154635_greekgourmetraveler_06
DESCRIPTION
GREEKGOURMETRAVELERTRANSCRIPT
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Foraging for Flavor Greek Herbs/Bean Cuisine /Spa Food la Grecque/ Dinner with Kazantzakis/
Greek Wines on the Global Table/Greek Summer Fruit/New Greek Salad
SUMMER 2007
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3 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
ContentsISSUE 6 SUMMER 2007
Letter from the President of HEPO 4
Letter from the CEO of HEPO 5
The Greek Economy at a Glance 6
Letter from the Editor 9
Foraging For Flavor: Greek Herbs 11
By Diana Farr Louis
Bean Cuisine 19
By Georgia Kofinas
Spa Cuisine la Grecque 27
By Anthee Carassava
Kerasma Spa Cuisine Recipes 34
At the Table with Kazantzakis 38
By The Cretan Scribe
Flavors of the Aegean 47
By Diane Kochilas
Greek Wine on the Global Table 55
By Sofia Perpera
Sweet Summer Bounty: Greek Fruits 65
By Diane Shugart
Greek Salad Grows Up 73
By Dimitris Andonopoulos
Kerasma: New Greek Salad Recipes 78
Kerasma: Treat Your Taste with Great Recipes 85
for Herbs, Beans, Summer Fruits and More
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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT OF HEPO
We continue our efforts to update the public on great Greek products and cuisine.
Our various activities from one end of the world to the other have been crowned
with success and warmly embraced.
The success of the last year's KERASMA conference in Athens prompted us to
organize a second international conference. This year we've chosen two of the
most magical settings, Crete and Santorini, as the venues for the 2nd KERASMA
conference.
Now we have an added goal: We want to illustrate the Greek way of living, which
is indelible linked with Greek food and wine, with the friendly atmosphere of a typi-
cal Greek table, with good company and with the sharing of exquisite food. Food is
our pretext for socializing, the vehicle we Greeks turn to in order to forget life's
hardships.
Our sound nutrition and delicious cuisine help us recharge and go on with life. They
also have much to offer the rest of the world. In times like these, when health issues
are on the forefront of the news, where the epidemic of obesity is spreading all over
the Western world, the Greek diet offers more than a few pearls of wisdom. The Greek
diet and the world renowned Cretan diet, which constitutes the core of
Mediterranean nutrition, offer the tools necessary to confront today's burning health
issues, because they combine both pleasure and usefulness. We touch upon that in
this issue of the GreekGourmetraveler, too, in an enlightened article on spa cuisine.
In the current issue, we also broach the issue of global accessibility, by presenting
the success Greek wines have enjoyed around the world. Our conference guests will
be given the opportunity to taste our wines in the striking environment of
Santorini.
We address health in this issue by offering up a gamut of articles and recipes for
beans, herbs, and seasonal fruits, all of them part of the Greek diet, culled from the
Greek earth. Those are just a few of the things you will find within the pages of our
latest issue.
Looking down the road, we want to invite you to enjoy even more healthy Greek
treats by keeping us on the calendar next October and visiting us at ANUGA. We
will be more than happy to meet you there and share with you the vast gamut of
Greek products, our best examples of KERASMA, our Greek cuisine.
Panagiotis I. Papastavrou
President
HEPO
4 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
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LETTER FROM THE CEO OF HEPO
A year and a half has passed since we at HEPO initiated the Kerasma campaign
and in that time Greek food and beverage exports have increased more than 42%,
to _2.93 billion between 2004 and 2006.
The success of the Kerasma campaign is unquestionably linked to the increase in
food and beverage exports and we here at HEPO are proud.
Since it began, Kerasma has been at the heart of some of our most successful
activities in the international market. With Kerasma as our vehicle, we've forged
new business partnerships by opening up new markets and upgrading the image of
Greek products in existing markets.
Beyond such tangible achievements, though, Kerasma means something else to us
here at HEPO. Kerasma's success has shown us that our strategy is the right one,
our direction correct.
Greek exports have been on such a positive course, evinced by the biggest growth
rate in years,that now we are thinking ahead to how we'll achieve an even bigger
increase and intensify our presence abroad.
We face a few challenges: how to attract the interest of businesses and food and
wine professionals abroad, and how to broaden and systematize our interaction
with reliable distribution networks in target markets.
We here at HEPO believe that only through a continuation and strengthening of
activities that illustrate all the unique characteristics of Greek food and beverages,
will we be able to sustain and augment our successes abroad:
By identifying Greek food and beverages with Greek- Mediterranean nutrition, a
model that is now an internationally acknowledged vehicle for balance, health,
well-being, and longevity
By incorporating food with the entire Greek culture, the Greek way of living
Through original, qualitative ways of presentation and marketing
Food and beverages are indelibly linked to quality of life, which is an indisputable
ingredient in the commercial success of culinary products. With that in mind, we
have created a new communications tool-a slogan--that will support all our activi-
ties, embrace our products, and incorporate and boost the notion of offering, of
Kerasma. We have a great lifestyle, a great table, a great vineyard here in Greece,
and our new slogan relays that with immediacy and precision:
From us here at HEPO to you around the world, enjoy our Great Greek style of
Eating, Drinking, Living.
Panagiotis Drossos
CEO, HEPO
5 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
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The Greek Economyat a Glance
RAPID DEFICIT REDUCTION
Deficit of the general govern-
ment has been reduced by 5.3
percentage points of GDP since
2004 - from 7.9% of GDP in 2004
to 2.6% in 2006. It is the first
time since EMU entrance that
the deficit falls below the 3%
limit.
STRONG GROWTH
Economic growth reached 3.7% in
2005 and 4.3% in 2006.
Greece enjoys one of the highest
growth rates in the European
Union and the eurozone. In
2005, the growth rate for EU
countries was 1.7% and for euro-
zone members 1.4%.
JOB CREATION AND FALLING
UNEMPLOYMENT
The unemployment rate has fall-
en from 10.5% in 2004 to 8.9% in
2006.
This is the first time that unem-
ployment falls below 9% since 1998.
INCREASING INVESTMENT
Total investment in Greece went
up by 9.5% in 2006 in comparison
with 2005.
In 2006, Foreign Direct
Investment reached_4.2bn (2% of
GDP), nine times higher than
2005.
RISING EXPORTS
Exports went up by 13.7% in 2005
and by 18.2% in 2006.
IMPROVING COMPETITIVENESS
Greece went up eight places
according to the latest ranking of
the Institute for Management
Development based in
Switzerland.
IMPROVED ECONOMIC
ENVIRONMENT
The index of economic climate
composed by the EU and the
Foundation for Economic and
Industrial Research is on a
steadily upward trend since June
2005.
The latest ratings of Fitch,
Moody's and R&I reviewed
Greece's outlook from stable to
positive.
6 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
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The Prime Minister of Greece, Mr Kostas Karamanlis with the Greek
Minister of Economy and Finance, Mr George Alogoskoufis.
The Greek Minister of Economy and Finance, Mr. George
Alogoskoufis and his Chinese counterpart Mr. Jin Renqing met in
Beijing in October 2007 in the context of the largest Greek business
delegation's visit to China.
The Minister of Economy and Finance, Mr. George Alogoskoufis
addressing members of the Japanese business community on Greece:
The ideal business partner in Southeastern Europe and the prospects
of the economy after the Olympic Games, in Tokyo in May 2005.
TThe Greek Minister of Economy and Finance, Mr. George
Alogoskoufis, rings the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange
in November 2006.
The Greek Minister of Economy and Finance, Mr. George Alogoskoufis,
during the India-Greece Business Forum organized by the Hellenic
Foreign TradeBoard (HEPO) in New Delhi in February 2007.
The Greek Minister of Economy and Finance, Mr. George Alogoskoufis
speaks at the presentation of HEPOs programme for 2007.
7 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
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8 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
SUMMER 2007
O6GreekGourmetravelerGreek Food, Wine & Travel MagazineEditor-in-ChiefDiane KochilasEditorial Assistant & TranslationsEvelyna Foukou Art Director & Designerk2designHEPO Liaison Anastasia GaryfallouContributorsDimitris Andonopoulos, Anthee Carassava, Georgia Kofinas, Diana Farr Louis, Sofia Perpera,The Cretan Scribe, Diane ShugartContributing Chefs Yiannis Baxevannis, Hector Botrini, NenaIsmirnoglou, Dimitris Lemonis, Miltos Karoumbas,Martin Kirchgasser Lefteris Lazarou, Jean Metayer,Stelios Parliaros, Christoforos Peskias, AthanasiosSkouras, Kostas VassalosPhotographyAthens News Agency, Benaki MuseumPhotography Archive (Nelly's, Dimitris Charisiadis,Elli Papadimitriou), Yiorgos Dracopoulos,Contantinos Pittas, Vassilis Stenos
Food StylingDawn Brown, Tina Webb
PrintingKorifi Publications SAISSN1790-5990CoverVassilis Stenos PublisherHellenic Foreign Trade Board
Legal representativePanagiotis Drossos, CEOMarinou Antipa 86-88Ilioupoli, 163 46 Athens, GreeceTel: 00 30 210 998 2100Fax: 00 30 210 996 9100http://www.hepo.grhttp://www.kerasma.com
Information and subscriptionGreekGourmetraveler, a publication of the HellenicForeign Trade Board, promotes Greek cuisine, wine,travel, and culture. The magazine is distributed freeof charge to food-, beverage-, wine-, and travel-industry professionals. If you wish to subscribe, visit our website atwww.hepo.gr or www.kerasma.com Reproduction of articles and photographs No articles, recipes, or photographs published inthe GreekGourmetraveler may be reprinted with-out permission from the publisher. All rightsreserved. GreekGourmetravelerHellenic ForeignTrade Board.
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9 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
From juicy watermelon to Greek salad revisited, our sixth issue of the
GreekGourmetraveler is overflowing with the delicious flavors of a sun-drenched
Greek summer.
In this issue, we visit islands and savor the cuisine and pantry of the Aegean, but
we also take you on a delicious, healthful journey to some of Greece's most extraor-
dinary travel destinations, its world-class spas, in an article written by Time mag-
azine reporter Anthee Carassava. She interviews spa chefs and nutritionists and
illustrates how our ancient Mediterranean cuisine is still relative and apt for the
healthful needs of contemporary spa cooking.
Health and flavor have always gone hand in hand in Greek cuisine. It's no wonder
that a country with over 6,000 edible plants should also have one of the most pro-
found relationships to herbs, as veteran GGT writer Diana Farr Louis reports.
Tradition abounds in every aspect of the Greek kitchen, but so does innovation, and
nowhere is it more evident than in the iconoclastic approach modern chefs have
taken to the most recognized icon of the Greek table: Village Salad. As well-known
Athenian restaurant critic Dimitris Andonopoulos writes, Greek chefs are putting a
new spin on this timeless classic.
In this issue we also pay homage to cuisine in its broader social and cultural terms,
with a visit upon one of Greece's most renowned literary figures, Nikos
Kazantzakis, whose works provide a mirror to the food lore of his native Crete.
No Greek summer table would be complete without a bite into a wedge of cool,
ripe, succulent summer fruit, from ruby-red cherries to mouthwatering watermel-
ons. Greece produces some of the most desirable fruits in Europe, as seasoned GGT
contributor Diane Shugart relays.
Arguably, though, no other product of our considerable gastronomic heritage has
surpassed ethnic boundaries as successfully as our wines have, able to pair up to a
whole new world of international foods. Oenologist Sofia Perpera pours forth a
fascinating vintage of Greek wine knowledge, offering valuable advice for how to
marry the distinct wines of Greece with the global gourmet table.
This is a strong issue, perhaps our strongest to date, filled with sunny pictures,
great, informative articles, inspired recipes and more. Enjoy it all summer long, no
matter where you are!
Kali Orexi!
Diane Kochilas
Editor-in-Chief
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ForagingFor Flavor Herbs in Greek Cooking and Health
By Diana Farr Louis
Photography: Vassilis Stenos
Food Styling: Dawn Brown
If you don't have mint, you have nothing, says Litsa
Anagnostaki, a taverna owner in Chania, Crete, as she adds a
finely chopped bunch of fresh leaves to her filling for the
island's signature cheese pies. Tea made from rigani (oregano)
is good for coughs, advises a bright-eyed great-grandmother
in Rethymno but, she cautions, don't sprinkle too much on
your food because it can make you swell up.
11 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
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Both women represent twin
threads in Greek botanical lore:
herbs as essential seasonings for
food and as natural aids to health.
From earliest times, Greeks had an
intimate relationship with their
plants, gathering them from fields
and mountains, devising uses for
them over millennia of trial and
error. Herbs even played a part in
rituals.
Some, like thyme and rosemary,
were burnt as incense--the former
to instill courage in warriors before
battle, the latter to banish evil spir-
its. Sweet yet pungent oregano
branches found their way into both
wedding garlands and wreaths on
tombs. Thought to have been cre-
ated by Aphrodite as a symbol of
happiness, the very word means
jewel of the mountains (ori =
mountains, ganos = jewel).
Marjoram, its milder cousin, was
also woven into wedding crowns
and funeral wreaths to bring peace
and contentment in this life and
the next.
Other herbs originated in myth,
usually as nymphs attempting to
escape a god's attention or a god-
dess's wrath. Mint (Menthe), for
example, was a comely favorite of
Pluto. His ardor inflamed
Persephone's jealousy. Long since
accustomed to spending half the
year in Hades, the queen of the
underworld started to kick and
trample the unfortunate lass, but
Pluto intervened. He transformed
her into a fragrant, resiliant shrub
that would remind him of her pres-
ence every time he touched her
leaves.
The laurel or bay tree came into
being when Apollo pursued the
lovely but chaste nymph, Daphne.
Rather than submit to him, she
turnedwith some help from her
mother, Gaeainto a tree with
strongly aromatic leaves. Although
thwarted, Apollo made the tree
(daphne in Greek) his symbol. He
wore a pliant branch as a crown to
herald his victory over the giant
serpent Python on Mt. Parnassos.
Later, the winners at the Pythian
Games at Delphi were also
crowned with laurel wreaths, while
the priestess there apparently
chewed bay leaves before mutter-
ing her ambiguous prophecies. Its
connotations of merit and distinc-
tion have come down to us in
terms like Nobel Laureate or to
rest on one's laurels.
12 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
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But an infusion of bay leaves can
also soothe stomach cramps, and
their volatile oils act as a tonic for
the stomach. At the same time,
they are an indispensable flavoring
for bean and lentil soups, stews of
all kinds, marinades, baked fish,
roast chicken, and even dried figs.
HERBS THAT HEAL
Nearly every herb used in Greek
cooking possesses healing proper-
ties. Food historian Alan Davidson
defines an herb as a plant with a
stem which is not woody and
whose green parts, usually leaves,
sometimes stalks, are used to
flavour food, as well as a plant of
medical importance. This definition
would exclude bay and rosemary
and even some varieties of thyme,
sage and oregano, so we might
ignore it except as a general guide.
In fact, it is difficult to draw the line
between herbs and edible plants in
Greece, where so many species
exist and find their way into the
kitchen or medicine cabinet.
Any botanist will tell you that
because of its position between
Europe, Africa, and Asia, Greece
accounts for a prodigious wealth of
plants. At least 6,000 species have
been identified, 750 of which are
endemic. Contrast this with
Britain, which has a mere 2,300
species. Hippocrates, the father of
medicine, discovered therapeutic
uses for 237 plants in the fifth cen-
tury B.C. Two hundred or so years
later Theophrastus demystified the
so-called magical attributes of
healing plants, and in the first cen-
tury A.D. Dioscorides expanded on
his predecessors' knowledge when
prescribing cures. His Roman suc-
cessor, Pliny the Elder, managed to
analyze eight percent of the 6,000
species. His achievement is truly
exceptional if you consider that
barely five percent of the world's
600,000 species have been stud-
ied even today. Sadly, after Galen of
Asia Minor, who was physician to
Marcus Aurelius in the second cen-
tury AD, all scientific inquiry into
the nature and qualities of plants
came to a halt and was not taken
up again for another 1,400 years.
This does not mean that ordinary
people stopped using herbal reme-
dies. On the contrary, they contin-
ued to draw on long-established
practices, advising camomile for
eye problems, spearmint for colic
and vomiting, basil for migraines
13 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
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and constipation, parsley for kid-
ney disorders and hypertension,
and sage for almost everything else
that ailed them, from lack of ener-
gy to colds, sore throats, and
memory loss.
In addition to basic remedies that
were common knowledge, every
village had its mendicant, a wise
man or woman with special
expertise in plant cures. To this
day, people go to the herb vendors
in urban markets and rely on their
advice for healing various ailments.
Over time, some areas became
famous for their folk healers. One
of these was the Vikos Gorge dis-
trict in Epirus. Specialists known as
komboyiannites, a composite word
perhaps deriving from herbal pack-
ets (kombi) and Yiannina, the town
nearest the gorge, used to gather
herbs from the mountains and
then travel around the Ottoman
Empire selling them and dispens-
ing their cures. Interestingly, when
spelled with one 'n,' the word also
means quack.
But there was no doubt as to the
benefit of Greek herbs and a diet
based on them--although it would
take Westerners until a few
decades ago to realize this. As
Paula Wolfert reports in her book
Mediterranean Greens and Grains at
the turn of the last century, an
Ottoman physician dispatched to
Crete complained to his superiors
in Constantinople: Everyone here
is his own doctor. The people eat
only herbs, greens, and olive oil.
They don't need me.
They were just doing what came
naturally. Linear B tablets
unearthed at Mycenae document
trade in such herbs as coriander,
cumin, mint, and fennel. Although
they were probably used in essen-
tial oils and perfumes rather than
condiments, there is strong evi-
dence from molecular analysis of
clay cooking pots that herbs found
their way into ancient stews. We
also have the recipes of Athenaeus
and later Greeks and Romans (who
always had Greek cooks) that call
for seasonings such as fennel,
aniseed, basil, oregano, rue, savory
(throumbi), sage, and thyme, to
mention just a few. The Romans
14 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
Herbs capture thevery essence ofGreece: light,warmth and rockysoil
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prized dill so highly that the state
took advantage of its desirability
and levied a tax on the herb. And
everyone with a smidgen of knowl-
edge of ancient culinary habits
knows the fate of silphium--a plant
so popular it was gobbled to
extinction.
ANCIENT HERBS, MODERN PLATES
Many of these herbs are as intrinsic
to Greek cooking now as they were
in antiquity; just a few are no
longer in fashion. Aniseed and
coriander (whose odor the
ancients compared to that of bed-
bugs) rarely appear in dishes, sage
and rue practically never, although
rue in the garden is thought to
deter malicious gossip. Other
herbs are enjoying a comeback.
Take chervil, for instance. Two vari-
eties, called kafkalithres and myroni,
have recently joined the vast dis-
plays of greenery at Athens street
markets as ingredients for salads,
soups, and stews. A decade ago
you would have found them only in
certain dishes in the southern
Peloponnese.
Wild fennel (maratho) is also gain-
ing favor. With a much more pro-
nounced touch of anise than the
fennel bulb and its feathery leaves,
it traditionally turns up in the
cooking of the Aegean islands and
Crete, and combines beautifully
with octopus and cuttlefish stews,
artichokes, greens pies, and on its
own in fritters (marathokeftethes).
The name derives from the
Marathon battlefield, where it sup-
posedly grew in abundance. Its
more delicate relative, dill, appears
all over the country in lettuce sal-
ads, spinach and artichoke
casseroles, pickles and stuffings for
vegetables and vine leaves.
While you could gather almost any
herb except parsley and basil just by
wandering on a Greek hillside, most
Greeks today are too busy and too
urbanized to forage themselves.
Luckily, they don't have to. At their
weekly open-air markets, they can
choose from an array of potted
plants for their balconies, fragrant
bunches picked that morning, and
sachets or bundles of dried herbs.
The variety is overwhelming. But
15 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
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Greek shoppers are notorious in
demanding only the freshest ingre-
dients and sometimes mix up to
thirty different kinds of greens and
herbs in their legendary hortopittes
(greens pies).
A visit to the herb and spice empo-
riums on Evripidou street around
the Athens Central Market high-
lights the importance of herbs to
city dwellers. One corner shop, no
bigger than a closet, boasts 300
varieties for sale, neatly stacked in
cellophane envelopes like office
files. A larger neighbor, with sack-
fuls of familiar and arcane season-
ings, never has fewer than 10 cus-
tomers standing at the counter,
contradicting the notion that
Greek cooks hesitate before experi-
menting with new tastes. Says one
shopkeeper, You can't predict
what people will buy. One day
everyone will want mountain tea,
the next it might be branches of
wild rigani.
In fact, there are signs that imagi-
native entrepreneurs are beginning
to look beyond the local market for
customers. From the covered mar-
ket in Chania to tourist shops in
Plaka and dozens of resorts, promi-
nent displays of attractively pack-
aged herbs from all over the coun-
try show that herbs are fast becom-
ing trendy souvenirs. And why not?
Tastes and memories are insepara-
ble and herbs capture the very
essence of Greece: light, warmth
and rocky soil. Oregano might well
grow in a northern climate but it
will never develop the oils that we
associate with that extra some-
thing in our village salad.
As Andrew Dalby concludes in Siren
Feasts, a history of food and gas-
tronomy in Greece, the reliance on
certain herbs since time immemo-
rial means that Europe's oldest
cuisine has never lost its original
and unique flavor.
16 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
Herbal infusions area longstanding tradi-tion as Greeks havealways thought ofherbs for their thera-peutic as well as aro-matic qualities.
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17 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
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BeanCuisine
Every time I ask my Greek student chefs to name a national
Greek dish, they undoubtedly mention fasolada, bean soup. This
hearty bean soup, made with plenty of onions, tomatoes, olive
oil, and aromatic vegetables like celery and carrots or herbs such
as parsley, is both frugal and nutritious. It is also a mirror of
regional culinary distinctions, spiked with hot peppers in
Macedonia, where spicy food is embraced, or perfumed with
orange zest in Crete.
19 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
By Georgia Kofinas
Photography: Vassilis Stenos
Food Styling: Dawn Brown
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Beans and legumes have always
been essential to the Greek table, a
staple during fasting, a life-saving
food during wars and famine.
Today, beans and legumes are sta-
tus symbols for healthy eating.
Legumes, which include beans, are
second only to the cereal grasses in
their importance in the human
diet. They contain high percent-
ages of protein, iron, and fiber; lit-
tle to no fat; no cholesterol; and
significant amounts of other min-
erals, such as potassium, zinc, and
magnesium. They're also a rich
source of calcium, especially black-
eyed peas and chickpeas, which
contain over 200 mg. of calcium in
one cup, even more than some
cheeses.
Legumes have been part of the
human diet since the days of our
hunter-gatherer ancestors 12,000
years ago. The ancient Greeks
called legumes phaselos (hence the
Greek word for bean, phasoli),
which became the Latin Phaseolus,
a name adopted to describe the
New World bean family. Legumes
can be divided into Old World
legumes such as lentils, chickpeas,
peas, soybeans, fava beans,
lupines, and black-eyed peas, and
New World legumes, which
include limas, kidney beans, black
turtle beans, cranberry, and can-
nellini beans. Today those distinc-
tions are essentially academic,
since New World legumes have
been cultivated in the
Mediterranean for centuries.
GREEK BEAN CUISINE
While there are regions of Greece
renowned for the cultivation of
specific legumes , other parts of
the country are known for specific
bean recipes.
Santorini is known for its many
recipes for the humble yellow split
pea and Rhodes and Sifnos are
renowned for their chick pea dish-
es. In Sifnos, the local specialty is a
slow-cooked, clay-baked chick pea
20 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
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soup that simmers all night in
wood-burning ovens; in Rhodes
chick-pea fritters spiced with
cumin are a local treat.
In Crete, an island with countless
bean dishes, chick peas are crushed
and fermented and used as starter
in one of Greece's most unusual
breads. They are also served forth
with fish, especially salt cod.
But by far, no legume captures the
local imagination among Cretan
cooks as much as the ancient
broad bean, which islanders savor
both fresh and dried. The former is
floured and pan-fried when young,
served raw in salads together with
wild artichokes, braised with arti-
chokes and peas and other spring
vegetables into lemony one-pot
masterpieces, and turned, like the
Santorini split pea, into a luscious
puree that is the perfect match for
preserved fish, raw onions, herbs,
and more. Dried broad beans also
find their place in the local kitchen,
21 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
Beans and legumeshave always beenessential to theGreek table.
GREEK PGI BEANS
Some of Greece's best
beans are found in the
northern central regions
of the Prespes Lakes,
Nevrokopi, Florina, and
Kastoria. The famed Greek
gigantes and elephantes,
which are varieties of the
giant white kidney bean,
have been cultivated up
here since the 1980s and
are renowned for their
excellent quality, thanks
to the region's moderate
temperatures and rainfall,
calcium-rich soil, and
good drainage of the ter-
rain.
In 1996, the European
Union acknowledged the
giant and elephant
beans of the Prespes
Lakes as products of
Protected Geographic
Indication (PGI). There
are five other PGI desig-
nations for Greek beans:
Fasolia Gigantes-
Elefantes, Kastorias;
Fasolia Gigantes-
Elefantes, Kato
Nevrokopi; Fasolia
Gigantes-Prespon
Florinas; Fasolia Koina
Mesosperma, Kato
Nevrokopi; and Fasoli
Plake Megalosperma
Prespon Florinas.
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soaked in salt water and roasted
into an irresistible snack that
tastes almost like popcorn, or
stewed fragrantly with onions, bay
leaf, tomatoes, and cinnamon.
One of the oldest legumes are
black eyed peas, and in the
Peloponnese cooks have a special
affinity for them. Simply boiled,
they make an appetizing summer
salad combined with chopped
fresh onions, parsley or dill, and
capers. Southern Peloponnese
recipes for black-eyed peas com-
bine them in a stew with chervil,
celery or wild greens, or baked in a
thick tomato sauce.
Legumes and beans are a natural
match with the countless greens
and herbs that grow throughout
Greece, and many a casserole mar-
rying both can be found all over the
country. Cranberry beans cooked
with celery and pasta make for an
old Corfu dish of Jewish origin;
chick peas and spinach are a classic
of the cuisine of Epirus, as are bean
soups with country style sausages
or with cabbage, and even stewed
lamb or pork with beans.
So many bean and legume recipes
are region-specific, but bean cui-
sine is enjoyed far and wide all over
the country. Legumes are paired
with rice in nutritionally balanced,
simple dishes; fakorizo, or lentil-
rice pilaf, and chick peas with rice
are two classics. Pasta and beans
are among some of the oldest
Greek dishes, especially in places
like Rhodes, where chick peas and
noodles are a match, and in Corfu,
where cranberry beans, celery and
pasta combine to make one of the
heartiest Greek stews. Soups are
made with all manner of legumes,
but the lentil and the cannellini
reign supreme.
22 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
Dishes that marry beans and greensare found all over Greece.
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23 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
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OTHER REGIONAL BEANS
Greece's northern clime,
with its ample rainfall and
rich soil is conducive to bean
production, but other
regions in the country, espe-
cially some of the islands,
are known for their excellent
quality old-world varieties.
Santorini, for example, with
its dry climate, and calcium-
rich, porous soil, is particularly
conducive to the production
of yellow split peas, called fava
in Greek. Arguably, Santorini's
fava, tiny, pale yellow, and
almost chalky, as if to evince
the island's volcanic soil, is one
of the most haute of Greece's
regional legumes. This top-
quality yellow split pea melts
when boiled into a delicious,
velvety puree. Although yel-
low split pea puree is common
fare all over Greece, typically
served with raw onions and
olive oil, it has been the staple
food on the island for eons. It
is also the stuff of contempo-
rary Santorini cuisine. Chefs
turn the humble yellow split
pea into fritters, sauces, pie
There are six Greek bean varieties acknowledged by The European Union asproducts of Protected Geographic Indication.
24 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
A GIANT IN EVERY WAY
But by far, the one Greek legume
that stands above all others, as
standard fare on taverna menus, as
an ambassador of the elegant sim-
plicity of the best Greek cooking,
and as fodder for modern chefs, is
the Greek giant bean, gigantes.
Boiled then baked in a rich tomato
sauce until the skin becomes
crispy while the bean retains its
buttery softness, gigantes are one
of the all-time favorite Greek dish-
es. They are also extremely versa-
tile. Fine Greek restaurants might
serve them as an accompaniment
to charred octopus, with nothing
more than a simple dressing of
olive oil, vinegar, salt, and
oregano.
In my cooking classes we've
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25 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
crusts, and luscious purees,
served forth in martini glasses
and terrines, and garnished
with everything from seafood
to capers to kiwis.
An even rarer and much less
commercial regional legume
is the tiny, delicate, pale
brown lentil cultivated in the
high altitude village of
Englovis on the Ionian island
of Lefkada, where the mild
temperatures allow for its
early harvest. Local cooks
simply boil lentils with garlic,
oregano, and olive oil and
press them against the sides
of the pot until they are
mashed, adding just enough
water to make a thick
creamy soup.
A very popular Old World bean
is the kouki, or large, green
broad bean, which Americans
typically call fava beans. Crete,
especially the island's moder-
ately wet Lasithi plateau, is
known for its broad beans,
but so are Alexandroupoli and
Halkidiki in northeastern
Greece, Ioannina in the north-
west, and Corfu.
boiled, skewered, and rolled them
in bread crumbs before frying
them in olive oil as a tasty meze,
and I have encouraged my stu-
dents to add them to the classic
Greek salad of tomatoes, cucum-
bers, onions, and feta.
Certain preparations, such as
soups and some of the heartier
stews, are seasonal, winter dishes,
but by and large most Greek bean
dishes know no season and are
delicious year-round. They may
also be served at room tempera-
ture when cooked on their own
with olive oil. Contemporary chefs
are rediscovering legumes as a way
to offer healthy menu items but
also as a way to play with the tex-
tures, colors, and flavors of these
versatile ingredients.
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Spa Cuisine la Grecque Greece's culinary traditions marry perfectly with healthful spa fare
Does the thought of Spa Cuisine conjure up visions of a lone
lettuce leaf and insipid proteins? Does a detox menu beckon
a denial of pleasurable foods or an acceptance of unpalatable
ones? If so, then think again. There's no reason, say skilled
culinary experts and nutritionists across Greece, why the
notion of health and fitness can't blend smoothly with a savory,
satisfying meal, one in which the basics of the Greek-
Mediterranean diet marry perfectly.
27 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
By Anthee Carassava
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Spa cuisine, says Roula Tsakalou,
head nutritionist at the Hotel
Grande Bretagne's GB Spa, is not
about dieting, fads, or weight-
reduction programs that strain the
emotional and physical balance of
the body. The emphasis, she says,
is a mindful approach toward food
that encourages healthy dietary
habits. That means high-quality
whole foods, minimally processed
and simply prepared to maximize
natural beauty, flavor, and health
benefits.
For us, says Tsakalou, who spent
months developing a spa cuisine
menu with Grande Bretagne's head
chef, spa cuisine has less to do
with calories or grams of carbohy-
drates and fats, and more with a
wholesome, healthy meal that
complements the relaxing experi-
ence offered at the spa.
Take the GB's savory tuna carpac-
cio, as an example. Drizzled with
sesame ginger dressing and often
followed with green asparagus
splashed with fresh Greek yogurt
dressing and toasted pine kernels,
the dish is just one of the scrump-
tious healthy choices offered at the
hotel's sprawling Atrium.
Other popular menu items include
a (very Greek) fricassee of sea-
soned, pan-seared chicken breast
with artichoke hearts. Sprinkled
with chopped thyme, the dish
rivals any gourmet meal offered at
the five-star Grande Bretagne. We
went to great lengths not to
deprive our meals of taste and
enjoyment, says Tsakalou.
Low calorie food dominated the
1980s, switching, a decade later, to
low-fat products. Then, came the
carb-craze era. Today, a wiser nutri-
tional approach to eating is taking
root, one in which vegetablesone
of the mainstays of the Greek diet
play center plate. Good taste, of
course, is crucial, and in the Greek
kitchen flavors are always robust.
In recent years, food researchers in
the United States have started
working on spa-inspired entrees
with lighter flavors, different ingre-
dients, and larger vegetable por-
tions. Such was the interest, that
spa cuisine and its panoply of easy-
to-prepare dishes took home-cook-
28 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
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ing and connoisurs by storm. "Spa
food is very health-conscious," says
Jeff Crosland, executive chef at Red
Mountain Spa in St. George, Utah.
"Its aim is to maintain the highest
integrity of the food, both nutri-
ent- and taste-wise."
With Greek food maintaining many
salient features such as the use of
olives, olive oil, cheeses made with
goats' or sheeps' milk, and other
natural products, chefs and nutri-
tionists concede the national cui-
sine is naturally apt for spa cuisine.
Greek cuisine, they say, displays an
overwhelming capacity to absorb
and reprocess influences from
practically any direction.
Greece could be the host of spa
cuisine, says Keith-Thomas Ayoob,
a Greek-American nutritionist, tel-
evision host, and national
spokesperson for the American
Dietetic Association. Greek cuisine
is all about freshnessplenty of
fruits and vegetables, beans, lots of
fish, and, of course, the olive oil.
Despite Spa Cuisine's new-found
craze and Greek influence in the
West, spa cuisine in Greece is just
beginning to gain momentum.
Most deluxe hotels in Athens offer
menus with light, healthy meals--
mainly leafy salads, fresh juices
(made with the country's excellent
selection of seasonal fruits), and
herbal teas, another tradition in
Greece, where herbs have long
been consumed for their therapeu-
tic values.
Still, the Grande Bretagne has been
one of the initiators of spa cuisine,
nudging the lifestyle-cum-culinary
trend to a new level since inaugu-
rating its palatial, five-star spa in
the heart of the Greek capital in
2003. Since then, other hotels and
spas have followed suit.
The key to spa cuisine is fresh,
organically grown produce. Savory
rubs, brines, and marinades are
used more commonly, adding zest
without fat. Fish, also, are
smoked, cured, and poached and
complemented with fresh sauces
and garnishes of garlic, lemon, and
parsley.
At Life Gallery, a modern hotel nes-
tled in the northern outskirts of
Athens, hotel chef Dimitris
29 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
Greek cuisine, withits emphasis on fresh-ness, is naturally aptfor spa cookery.
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Lemonis says he gives serious con-
sideration to the food's origin, sea-
sonality, and nutritional value as
well as the complete culinary expe-
rience. Lemonis' innovative and
appetizing menus highlight his
culinary expertise in gourmet
restaurants.
Among the tasty monthly selec-
tions offered: tender spinach leaves
with a variation of Greek nuts,
olive oil and lemon vinaigrette,
roasted salmon, and a captivating
carrot granita.
The objective is to avoid highly
processed foods and artificial addi-
tives, and to reduce the intake [of
foods ] that are high in saturated
fat or cholestorol, says Lemonis.
With this is mind, he quips, Greek
cuisine offers the best basis for spa
cuisine.
Indeed. With its high intake of
cereals, grains, vegetables, dried
beans, olive oil, fresh herbs, and
seafood, the Mediterranean diet
believed to help reduce the risk of
heart disease and increase life
expectancyoffers an easy basis
for the switch to spa cuisine.
In Aedipsos, Evia, north of Athens,
the Thermae Sylla Spa Wellness
Hotel makes use of the fertile earth
that provides the raw ingredients
for a tantalizing variety of delicious
and healthy dishes.
Greece, says chef Thomas
Constantine of Thermae Sylla, is
rich in food resources due to its cli-
mate and geographic location. We
make great use of those natural
products and produce our own
seasonal vegetables and oil in a
local garden. Local producers are
also carefully screened for their
products.
Any use of ready-made, canned or
processed foods is forbidden, he
says.
Among the dishes carefully pre-
pared at Sylla's resort spa: wild rice
with baby shrimp, grilled fillet of
pork with homemade applesauce,
and Cretan barley rusk with fresh
tomato, aromatic herbs, olive oil
and Cretan soft sheep's milk
cheese.
Feta fits in too. But instead of
using a huge slab on top of the
salad, suggests Ayoob, take about
30 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
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31 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
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a quarter of the portion and crum-
ble it over the salad. Dessert is also
part of spa cuisine. A pear poached
in some Mavrodaphne wine or a
fruit salad with a little sweet
Samos Muscat wine are both great
ends to a healthful meal. An other
option, says Ayoob, is some of the
low-fat strained Greek yogurt and
spoon sweets. The idea here is that
they are 'spoon' sweets not 'scoop'
sweets. That means that you have
a small spoon of your favorite one
and not the whole jar with your
yogurt.
On the island of Crete, the Six
Senses Spa offers another succu-
lent experience. Situated within
the Elounda De Luxe Resort, the
breathtaking spa provides an unri-
valled range of signature treat-
ments and treats that focus on
health, beauty, stress reduction,
and rejuvenation using pure and
natural products.
Most importantly, Elounda chefs
and managers say the menu's
emphasis is on the region's most
prided products: fish and seafood.
For us, says Jean Metayer, the
French-born chief chef of the
resort, the emphasis was working
with Greek products not Greek cui-
sine per se to produce the basis of
a healthy spa cuisine menu.
Calorie counts and diet thinking
were taken least into considera-
tion says Metayer who crafted the
menu three years ago with Jacque
Le Divellec, star chef and owner of
Frances' Michelin 2-star Le Sea
Grill.
The result? A lavish Spa Cuisine
menu available to every customer,
not just to the resort's spa-goers.
Starters include a string of light
entrees ranging from lobster
carpaccio and lemon-olive oil vinai-
grette to octopus salad with local
Cretan pligouri (cracked wheat).
The sea bass tartar with light
lemon mousse tops the menu's
main course meal, together with
crayfish and aubergine caviar, and
sole filets with Greek yogurt-herb
pesto. The menu is a star attrac-
tion for most visitors who take to
Elounda for a deluxe vacation.
Greeks have always known that
their native cuisine and sun-and-
sea-drenched raw ingredients pro-
vide the basis for one of the world's
healthiest diets; it makes perfect
sense that these timeless tradi-
tions marry perfectly with con-
temporary spa trends.
32 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
Anthee Carassava is the Athens correspondent for Time magazine.
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1. Cut the sea bream into very thin
slices and marinate with the salt,
sugar, lemon juice, chili and spring
onions for about 10 minutes.
2. Place the sea bream on a plate,
sprinkle with fresh spring onions and
olive oil. Serve.
34 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
Marinated Sea Bream
Grande Bretagne, Executive Chef Martin Kirchgasser
For 4 servings
1 3/4 pounds (400 gr) seabream
100 ml lemon juice
1 scant tsp. salt
1 scant tsp. sugar
3 tsp. chopped spring onions
1 small red chili pepper
100 ml olive oil
Kerasma recipes Spa Cuisine
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Grilled Swordfish with Fennel and Eggplants
Grande Bretagne, Executive Chef Martin Kirchgasser
For 4 servings
2 pounds (800 gr) Swordfish fresh
1 3/4 pounds (200 gr.) eggplant, sliced
1 3/4 pounds (200 gr.) zucchini sliced
1 3/4 pounds (200 gr.) fennel sliced
100 ml olive oil
60 ml lemon juice
1 pound (400 gr.) potatoes sliced, cooked
1. Grill the swordfish until medium
done. Grill the sliced eggplants, zuc-
chini, fennel and potatoes and place
them on a warm plate.
2. Mix the lemon juice and the olive oil
with some salt and pepper and sprin-
kle over the swordfish. Serve.
35 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
Kerasma recipes Spa Cuisine
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1. Dice the tomato and cucumber and
finely chop all the greens and scallion.
2. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon
juice, salt, and pepper. Serve the salad
in a bowl, drizzle with the dressing
and garnish with the cheese. Serve.
36 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
Tomato Salad
Life Gallery Spa, Chef Dimitris Lemonis
For 1 serving
3 oz. (100 gr.) tomato
2 oz. (60 gr.) cucumber
1 oz. (40 gr.) arugula leaves
2 Tbsp. chopped water cress
2 Tbsp. curly endive, chopped
1 scant Tbsp. chopped scallion
30 gr. light Greek Anthotyro or cottage cheese
1 Tbs. extra virgin Greek olive oil
1 scant Tbsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Kerasma recipes Spa Cuisine
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Baked Gilthead Bream with Steamed Vegetables
Life Gallery Spa, Chef Dimitris Lemonis
For 1 serving
1 whole gilthead bream (about 1 pound/400 gr.)
1 oz. (30 gr.) cauliflower
1 oz. (30 gr.) broccoli
1 oz. (30 gr.) carrots
1 oz. (30 gr.) asparagus tips
1 oz. (30 gr.) thin green beans
30 ml extra virgin Greek olive oil
Fleur de sel
Pepper to taste
1. Wash, scale, and gut the fish very
well. Cut into two fillets and pat dry.
2. Marinated the fish fillets in olive oil,
lemon juice, fleur de sel, and pepper.
3. Steam the vegetables for 5-8 min-
utes. In the meanwhile, grill the fish
on high heat for 5-6 minutes. Season
the vegetables with salt and serve all
together.
37 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
Kerasma recipes Spa Cuisine
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38 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
At the Table withKazantzakis
Of all the contemporary depictions of Greece, perhaps none
has left as lasting an impression as Zorba the Greek, brainchild
of Cretan writer and Nobel candidate Nikos Kazantzakis.
Although Zorba was not a Cretan, Kazantzakis graced his pro-
tagonist with one of the most emblematic Cretan characteris-
tics: leventia, a word that combines gallantry, honor, defiance of
unjust authority, bounteousness, largesse, open-heartedness,
and panache all in one.
By the Cretan Scribe
Photography: Athens News Agency
Benaki Museum Photography Archive
Vassilis Stenos
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Kazantzakis (1883-1957), the
emblematic literary figure of Crete
par excellence, was born in
Herakleion and made the island
the backdrop for many of his
books. Through his works, we
glimpse the rich heritage of Crete,
its history, its daily life, its leventia.
We also garner much about the
ancient yet constant food ways of
the island.
In two of his works, namely Report
to Greco and Freedom or Death,
Kazantzakis includes references to
food that provide glimpses of the
islanders relationship to the table,
level more profound than that of
mere nutrition. These depictions,
though written five decades ago,
are still fitting and telling of the
island's rich food culture, which
epitomizes the generosity of the
Cretan, and Greek, spirit.
Hospitality might find itself connect-
ed with quantity and largesse. In
Freedom or Death, a novel about a rev-
olutionary commander in Ottoman-
occupied Crete, Kazantzakis writes
about centenarian grandfathers
who express the fullness of their life
by enumerating their offspring, then
tallying the enemies they had killed
in honest battle and the war
wounds they had received in the
process. Inevitably, they describe
their cellars overflowing with
wheat, barley, olive oil, wine,
honey, raisins, and dried figs, then
declare that they are ready to
40 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
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depart this life, as they have pro-
vided their descendants with free-
dom (through battles) and with
material goods (the filled cellars).
Such a reckoning is as old as man,
evident in the Homeric eidata polla
(a multitude of foodstuffs), and
the Bible:
And they took strong cities, and a fat
land, and possessed houses full of all
goods, wells digged, vineyards, and
oliveyards, and fruit trees in abun-
dance: so they did eat, and were filled,
and became fat, and delighted them-
selves in thy great goodness.
(Nehemiah 9:25)
The bounty of the land continues
to this day in Crete, a place blessed
with a varied geography and cli-
mate, with people who still live
close to the land, and with cooks
inventive enough to turn simple
vegetables into delicious, nutri-
tious farethe quintessence of the
Mediterranean diet. It is not acci-
dental that agricultural produce,
and especially cereals (the staff of
life), are called gennimata in Greek,
which means that which the earth
has given birth to.
Food, however, does not limit itself
to the notion of plentifulness, for the
simple reason that agricultural
bounty has been a phenomenon
that is no more than four decades
old. Food is also intimately tied to
the deepest of all Cretan sentiments:
hospitality, camaraderie, and pride.
In Freedom or Death, Kazantzakis
41 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
ThroughKazantzakis work,we glimpse the richheritage of Crete.
Elli
Pap
adim
itri
ou
Ben
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useu
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rchi
veN
elly
s
Ben
aki M
useu
m A
rchi
ve
Nel
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gives us Aliagas, the emaciated
and smooth-faced neighborhood
pauper, who describes eloquently
and poetically to the neighborhood
housewives the [fictitious and non-
existent] elaborate meals that he
has prepared and consumed. The
housewives all marvel at his gas-
tronomic prowess, and then exhort
and implore him to accept some of
their own homely, simple food; this
is nothing but a stratagem to offer
alms and food to the pauper in a
way that would not hurt his pride
or make him appear the beggar.
Hospitality is overriding in Crete to
the point that, even nowadays,
Cretan hosts will urge a guest to
partake of their food in ways and
with language the guest could
consider obtrusive, even brash.
This constitutes part of an ages-
long shrewd and astute game, in
which the host has to preempt the
guest's initial, polite, refusal of the
food offered.
In Report to Greco, Kazantzakis
describes a poignant incident that
shows how Cretans interpret their
duty of hospitality. In one of the
author's treks throughout Crete,
nightfall found him at an unfamil-
iar village. He knocked on the door
of the village priest, knowing that
he could spend the night at his
house. The priest welcomes him
cordially, offers him dinner and a
bed for the night. In the morning,
he prepares breakfast for him and
then bids him farewell. Minutes
later, on the street, Kazantzakis is
informed by a passerby that the
priest's only son had died the day
before and that, even as he was
being served dinner by the priest,
the bereaved female relatives were
holding a vigil to lament the son's
loss. However, it was unthinkable
42 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
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to the priest not to open the door
and offer food to a stranger.
In the middle of August, walking in
the sultry afternoon heat,
Kazantzakis meets an old lady on
the street who treats him to two of
the figs she had just collected.
Surprised, Kazantzakis asks the old
woman:
Lady, do you know me?
She looks at him as if she were
startled by the question, and
answers back:
No, child. Do I have to know you
to offer you a treat? Aren't you a
human being? I am a human being
too. Isn't that reason enough?
The word the writer uses here for
'treat' is filvo, which comes from
offer a tidbit (what the rest of
Greece calls a krasma) to a friend.
Crete has always been an agrarian
society and the close ties people
have to the land, its cycle of
growth and all it gives them are
evinced in Kazantzakis' works.
In another August incident from
Report to Greco, Kazantzakis
describes his childhood memory of
sleeping outdoors in a watermelon
patch and being alarmed by unfa-
miliar creaking and squeaking nois-
es. He sidles over to his uncle, who
was sleeping some distance away,
and asks him if he knows what
these noises are. Go back to sleep,
city boy, his peasant uncle says, irri-
tated that his sensitive nephew had
interrupted his sleep. Is it the first
time you hear that? It's just the
watermelons as they are stretch-
ing, expanding, and growing.
In yet another stroll through Cretan
villages, Kazantzakis sees a bird of a
steel-blue hue flying overhead and
whistling. Fascinated by it, he asks
a villager for its name. The villager,
ever-practical, shrugged his shoul-
43 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
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ders and responds: What are you
fretting about? That bird's not an
edible one!
In yet another passage from Report
to Greco Kazantzakis mentions a
laurel wreath awarded to him for a
university saber-fencing victory. At
that time, he was planning to trav-
el around Europe with a friend,
who suggested they should take
the laurel wreath up north with
them, as the leaves would be indis-
pensable for stifdo, a slow-
braised, spiced ragout of meat,
tomatoes, and onions. After a two-
year stint in Germany, all the laurel
leaves (and tokens of his victory)
were gone, sacrificed on the altar
of many successive stifdos.
It is not accidental that Crete is
called Megalonisos, the big island,
for its largesse extends not only to
physical size (it is the fifth largest
island in the Mediterranean) but
to its spirit and its people, who
regale you with storiesand
mealslarger than life. Even the
smallest of gestures evince that
spirit, from the impromptu offer-
ing of a shot-glass (or two) of tsik-
oudia, the fiery grape distillate
each Cretan house is amply
stocked with, to the offering of a
glyko tou koutaliou, fruit preserve,
upon visiting any Cretan at home.
Even small things will be offered
with a richness of gesture. But the
guest has a reciprocal responsibili-
ty, too. Once you have satisfied
your hunger and thirst, don't be
surprised if you hear your host
utter a variation of this Homeric
turn of phrase:
We opened our door for you, we offered
you water to clean up, and have put
plenty of food and drink before you.
Now, it's your turn to delight us by
telling us who you are, who your fami-
ly is, where you come from, and what
you saw and experienced in this jour-
ney that has led you to our table.
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Flavors of the Aegean Greece's islands are home to some of the country's most unique foods
Nothing conjures up the dreamy images of Greece better than
the Aegean, home to countless islands big and small and to
cooking traditions as old as Homer.
47 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
By Diane Kochilas
Photography: Vassilis Stenos
Food Styling: Dawn Brown
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Islanders have their unique exis-
tence, defined by the deepest bond
to place and familial roots, in com-
mon with one another, regardless of
whether they come from places as
off-the-beaten track as Ikaria or as
cosmopolitan as Rhodes or
Santorini. Even the most touristed
islands, overrun by throngs of visi-
tors between April and October,
revert to their ancient selves once
the crowds go home. Agrarian
rhythms mark the days and seasons.
Beyond the strong sense of place
islands impart to their native sons
and daughters, the Aegean islands
are truly each and every one a sep-
arate universe. Their landscapes
are different from one another,
their histories individualsome
grand and indelibly linked to the
history of modern Europe; others
humbler and untrammeled still.
Even within specifically grouped
islands like the Cyclades and the
Dodecanese, each place is distinct,
often with its own dialect, its own
customs, and, without a doubt, its
own cuisine and place-specific
ingredients and dishes.
Yet, Aegean cooking may also be
seen as a whole, hewn of the pecu-
liarities of island life, the isolation,
the uncompromising arid land-
scape that characterizes most
Aegean islands, where raw ingredi-
ents were traditionally limited to a
few garden vegetables, pulses, wild
greens, fish, some meat, typically
goat or lamb. But this simple litany
of raw ingredients evolved over
time into countless delicious dish-
es, paeans to the ingenuity of sim-
ple cooks who hold one thing dear:
a respect for fine, seasonal foods.
The cooking of the Greek islands is
elemental Greek cooking. In some
places, fish plays a more important
role than in others; in some
islands, such as Sifnos, the staple
food might be the humble chick
48 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
Syros famed sweet, loukoumi.
-
pea, whereas in others, like
Santorini, the tiny yellow split pea
is the food of sustenance. In
Rhodes, the chick pea is also the
stuff of a national dish, in the form
of fritters seasoned with cumin, a
spice rarely found in other regional
Greek dishes and one that perhaps
evinces the island's place as a gate-
way East and South. But Aegean
cookery is nonetheless defined by
its foundations: The three pillars of
the Mediterranean, grapes, grains,
and olives, reign supreme in all the
islands in one form or another.
The pantry reflects agrarian cus-
toms, from oddities like the salt-
cured goat-meat pastourma on my
native island (it's hardly a commer-
cial product and is almost always
used to flavor bean soup) to more
elaborate charcuterie such as the
wine-soaked specialties of the
Cyclades and the unusual cured
fish that have been specialties of
Santorini, Sifnos, and other places.
In parts of the Dodecanese, certain
rare shellfish are put up in seawa-
ter brines, and to this day accom-
pany fishermen on their journeys
out to sea.
One of the grandest chapters in
the culinary annals of the Aegean
is surely its cheeses, with each
island claiming at least one special-
ty and many boasting a handful of
unique, fascinating products.
Regardless of specific products and
dishes, the cuisine of the Aegean is
marked by a pared down, no-non-
sense aesthetic, one that surely
derives from the hardships of island
life. Cooks here prefer honest,
straightforward dishes that allow
the ingredients to shine. In an effort
to share knowledge of at least some
of those raw ingredients, I have
included a brief pantry of the Aegean
as a way for distant mariners to
enjoy the simple delights of the
Aegean's mystical islands.
49 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
Island cooks preferhonest, straightfor-ward dishes thatallow the ingredientsto shine.
-
The Aegean Pantry(Adapted from The Glorious Foods of
Greece, William Morrow Publishers,
2001)
NORTHEASTERN AEGEAN CHEESES
Anthotyro Lesvou. Hard, blue-
rind, fez-shaped, aged whey
cheeses that are made from
sheep's milk and are a tradition on
Lesvos. Sometimes the cheese,
once air-dried, is further dehydrat-
ed in low-temperature ovens,
which helps it keep for long.
Kalathaki. The name means bas-
ket and it refers to the lovely bas-
ket-shaped, goat's milk white brine
cheese, akin to feta, that is native
to Limnos.
Ladotyri. Another cheese from
Lesvos, Ladotyri, or oil cheese, is a
hard, yellow sheep's milk cheese
that is air-dried then steeped in
olive oil to preserve.
Mastello. A relatively new cheese,
mastello is produced on Chios and
is mild and sweet. It is an excellent
cheese for frying.
Melichloro. This is a sea-washed,
sun-dried goat's milk cheese that is
made only on Limnos.
Touloumotyri. One of the most
ancient Greek cheeses, touloumo-
tyri is essentially a fermented
goat's milk cheese, extremely pun-
gent, and aged in goat skins.
OTHER NORTHEASTERN AEGEAN
PANTRY ITEMS
Mastiha. The crystal, resinous
spice hails exclusively from Chios,
where it has been produced since
antiquity. It is highly aromatic and
therapeutic; in the kitchen,
Mastiha traditionally is used in
bread-baking and pastries, but
contemporary chefs marry it with
myriad other ingredients, from
chocolate to fish.
Kalloni Sardines. The delicious,
lightly salted sardines that come
from the Bay of Kalloni in Lesvos
are considered one of the best
meze in all of Greece.
CYCLADES CHEESES
Arseniko. A hard, yellow table and
grating cheese from Naxos,
arseniko is one of the many deli-
cious, combination aged sheep's -
and - goat's - milk cheeses in the
Greek pantheon.
Chloro. The simple white goat's
50 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
Ikaria
Manoura from Sifnos (foreground) is aged in
wine dregs; Kalathaki, right, is a goats milk
cheese from Limnos.
-
milk cheese from Santorini, can be
eaten either fresh (and soft) or
aged, as a grating cheese (either
air-dried or brined) and is especially
delicious over island pasta.
Manoura Sifnou. One of the most
unique, pungent, delicious special-
ty cheeses in all of Greece, manouri
from Sifnos is a hard goat's milk
cheese with a pinkish hue and
dark, winy aroma thanks to the
time it spends aging in wine dregs.
Graviera. There are too many
types of graviera cheeses to list
individually, however the Cyclades
hold the distinction of being the
only place in Greece where cow's
milk graviera is produced.
Generally, graviera is a lovely,
sweet and nutty table cheese that
pairs well with everything from
pasta to sauteed vegetables to
fruit and honey.
Kopanisti. The name means
whipped or beaten, and the
cheese, soft and very peppery, is a
specialty of Mykonos, Tinos,
Andros, and other Aegean islands,
where it often ages in clay jugs
until it acquires its characteristic
pungency.
Myzithra. A soft, mild whey
cheese found all over the islands,
indeed all over Greece.
Petroti. From the Greek word for
rock (petra), this lovely disk-shaped,
cow's milk cheese is pressed
between rocks and drained. It is
mild and semi-soft.
San Mihalis. Although it is a rela-
tive newcomer to the pantheon of
Greek cheeses, San Mihalis, a hard,
cow's milk, PDO cheese from Syros,
is one of the most esteemed in
Greece.
Spilias Milou. One of the many
artisanal cheese produced in the
Greek islands; what distinguishes
this hard, yellow cheese from the
island of Milos is its aging process:
The cheese is rubbed with pressed
olive mash and aged in clay jugs for
at least six months.
Xynomyzithra. This is a cheese
whose name refers to slightly differ-
ent cheeses, all soft and peppery,
depending on where the cheese is
made. In the Cyclades it is produced
mainly on Naxos and Tinos, but is
also produced on Crete.
OTHER CYCLADES PANTRY ITEMS
Apokti. A vinegar-brined and cinna-
51 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
From left to right: graviera, kopanisti cheese,
and Santorini capers
-
mon-and pepper-tinged cured pork
loin that is a specialty of Santorini.
Capers. In various parts of the
Cyclades, but mainly in Santorini
and Sifnos, capers are picked wild
and used in all sorts of dishes. The
berries, buds, and leaves are all put
to good culinary use in salads,
stews, and more.
Fava. In Greek the term refers to
the yellow split pea, which is a spe-
cialty of Santorini. Thanks to the
island's chalky, volcanic soil, the
yellow split peas grown here are
delicious, with concentrated flavor
and an unrivalled ability to cook
down into the most velvety of
mashes, which is how islanders
and others generally eat them.
Louza. From the word for loin, as
in pork loin, louza is a wine-and-
spice cured meat made in Syros,
Tinos, and Andros.
Tomatinia Santorinis. These are
the nearly waterless (thanks to the
island's dry clime) small, intensely
flavored tomatoes that have been
part of Santorini's culinary lore for
almost two centuries. A vibrant
tomato canning industry still exists
on the island; the tomatoes are
even made into spoon sweets.
DODECANESE CHEESES
Krassotyri. This specialty of Kos is
a log-shaped, ribbed wine-soaked
cheese that has enjoyed some
commercial success in recent years
as large island cheese manufactur-
ers have begun to produce it and
sell it off the island. Similar wine-
soaked cheeses are also produced
in Nyssiros and Leros.
Sitaka. One of the most unusual
dairy products in Greece, sitaka is a
tart, creamy spread, not unlike
yogurt cheese, made from slightly
fermented sheep's and/or goat's
milk, which has been salted slight-
ly and reduced over low, tradition-
ally wood-burning, fire. It is a spe-
cialty of Kassos and served with a
delicious local pasta dish together
with caramelized onions.
52 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
Note: For information on Cretes Cuisine and pantry, look in the
GreekGourmetraveler, issue 3, summer 2006.
Lountza, a cured pork product
-
Tandoori and carpaccio are two types of food most people
wouldn't think to marry with Greek wine. But the truth is, from
the spicy Greek wines of the north to the mineral-rich wines of
-
Greek Wineon the GlobalTable
55 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
By Sofia Perpera
Photography: Constantinos Pittas, Vassilis Stenos
Food Styling: Dawn Brown, Tina Webb
the Aegean islands, Greek wines are surprisingly compatible
with the global table. Food-friendly and chef-friendly, they
marry impressively well with a vast range of flavors and cuisines.
-
I can say this now, after a decade
or so of promoting Greek wine in
the world's toughest wine market,
America. When I moved to Atlanta
from my native Athens, where, as a
trained oenologist, I had seen first-
hand the exciting transformation
of the Greek wine industry, shock
rippled across my professional life.
As I made my first forays into the
American wine scene I realized
that Greek wines were dismally
unknown and poorly distributed.
The wines didn't even exist as a
category; instead they were
thoughtlessly relegated to viticul-
tural limbo, inevitably lumped
under the banner of other wines
from around the world.
FROM ETHNIC MARKET TO
MAINSTREAM
Part of the problem was that until
the late 1990s, the Greek wine
industry had done little to promote
or distribute their exciting new
products; most producers instead
relied on longstanding relation-
ships with traditional importers
who themselves lumped Greek
wines together with other Greek
products, thereby confining most
labels to the ethnic Greek market. I
knew instinctively that the future
of Greek wines was outside the
Greek community, and so I set
56 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
Greek wines repre-sent a unique depar-ture from the stan-dard internationalvarieties.
-
57 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
about to establish them in the
mainstream market.
Once American consumers, open-
minded and not as price-conscious
as Europeans, tasted the new gen-
eration of Greek wines I was sure
they would be won over.
In the summer of 2003, I went
back to Greece and convinced a
group of wineries to join forces for
a promotional campaign in the
U.S. and Canada. The campaign
was called All About Greek Wine
and was financed entirely by the
producers. We started with 16
wineries the first year and by the
second we were up to twenty-five.
Today, as we enter the fourth year
of our campaign, we have seen
some remarkable changes in the
perception of Greek wine, especial-
ly within the trade.
Many people in the trade had little
or no concept of Greek wine; I saw
that as an opportunity. Our man-
date at first was simple: We wanted
to convince wine professionals that
Greek wine was good and worth
learning about. For most somme-
liers and buyers, the tastings were a
revelation; although Greek wines
have flavors that are familiar, they
represent a unique, but interesting
departure from the standard inter-
national varieties and should be
evaluated on their own merit. Greek
wines are produced from a vast
assortment of indigenous varieties
(over 300 in all). That fact alone has
helped provide Greece's marketing
advantage to compete with other
well-established winemaking
regions. Trade and consumers alike
are eager for more alternatives to
the same grape varieties that are
produced all over the world, and
Greece has many different choices
to offer. The whites display an array
of fruit and floral aromas with crisp,
clean, mineral flavors. The native
red varieties combine fruit and
earthy aromas that lend themselves
to the production of many different
styles of wine, ranging from fresh,
TASTING NOTES
Greek wines are more com-
petitive in the white wine
category, especially now that
the market is changing
towards lighter, crisp, and
aromatic wines.
WHITE WINES
MOSCHOFILERO
Moschofilero is a distinctly
aromatic variety grown in
Mantinia, in the central
Peloponnese. Its grapes have
a gray colored skin and there-
fore produce a Blanc de Gris.
Moschofilero has a firm acidi-
ty and beautiful floral aroma
of violets and roses together
with citrus flavors and hints
of spice. It produces fragrant,
light dry white wines,
sparklings, and ross.
Because of Moschofilero's
explosive aroma it some-
times leaves the erroneous
impression of sweetness
while in most cases it is bone
dry. When someone asks for a
sweet ros wine he can easily
settle for a Moschofilero.
Food PairingS
Moschofilero's acidity and
aromatic character make it a
very good match for salads,
smoked salmon or trout and
spicy foods, especially Thai
food, with its blend of spicy,
sour, salty, and bitter flavors,
as well as fresh herbs.
Sparkling Moschofilero, with a
hint of sweetness, is excellent
with oysters and fruits de mer,
as well as with salty foods
such as smoked turkey or
salmon, olives, and prosciutto.
Semi Dry Sparkling
Moschofilero is great with
lightly sweet Chinese food.
ASSYRTIKO
Assyrtiko is one Greece's
finest multi-purpose white
grape varieties. It was first
cultivated on the island of
Santorini, where it has devel-
oped a unique character. In
the last 25 years Assyrtiko
has been planted throughout
Greece where it expresses a
milder, more fruity character.
Assyrtiko can also be blend-
ed with the aromatic Aedani
grape for the production of
the unique, dessert wines
called VinSanto, well known
since the Middle Ages.
Assyrtiko has the ability to
maintain its high acidity as it
ripens with high levels of
sugar and yields bone-dry
wines with citrus aromas
and an earthy, mineral after-
taste, due to the volcanic soil
of Santorini.
-
pleasing, aromatic reds and ross to
extraordinarily complex, full-bodied
wines with long aging potential.
FOOD-FRIENDLY WINES
Another advantage that Greek
wines offer is their ability to pair
well with food. In Greece, food is
rarely served without wine and
wine never served without food,
and this symbiotic relationship is
reflected in the way Greek wine-
makers craft their wines. The
wines match well with a variety of
cuisines and support the new trend
away from barrel-aged, full-bodied
whites and red wines that are way
too over-extracted and suffer from
58 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
Food PairingS
Assyrtiko, stainless steel, or
barrel -aged, is the perfect
match for grilled, fried, or
roasted fish. Barrel aged
Assyrtiko and smoked salmon
are excellent together. The
wine also cuts through rich
sauces for fish without over-
powering the flavor of the
fish, but it is equally good
with fried vegetables.
Another great match is lamb
with avgolemono sauce.
We had great fun pairing
Assyrtiko with Indian food.
The numerous spices and
herbs used in Indian cooking
make a flavorful mix that
provides some exciting
match es. We particularly
enjoyed matching a barrel -
fermented and aged
Assyrtiko with tandoori
chicken and lamb. We also
enjoyed southern Indian cur-
ries with coconut milk and
barrel - aged Assyrtiko.
MALAGOUSIA
Malagousia is an up -and-
coming grape with great
potential. It originated in
Nafpaktos in Western Greece
but is cultivated primarily in
Macedonia, Attica, and the
Peloponnese. It is an aromatic
grape that produces elegant,
medium- to full-bodied wines
with medium acidity and excit-
ing aromas of exotic fruits, cit-
rus, jasmine, and mint.
Food PairingS
Malagousia is great with
seafood, especially scallops,
crab, langoustines, and lob-
ster. We loved pairing
Malagousia with lobster and
saffron as well as with pasta
with creamy white sauces.
The wine stands up well to
chicken or pork dishes and to
light but spicy Thai food.
RODITIS
Roditis is a ros-colored
grape cultivated throughout
Greece. It produces the most
elegant, light-bodied, crisp
white wines with citrus fla-
vors when cultivated with
low yields on mountainous
slopes.
Food PairingS
Roditis is the perfect match
to grilled fish and is found in
most seafood places
throughout Greece. Contrary
to the super powerful aro-
matic white wines that dom-
inate most wine lists, Roditis
-
59 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
excessive levels of alcohol.
One other characteristic that
makes Greek wine so food friendly,
especially the whites, is their won-
derful acidity. For a chef, acidity is a
key element in the successful mar-
riage of wine with food. Many of
the chefs I have worked with have
found it difficult at first to believe
that wines with such expressive
aromas and firm acidity are pro-
duced in one of Europe's most
southern wine-producing regions.
We seized on the capacity of Greek
wines to match well with many
styles of food and began to show-
case them at some of the wine and
food world's finest venues, demon-
delivers balance by not over-
powering but enhancing the
flavors of seafood.
The Greeks use lemon in
almost everything from
seafood to grilled meats and
this makes the citrusy
Roditis a great match. We
also found that Roditis goes
well with stir-fried Chinese
vegetables and with aromat-
ic Thai food, especially when
seasoned with kaffir lime
leaves. It is also a good
match for that most difficult
to pair food, the artichoke,
especially with avgolemono
sauce.
ATHIRI
Athiri is one of the most
ancient Greek grape vari-
eties, originally from
Santorini, which is also
known as Thira. Athiri is
found in several regions of
Greece, including Macedonia
and Rhodes, where it pro-
duces VDQS Rhodes wines.
Athiri grapes have a thin skin
and yield a sweet and citrusy
fruit. The wines are slightly
aromatic with medium body
and relatively low acidity.
Food PairingS
Athiri is a very food friendly
white wine which matches
salads, seafood, pasta with
cream sauce, and goat
cheese. When it is planted in
high altitudes and the yields
are kept low, Athiri is more
intense and can also be
matched with light but spicy
Asian dishes, especially Thai.
SAVATIANO & RETSINA
Savatiano is the most widely
planted grape in Greece and
is mainly known for the pro-
duction of Retsina. It is the
predominant grape in Attica,
where it displays excellent
resistance to the dry sum-
mers. With low yields it
makes elegant white wines
with a citrusy aroma and
medium body and acidity.
Food matches
At the beginning of our cam-
paign we wanted to keep
away from Retsina, opting to
make the statement that
Greek wines have moved far
beyond the well-known clich.
Now we realize that some
foods, such as fried vegetables,
the garlic sauce skordalia, bat-
ter-fried salt cod, and fried or
salted sardines match better
with Retsina than with any
other Greek wine.
-
60 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
strating in the process that there
is, indeed, a place for Greek wine in
the mainstream market.
In one of our first events, in 2004
we decided to try something dar-
ing and chose New York's Le
Bernardin to host a press lunch.
Chef Panos Karatassos, of Kyma
Restaurant in Atlanta, teamed up
with his former mentor, Le
Bernardin's Executive Chef Eric
Ripert, to create the menu. Each
chef planned two items, not neces-
sarily Greek, and together we
paired each recipe with several dif-
ferent wines. Chef Ripert's seared
white tuna with cucumber and
mango was a hit with the aromatic
Moschofilero we served, as well as
the bone-dry Assyrtiko from
Santorini. And, Chef Panos's
braised lamb shank provided a
great match for the luscious, dark-
berry flavors of Agiorghitiko as well
as the complex spicy notes of
Xinomavro. For us, the Bernardin
lunch becomes a benchmark; we
were convinced that it was only a
matter of time before Greek wines
were accepted in the mainstream.
Since then, we've taken Greek
wines on the road many times,
from Aspen to Vermont, but one of
the boldest forays was into the
heart of Las Vegas, which has
become the high-end dining capital
of the United States. Las Vegas is
home to the largest concentration
of Master Sommeliers in the world.
Pushing the limits of the wines and
moving into new terrain, we paired
Greek wines with Asian and Indian-
RED WINES
AGIORGITIKO
One of the most noble of the
Greek red grapes, Agiorgitiko
is grown primarily in the
VDQS region of Nemea in
the central Peloponnese. It
produces wines that stand
out for their deep red color
and remarkable aromatic
complexity. Agiorgitiko's vel-
vet tannins together with its
balanced acidity lead to the
production of many different
styles of wine, ranging from
fresh, pleasing aromatic reds
to extraordinary full-bodied
aged reds. Agiorgitiko is also
known for producing pleas-
ant aromatic ros wines.
Food Pairings
I am extremely fond of light
and aromatic reds with
medium tannins and good
acidity made from
Agiorgitiko. There is a big
range of foods that go well
with Agiorgitiko, from top-
quality charcuterie, to ham-
burgers and even pizza.
Equally enjoyable is a light,
slightly chilled Agiorgitiko
with tuna, red mullet, octo-
pus or light beef curries.
Fresh Agiorgitikos also goes
great with grilled meats. A
more velvet expression of the
wine is a good match for
Chinese food.
Full bodied, aged
Agiorgitiko's pairs excellently
with steaks, roast beef,
lamb, Chateaubriand, and
most hard and rich cheeses.
XINOMAVRO
Xinomavro, which means
acid-black, is the predomi-
nant noble red grape variety
of Macedonia and its wines
resemble the style of
Nebbiolo. Xinomavro wines
are known for their superb
aging potential and their rich
tannic character. Their com-
plex aroma combines red
fruits such as gooseberry
with hints of olives, spices,
and dried tomatoes. In the
Macedonian region of
Amyndeo Xinomavro is also
known for the production of
world class ross.
Food pairings
Xinomavro wines are made for
food; delicate, elegant, but
not overpowerful, Xinomavro
is a great match with egg-
plant stews, moussaka, char-
cuterie, sausages, offal, chilli
con carne, game casseroles,
poultry, roasted leg of lamb,
and hard and aged cheeses.