When it comes to the cuisine of Epirus in the northwest of Greece, savory pies (“pites” in Greek) are undoubtedly the star of the show. Peek through kitchen windows in the villages of the Pindus mountain range, in the impressive highlands of Epirus, and you’re likely to spot more than a few elderly women, scarves on their heads, kneading and spreading dough for pies.

These women, giving and generous, put their hearts and souls into making these delicious preparations.

“We ate pie every day except for Thursdays and Sundays; on Thursdays, we ate stuffed zucchini blossoms, and on Sundays, a bit of meat with pinto beans,” Thucydides Papageorgiou remembers. Papageorgiou is from the village of Kapesovo in the Zagori region of Epirus; he’s also a modern-day alchemist, a winemaker, and the author of the book “An Expensively Won Life” (self-published, 2015), which describes the agricultural economy and everyday life in Kapesovo.

Baking pies used to be a way of making food go further: pies made using only a small quantity of trahana or lentils, enough for one portion of food on their own, could feed up to four people. Pretty much everything was turned into a pie in the Epirus region; wild greens pies, nettle pies, leek pies, pumpkin pies – sweet or savory – cheese pies, and herb pies made with cornmeal instead of filo pastry were all included in the normal diet of locals.

Sweet rice pie made with sugar, raisins and cinnamon was traditionally offered to women who had recently given birth; you’d also find it at engagement parties and other celebrations.

However, the “official” pie served at most of these events was a meat pie made with just mutton and onions. I tried it recently, and it may well be the most delicious pie I’ve ever tasted. All the mastery in such pie-making lies, of course, in preparing the dough and in making sure the layers of dough in the middle of the pie cook correctly and don’t get soggy.

A meat pie is also traditionally served on New Year’s Day, with a coin baked inside it to bestow a year’s luck on the one who finds it in their slice. Some keep the pie “open,” others cover the top with a layer of filo pastry.

Often, the cook folds back the dough that extends over the sides of the tray to form a ring around its edge so that when the pie comes out of the oven, it is wearing a “kothro” – a crown of extra crust. Pies were also often baked in a cooking pot that was placed under an improvised stove made from a steel plate covered in coals and ashes, which created the ideal slow cooking conditions.

One of the characteristics of the local cuisine is that recipes and cooking techniques differ significantly from one village to the next. Tsepelovo residents, for example, may have never heard of the lentil pie made in the village of Kapesovo.

However, all Zagorians agree that when it comes to alevropita, a flour pie which is their most popular, there’s no single authoritative recipe; some locals make it with just flour, water and cheese, while others add oats, eggs, milk and cheese. In short, every home has its own way of preparing it. What’s more, the unit of measure involved in preparing it is the rather vague “blohero” – which means “a good handful.”

Today, all these savory pies, which during years of penury were products of necessity, have become items of luxurious indulgence and, of course, a gauge for the cooking skills of whoever puts them on the table.

How to Bake your own Epirus pies at home

Making the Dough and Filo Sheets

Don’t be too worried if your first attempt at making one of these pies isn’t a rousing success. The hardest part of the recipe is the handmade filo pastry, but that’s also what makes the whole difference in the dish.

The temperature of each ingredient, of the room and even of your own hands affect the dough’s elasticity. How much water you need to add depends on the quality of the flour, so don’t pour it all in at once – do it slowly and gradually, as the actual amount required can vary from 380ml to 500ml.

You may need to put a small quantity of flour on your hands, too, to keep the dough from sticking to your fingers, but don’t overdo it, as your mix may become too firm. Apply the general rule for kneading, and work the dough for 10 to 12 minutes, until it becomes soft and fluffy.

Yiorgia’s Chicken Pie

The guesthouse/taverna Zisis in Aristi (tel. +30 265.304.1088) has been operating out of a wonderfully preserved old building since 1980; it serves local cuisine in an inviting space decorated with antiques.

On the autumn day that I visited, the courtyard of the restaurant reminded me of the French countryside. I met with Yiorgia Kiakou, cook and co-owner with her husband, Alkis Zisis, of the business.

Yiorgia made us an unforgettable pie and shared the recipe, which requires only two main ingredients. The proportions are easy to remember, too; you need a chicken or rooster weighing a kilo, and a kilo of onions.

Lila’s flour pie

Co-owner of the Anemi guesthouse in Kato Pedina, Lila bakes this easy-to-make pie almost every day and serves it to her guests for breakfast. Flour pie is so simple to make that she doesn’t need to wake up much earlier than her clients – it requires no more than 50 minutes.