mustokouloura (biscuits sweetened with it). I also use it in place of balsamic in salad dressings, marinades, and sauces. I also use it in various meat and bean stews, such as my wine-braised chicken with Greek red wine and petimezi. It pairs perfectly with aromatic tomato sauce, warm spices like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, and even dark chocolate.
