Gastronomy www.visitgreece.gr GASTRONOMY_2 Mouthwatering Mouthwatering PHOTO: ©Symposio 2012/F Stuffed eggplants otis Serfas gettable tastes. challenge before anyone is to discover its appetizing and unfor - emblematic productsandoriginal preparationtechniques.The ing Greeceoffersarareexperience withdistinguishingrecipes, or redwine,producedaccording toreveredoldrecipes.Tast- threads fromKozani.TheytastethefamousGreek white,rosé, a ”dakos”saladandintheparticular tasteofthesaffroncrocus tic. They delight in a bite of fish roe, a farmhouseloafof bread, honey. Theysmelltheuniquearomaoftsipouro,ouzoandmas - will alsoindulgeinafillingbiteofrosespoonsweetorthyme duce thatmakeupasignificantpartoftheGreekdiet.Visitors come in a great variety of fresh full flavoured and aromatic pro- sea food.Fruitsandvegetablesareachapterontheirown.They wholesome meatsandpoultryenjoythefreshestfish (gruyere), manouri,anthotyro,myzithra,metsovone.Theyrelish ticular cheesesoftheGreekcountryside:feta,kasseri,graviera commonly foundintheGreeklandscape.Theysavourpar - the best-quality virgin olive oil or try the delicious olives, so come everyyeareagertotastegoodfoodpreparedonlywith ways reflecting the newest culinary trends. Millions of tourists renity, magicandcomplexityoftheplace,alwaysevolving,al- The traveller to Greece immediately feels the uniqueness, se- bines traditionwithmodernconcepts. and perfecting process of trial anderror. Today it masterly com- history ofthecountry,Greekcuisinehasgonethroughalengthy expert topdietitians.Asithasbeencloselylinkedwiththelong only ambrosialbutalsoveryhealthy,recommendedbymost world gastronomies.Greekdietisfamousworldwide;itnot es Greekgastronomywinsaplaceatthetopofcontemporary the Samothracewaves.Fullofchangesandpleasantsurpris- like the spring breeze of crisp liketheautumnrainonIonianslandsorinvigorating the morningAtticaskyorintenselikegorgesinMacedonia, or coldlikethefrostyriversofEpirus,velvetyclouds like the Santorini sunset, warm like the morning beauty ofthecountryitself.SaltylikeAegeanSeaormellow Greek cuisineuniquetheworldoverwithdishesthatechoe Original ingredientsandcountlesslusciouscombinationsmake demanding p gastronomy sati sfie themost The trueexperienceofGeek gave birthtosymposiA. Greece isthecountryhat alates. Crete, imposing and vociferous like Cycladic sun Mousaka (vegetableswithmincedmeat) F asolada (beansoup) GASTRONOMY_4 F eta cheese many more.Imaginationisthe onlylimit. greens, sugary creamyfillings, pungent mushrooms and so perfect chicken,sweetricepudding, spicymincemeat,earthy highly valuedtruffleoil,zestful aubergines,divinevegetables, with anythingyoucanimagine, fromspinachtogoatcheese, pastry, madeofcornmealorwholemeal flour.Piesarestuffed assortment. Thepastrycanbe thinorthick,“kourou”puff Nowadays, onecanfindpiesalmosteverywhereinabroad genuine art in which expert cooksandchefs take great pride! out thepastryusingtwobasicingredients,flourandwater,isa dish duringthedifficultyearsofwar.Thetechniquerolling effort tomakefamilytablesricheraddingatastyandnutritious tradition. Inthepast,housewivesresortedtopiesintheir Greece itselfandareadistinctpartofGreekgastronomy cheese isasucculentauthenticexperience.Piesareasold Raw, fried,roasted,meltedor“mastichoto”(fairlymelted)Greek ingredient orprovideatastytouchindeliciousdish. cheese, uniqueinitskind,canbeacourseonown,key lent cheese applying theirowntraditionaltechniques.Greek collect ewe’s,goat’sandcow’smilkconvertitintoexcel- ancient myzithra. Greek stock farmers and cheese makers famous kopanistiofCyclades,manouri,andmetsovone nos, katikifromDomokos, kefalotyri orkefalograviera,the gruyere, kasserifromLesvosorXanthi,“kalathaki”im- are thefreshanthotyro,galotyri,piquantCretan,Tinos orNaxos does notendwithfetaproduction.Othertantalizingvarieties gourmet restaurantsintheworld.Cheesemaking,though, on theeverydayGreektablebutalsoinmenusofbest Soft orhard,saltypiquant,fetahasadistinctplacenotonly ingredient ofmostGreekpies. worldwide anditsheman exclusivel feta cheeseicertifiedasan Famous allovertheworld, y Greekproduct

Skaltsouni (piewithherbsandcheese) Graviera cheesewithhoney Tyropita (cheesepie) GASTRONOMY_6 has itsrootsnGreece. competion, farplayandewar victory, conciliation, noble worldwide, thereath of recognizable symbolfpece The olivetree,themost

Lentils

PHOTO: © Symposio 2012 / Fotis Serfas most sophisticated tastebuds. es thatsurprise andamazeeventhe to createingenioustrendsetting dish- Modern Greekculinaryartuses pulse rich gastronomy. decades arebeingre-introduced toen- of theoldvarietiesthatdisappearedfor the useofchemicalsubstances.Many The producerstakeextracaretoavoid pass fromgenerationtogeneration. are familybusinessandtheirsecrets Most ofpulsecultivationsinGreece are simplydelicious. regarded place on the table and they They promotehealth,occupyahighly the celebratedMediterraneanDiet. beans, chickpeas)areabasicpartof Greek pulses(beans,lentils,broad the tastierofworld. are widelyconsumedandsomeof small, invinegar,saltwateroroliveoil, ter, black,greenorbrown,large Stylida and in GreecefromAmfissatoMessinia, oil anddeliciousolives.Everywhere produce richvarietiesofqualityolive trees. Newandinnovativecultivations were impressed by age-long olive as StereaEllada(ContinentalGreece) Lesvos, Thassos, the Peloponnese,Ionianslands, try. Tourists travellingaroundCrete, ive-oil producingregionsofthecoun- in popular medicine, mainly in the ol- tree), whilehundredsofrecipesexist products of the“sacredtree”(olive more than60therapeuticusesofthe The booksofHippocratesdescribe medicine, wasthefirstamongthem. of theantiquityand“father”modern and Hippocrates,thefamousdoctor olive tree,havebeenpraisedbymany but alsooftheleavesandfruits The therapeuticpropertiesofoliveoil, factor. community considersitabasichealth Greek diet.Theinternationalscientific have becomeabasiccomponentofthe were identifiedwithGreektraditionand of time,theolivetreeanditsproducts test withP in themiddleofAcropolis,acon- planted bygoddessAthenaonarock, The firsttree,asthemythgoes,was oseidon. Withthepassage Volos, olives sweet or bit- Chalkidiki as well GASTRONOMY_8 Messolonghi Fish roe Authentic grated overspaghetti. it, is with a drink of tsipouro or One ofthebestwaystoenjoy more visionaryandpioneering. cesses, sometraditional,others grey mulletviarefinedpro - from theeggsofstriped It isproducedinMessolonghi of thecountryandworld. valuable gastronomictreasures is considered one of the most specks thatnumbthetongue.It aroma and small golden-yellow a strongtaste,characteristic wax, theGreekfishroe,has Like a“goldbrick”protectedin ly betriedatleast once! dia isamuchstronger drinkthatshoulddefinite - and MacedoniawhiletheCretanversiontsikou - The besttsipouroisproducedin Thessaly,Epirus (or otherfruitssuchasberries) arepressed. duced bytheremainsofmust, afterthegrapes lation ofexperienceandknowledge mainlypro- in anyotherpartoftheworld.Itisreallyadistil- Tsipouro istheoriginalGreekdrinknotproduced without aniseflavouranddefinitelyontherocks! drink ofGreeceandcanbedrunkeitherwithor produced inLesvos.Itiscertainlythenational in early19thcenturyitwasalmostexclusively Byzantine times. After the liberation of Greece and was famousandmuch appreciated in the It issaid that ouzowasfirst produced in antiquity Ouzo GASTRONOMY_10 the endofanymeal withstyle. Kefalonia orfrom Samoscomplement rodaphne fromthePeloponneseand Acclaimed sweetwinessuch as Mav- Xinomavro of Thessaly and Macedonia. vatiano, orredsuchasAgiorgitiko, Roditis, WhiteMoschato,Robola,Sa - Moschofilero, Athiri, clude whiteonessuchasAssyrtiko, aroma andtaste.F process, ischaracterizedbyitsunique white winenotsubjectedtotheageing go unnoticed.Greekretsina,thefresh has astrongpersonalitythatdoesnot Greek wine,metallic,freshoracidic rating experience. ones, creatingawholenewandexhila- hesitate tofusethemwithinternational the indigenousvarietiesanddonot try, Greekproducerstenderlyembrace Loyal tothevinicheritageofcoun- selection. for theirunsurpassed taste andwide adays amongthe best in the world,both wines aredeservedlyconsiderednow- better vinificationtechniques,Greek Having evolvedandadoptednew antiquity. Greek cuisinece richness ofthe and promotingthe supplementing on theGreektable prominent place gods hasa of theancient Wine, theectar amous varietiesin- Zitsa of Epirus, GASTRONOMY_12 Shrimps withbeet sauce seafood constitue Aegean stilllingri,Geekfishd Just-off-the-sea andhetaste ofsalty Greek diet. a basic p art of the

The capstone of Greek cuisine, souvlaki, has won over every- “built” inthesalt. and parsley,crocus,orcookingthemwithouzotsipouro their creationscombiningthemwithwhitewine,lemon,garlic merous others) are exquisite. Greek chefs duly honour them in mussels, urchins,octopus,squids,shrimps,crayfishandnu- Raw, grilled,friedorcooked,Greekfishandseafood(oysters, recipe. thirty differentwayssinceeveryregionmakesitsownoriginal sea andislands.Thefamousfishsoup“kakavia”ismadein And itcouldnotbeanydifferentinacountrysurroundedby Meat balls Sea bream choices. “well-bred” ofexceptionalqualityandofferrefinedhealthy spit, avealsteakorrabbitstewinredsauce.Greekmeatsare for asucculentkidinthepot(gastra),sucklingpigon roasted formanyhours,butitisworththewait.Thesamegoes sumption. ‘Kontosouvli”aswell“exochiko”alsohavetobe is cookedformanyhoursonthespituntilitreadycon- “Kokoretsi” “forbidden”yetunique,ismadeoflamboffalandit first placeontheGreekmenu. or withouttzatziki,inpitaplacedonaskewer,itholdsthe one thathastastedit.WithGyrosorsmallpiecesofmeat,with Souvlaki (meaton chopstick) Octopus GASTRONOMY_14 treasur found culinary journey.Masticistoghbutalsoniqueandvlu able A smalltaste isnoughtoheitnyornsandtake you ona Crocus onl y on the beautiful sland i soup. Ifyouaregoing to useitindough,youshouldsoak itfirst. out. You can use the crocus even as you serve, especially with ter andleaveitforuptotwohours sothatitcanletitscolour and insomnia.Beforeusingit,putitintoabowl withsomewa- memory, whileinthepastitwas usedtocombatpain,fever antioxidant. Italsoimprovescerebralfunction and,especially, Crocus isknowntofightblood-clotting, itisinvigoratingand sunset -makesanydishanexoticadventure. incomparable colour–somuchliketheofGreek into aheavenlydish.Itsauthentictaste,amazingaromaand enough to transform simple rice into a tasty feast or chicken ments ofthisuniqueingredientsolelycultivatedinKozaniare flower constitutethevaluablecrocusorsaffronandsomefila - tion inthesaffronspiceworldlist.Thedriedstigmasof “nourishes” it!Souniquethatitdeservedlyholdsthefirstposi - Crocus is truly one-of-a-kind like the Macedonian sun that nearby seaarea;hence,it’s“explosive”aroma. the mastictreeandowesitsproductiontovolcanoesin and confectionary.Itisanaturalresincomingfromthetrunkof preparation ofcosmeticsandperfumesaswellincooking pharmaceutical purposesforitshealingproperties,the eign markets,hasbeensuccessfullyusedsinceantiquityfor Chios mastic,whichrecentlymadeanimpressiononthefor- of the Aegean: Chios. Masticha Vanilla GASTRONOMY_16 magical ideforspoonweets. Most meat orseafoodcreatingnew“exploding”tastes. years itisusedinmanyGreekrecipesthatcontain of marzipans,suchas“Rozedes”inK of Greece,itisthebasicingredientforpreparation amazing traditionalChristmasdelicacy.Inmanyparts (melomakarono) andacrunchydipla(fold)intoan transform a biscuit into a delicious small honey cake lives andbringsgoodlucktothenewlyweds.Itcan and Greektraditionsaysthatitsweetenspeople’s It contains more than 180 different original elements mia, orfromaheartconditionanditisrejuvenating. ders. It is saidthatit helps those sufferingfrom anae- necessary forgoodhealth,honeyreallydoeswon- Especially nourishing,invigorating,antisepticand nese; pinehoneytheforestedslopesofArcadia. honey theendlessorangegrovesofPelopon- spring incentralandwesternGreece;orange the countryside;flowerhoneysmellsof brings tomindthehighestmountainpeaksof from, itremindsyouofGreece.Thymehoney Honey Bee).Whicheverregionitiscollected Zeus washoney-fedbythenymphMelissa.(or of the Olympian gods and according to themyth Honey wassupposedlyoneofthebasicfoods tering traditions. some dropsofvanilla,spoonsweetsaremouthwa- taste andaroma.Madeonlywith fruit, sugarand and smallaubergineontheislandsallcompetein ly, smallwalnutandcodlinginPilion,tomato quince inMacedonia,cherryandmorelloThessa- in Aegina,citrusfruitsandbitterorangeEpirus, Shaddock androsesugarinPeloponnese,pistachio Jam ofbitterorange regions in G reece argue n recent ythera. Inrecent about who cameup fi rst with he Yogurt withhoneyandnuts GASTRONOMY_18 in theregionof Thrace. Serves4. sugar andsalt, pouroverthesalad.Thisis asaladmademostly Mix thefirst5ingredientstogether. Beattheoliveoilwithvinegar, not have lost their aroma, in a glass bottle. It will be Put theoliveoilandallingredients,whichshould a smallredhotpepper(optional) garlic, slightlybeaten,Grainsofredandgreenpepper, a strandofrosemaryorthymeoregano,2cloves The ideal“marriage”.Abottleofoliveoiltopquality, salt andpepper the gratedcheese,flavouringsandseasonwith Add thetomatoandsecondtablespoonofoliveoil, Put atablespoonofoilontherusk. Water theruskonbothsides. (optional) in thisliceorcaper Green orblackolives thyme 1 teaspoonorgano 1 tbspfeta cheese small onescutintodice 1 largetomato ortwo 2 tbspvirginoliveil - mealrusk(p 1 largebarleyorwho (Cretan appetizer) DakoS aximadi) A pinchof sugar Salt 2 tbspvinegar ¼ cupoliveil 1 cupgrated carrot ½ cupfinel (Florina pepper) ½ cupfinel ½ cupfinel 3 cupscabbage,finel (Cabbage salad) Lahanosalata better useoliveoilwithoutastrongaroma. until thefirstroundoffriedfoodisready.F and not suddenly. If you want to add extra olive oil, wait remains. Moreover, olive oilmustbe heated gradually that thenexttimeyouuseit,therewillnotbeanyfood and itishealthier.Becareful,though,tostrainso ed. It can endure higher temperaturesthanseed oil and grilledfish.Theoliveoilforfryingisrecommend- boiled vegetablesorinordertosprinkleitovermeats Tips: Keepthetopqualityvirginoliveoilforsalads, in oneweek. ready to transform a simple meal into a tasty delight y choppedgreen(bell)pepper y choppedsweetredpeppe y choppedcelery y chopped or sweets,

5 mintleaves 1 smallfinel 2 tbspvinegar 10 filamentsofcrocus 2 eggs Eggs withcrocus or more).Taste and correctseasonings.Stirinthe choppeddillandserveatonce. Serves6. the tomatojuice (orbeetroots),saltandpepper. Simmeruntilthecuttlefish is tenderandthesaucehascooked down(about1hour Rub theskinoffcuttlefish,rinse, andcutintosmallpieces.Sautétheonionspeppers inoliveoil.Dousewiththewine.Stir y -cutoni Salt andpepper 2 smallhotpeppers , chopped ½ cupfinel 1 cupdrywhitewin ½ cupoliveil 1 cuptomato juice( or 2beetroots,grated) 2 cupsgreenonions,fiel 1½ kgcuttlefishwitoubackbone Cuttlefish inwin cheese. Seasontheeggsandpoursauceoverthem. Stir welluntilthemixturebecomesasauce.Finally,add Brown theonionandthenaddvinegar,mintcrocus. ter. Take themoutwithaskimmer, emptythepanandputoil. Break the eggs and poach them in a pan with plenty of wa- Salt, pepper 100 gr.anthotyro 3 tbspofil y choppeddillweed y chopped GASTRONOMY_20 them. Bakeintheoven 180 and seasonwith saltandpepper.Whenallthefluids areabsorbed,putallingredients inabakingpanandarrange fishfilletsontopof Sauté theonionsinoliveoil.Add theleeksandfennelsautéthemwithoutlettingturn brown.Oncewilted,addthetomato 1 cmthick. or kefalotyricheese,nlice 200 gruyerorkefalograviera (Fried cheese) Saganaki o Cfor20minutes.

Oil, 1lemon 1o tbspflur them whilestillwarm. few minutesoneachside.Squeezelemonover cheese slicesandthenflourthem.Frythemfora Heat theoilinpanwell.P Salt pepper 1 mediuoni,finel 1 cupfinel 1 cupoliveil 400 grfennelbulb,fin 400 grleekscuthin 600 grgrouperorseabassfillet and fennl Fish withleek y slicedtomato our coldwateroverthe y sliced y chopped towards theend, sotheyarenotovercooked. Typical recipeofthe regionofP in oliveoilorbutter. Addthemustardseeds,honey and5-6pureedapricots, andsimmerwiththemeat.Add theremainingapricots Soak theapricotsinorange juicefortwohourstosoften.Seasonthelambwithgenerous quantitiesofsaltandpeppersauté Domatokeftedes Mostly knowinCyclades.Serves4. Fry spoonfulsofthemixtureinhotoliveoil. should bethick.Ifnecessary,addmoreflour. and flour.Addsaltpepper.Themixture bine themwiththeparsley,basil,oliveoil, Wash thetomatoesandgratethem.Com- Olive oilforrying 150 grflour 2 tbspoil p 2 tbspfinel basil 6 tbspfinel Salt andpepper chopped 2 mediuonions,finel tomatoes 500 grsmallfirmripe arsley (Tomato fritters) y chopped, y chopped,fresh Lamb withapricotsandhoney y

Pepper Salt 1 tbsphoney 1 tbspmustard seed Juice of2oranges 150 grdriedapicots(16pieces) Olive oilorbutter serving portions 2,5 kglamb(leorshoulder),cutin ontus (BlackSea)Serves 6. GASTRONOMY_22 ½ cupofroastedsesam delicacy) ½ Kiloalmondhlvas (Greeksweet Halvas pour oversomehoney. kle withcoarselygroundpepperand Cut theanthotyrointhinslices,sprin- Honey (red, white,black) Coarsel fresh goat cheese) farmer’s cheeor “Anthotyro” (Fres & peppr with honey Anthotyro y groundpepper 1 kiloicecream(ptional) p 2 tablespoons ofta hini (sesameed put itinthefridge.Itcanbealsoservedwithicecream. Cut thehalvasintosmalldices,addsesameandtahini aste) PHOTO: ©Symposio 2012/F otis Serfas www.visitgreece.gr Follow Discover the fascination of Greece through our website!

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