Alternative Tourism Greece:

Gastronomy Greece

Διαφημιζόμενοι ...Greek gastronomy and its global recognition... Click here to see: “Greeks, small producers of food and beverages with unique flavors make Greece a Gastronomic destination” Greece, with a culinary tradition spanning 4,000 years, is the country which invented the symposium and which was home to the Epicurean philosophers. It was here, where the first book on cooking was written in 330 BC by Archestratus, a reminder that a country’s cuisine is a measure of its civilization. Ancient Greeks were pioneers in the art of cookery; authentic Greek cuisine, unique and full of vitality, just like the people of the land, marries the taste and the aroma of the fresh products coming from the Greek land and the blue sea that surrounds it. Greek cuisine is characterized by frugality, based on simple ingredients, crispy fresh vegetables, virgin olive oil, honey, succulent fruit, fresh fish and, naturally, exquisite wines made with grapes ripening under the magnificent Greek sun, for decades now gaining ground on the world’s vinicultural stage. International studies have recognized the value of the Greek cuisine. Launched in the early 60’s by the World Health Organization, the Seven Countries Study set out to examine the eating patterns of people from seven different countries: Greece, Italy, Serbia, Holland, Finland, the USA and Japan. This long-running study which lasted for 30 years showed that people living in the Mediterranean countries, Greece in particular, had lower mortality rates compared to the rest of the participating countries. The “secretes” to Health and Longevity were documented as the combination of a simple diet and regular physical activity, dubbed as the Mediterranean Diet. The Mediterranean diet is not simply a Greek claim; it is a unanimous conclusion reached by the international scientific community which supports that the traditional dietary patterns of the people residing around the Mediterranean basin are healthier compared to western eating habits. Greek traditional cuisine and Greek gastronomy, the wine-making tradition, the great variety of dishes that changes with season and geography, the culinary habits passed down from generation to generation constitute elements of the overall Greek culture and each region individually (Cretan diet, island cuisine, Macedonian cuisine etc). Greece has the potential and must become a gastronomic destination. “Greeks, small producers of food and beverages with unique flavors make Greece a Gastronomic destination” Food has long been an intrinsic part of Greek culture, from harvesting the family groves and foraging for wild greens to gathering snails after rain. More than a mere necessity, for Greeks food is an element of their identity, bearing the mark of local traditions, customs and culture. The agricultural calendar still dominates life in rural areas, where traditional agricultural activities are social and cultural events. In Greece, there is an authentic gourmet trail through some dramatic mountain ranges, bucolic villages where little has changed over time, and fertile meadows where locals have been producing delicious olive oil and wine for centuries. Travelling through the back-roads of the Greek countryside, visitors encounter a dazzling assortment of delicacies. Small, independent, honest producers compose an informal network of small-scale farmers, monastic communities, women’s cooperatives and small industries where tradition and technology coexist in harmony. They are still making their own wine, traditional cheeses, cured meats, handcrafted marmalades, fresh yoghurt, aromatic honey, raki, wood-fired bread and even artisan pasta in myriad shapes and flavors. Hard-working people cultivating ancient family plots, monastic communities following time-honored traditions, young people turning to sustainable agriculture – this is the modern legacy of the Greek countryside. The versatility of the Greek culinary ecosystem originates and flourishes in the small plots of people entrusted with the safekeeping of food-making secrets passed down through generations. Foodies tired of eating and drinking the same things again and again turn to quality-oriented artisan food producers of high quality, fresh, local organic food and products that draw their identity from the Greek landscapes and tradition. Greece’s countless olive trees are cultivated principally by families who own small plots usually forming cooperatives with rules regarding picking and production to ensure fine quality. Several manufacturers have earned top honors in international competitions for their extra-virgin olive oil. Today’s Greek winemakers produce what Forbes has called “some of the world’s most elegant and interesting” labels made from mostly indigenous grape varieties. Most of the Greek wines entered in the world’s biggest wine competition have won medals, with many bottles taking gold. Besides the famous feta, Greece has a slew of wonderful cheeses. Many regions and islands, and often a single village, have their own indigenous varieties, some aged in caves for months and mostly produced from the milk of goats and sheep freely nibbling wild grasses. The biodiversity of Greece lends itself to the production of a wide variety of award winning honey that either comes from flowers (thyme honey, orange honey, sunflower honey, briar honey, chestnut honey etc.) or from the sap of trees (pine and fir). From the rustic Cretan paximadi (dried rusk) to the hearty sweets of Northern Greece and the delicate confections of the Aegean and the Ionian islands, Greek traditional breads, cakes and cookies are made with an abundance of honey, nuts, molasses, fruits and even olive oil, a longstanding tradition dating back to the confections of the ancients. From trahana (pasta made of coarsely ground semolina and milk) to intricate homemade noodles, Greek artisan pasta is the main ingredient of many delicious meals. Famous for its ouzo and wine, Greece has been lately offering a selection of beers produced at mostly local breweries, with an incredible variety of flavors and a local character that make Greek beer truly special. Scattered throughout Greece, local microbreweries use top quality, all natural, original local ingredients which create a variety of flavorful, unfiltered, unpasteurised and preservative-free brews. Meat delicacies ranging from the famous Cretan apaki (smoked pork) to free-range water-buffalo sausages from the Kerkini region in northern Greece, garner awards at gourmet food expositions. Pioneering Greek chefs source their ingredients from small, independent producers who have stayed faithful to what they know best. In an attempt to push their culinary boundaries without losing sight of the food’s origin, trendy Greek restaurants go the “slow food” route with a creative take on old-fashioned home-cooked meals based on the recipes of grandmothers and the experiences of village women in the kitchen. Greece has a rich tradition when it comes to breakfast, definitely the most important meal of the day. Although varying from one place to another, the Greek breakfast never fails to pair the abundance of tastes and aromas with the values of simplicity, clarity and purity. Savory pies made with local cheese, cereals and breads, aromatic herb tea, village eggs, honey, homemade fruit preserves, local sausages and cured meats, olives and olive oil, vegetables, cookies, yoghurt and cheese, are the ingredients that guarantee a delicious Mediterranean breakfast! The traveler has a vast variety of destinations to choose from, each of them boasting a unique culinary tradition. Greek Producers of big tastes NOMIKOS ESTATE SANTORINI Fava, small tomato, peanuts Address: VOTHONAS Zip Code: 84700 Town: SANTORINI Telephone: +30 22860 31016 Fax: +30 22860 31016 email:   Web:   AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVE OF ASOMATOS LESVOS Jam, traditional sweets Address: ASOMATOS Zip Code: 81101 Town: LESVOS Telephone: +30 22510 42265 Fax:   email:   Web:   AITOLIA OLIVES Kalamata olives Address: TIGANOKAMPOS Zip Code: 30200 Town: MESOLOGGI Telephone: +30 211 8005551 Fax: +30 211 8005556 email:   Web:   DELICATESSENS TSIANAVAS Sausages, smoked meat products, ham, salami Address: 13TH KLM. KARDITSA - ATHENS SOFADES Zip Code: 43300 Town: KARDITSA Telephone: +30 24430 22460, 24620 Fax: +30 24430 24607 email:   Web:   ANOKSELI Extra virgin olive oil, organic olive oil, white dry wine, red dry wine Address: EVROTA 27 & KIFISOU Zip Code:   Town: KIFISIA ATTICA Telephone: +30 210 8763297 Fax:   email:   Web:   ARTION GREEK FOODS Olive oil, olives, honey, raisins, bakery, herbs Address: 46Β, LEVANTAS STR. Zip Code:   Town: AG. STEFANOS ATTICA Telephone: +30 210 8141667 Fax:   email:   Web:   ATTIKI BEL CULTURING CO - ALEXANDROS PITTAS SA Honey, halvah, royal jelly Address: 18, ARKADIAS STR. Zip Code:  12132 Town: PERISTERI ATHENS Telephone: +30 210 210 5711721 Fax: +30 210 5717113  email:   Web:   AKSION ESTI ORGANIC HONEY Organic honey, pollen, royal jelly Address: 39, FARMAKA STR. Zip Code: 21200 Town: ARGOS Telephone: +30 27510 66398 Fax: +30 27510 66398 email:   Web:   GAIA Trachana, traditional pasta, pies, jam Address: TRIGONO CAVE Zip Code:   Town: EVROS Telephone: +30 25560 51100 Fax:   email:   Web:   GAIA WINES Wines Address: 22, THEMISTOKLEOUS STR. Zip Code: 15122 Town: MAROUSI ATHENS Telephone: +30 210 8055642 Fax: +30 210 80 55 542 email:   Web:   LESVOS DAIRY Ladotyri Mytilinis, P.D.O in Olive Oil, Ladotyri Mytilinis, P.D.O in Wax, Feta Cheese P.D.O., Kasseri P.D.O., Graviera, Kaloupaki Mytilinis, Kefalotyri, Hard Cheese of Mytilini, Mizithra Dried, Butter Address: CHIDIRA Zip Code: 81103 Town: LESVOS Telephone: +30 22530 51402 Fax: +30 22530 51544 email:   Web:   GO FOR…EAT Hand Made Greek Delicasies Address: 8, STYRON STR. Zip Code: 34100 Town: CHALKIDA Telephone: +30 22210 74255 Fax:   email:   Web:   DELPHI BEER Μπύρα Address: 12, 25ΤΗ. MARTIOU STR. Zip Code: 14123 Town: LIKOBRISI ATTICA Telephone: +30 210 8003325 Fax:   email:   Web:   ERGON Mushrooms, truffle, truffle oil, legumes, rice, pepper, olive oil, olives, spreads, organic products, honey, tuna, mustard, vinegar, coffee, spices, sugar, compote, pickle, sauces, wine, pasteli, pasta, groats, trachana, bakery, petimezi, kichen clothes Address: 5, KOUSKOURA STR. Zip Code: 54622 Town: THESSALONIKI Telephone: +30 2310 223550 Fax:   email:   Web:   EXPERTASTE Jam, traditional sweets Address: 59, ETHNIKIS ANTISTASEOS AVE. Zip Code:   Town: HERAKLION CRETE Telephone: +30 2810 330025 Fax: +30 2810 330845 email:   Web:   GAEA Olive oil, sauces, olives, spreads, vinegar, greek delicatessesn, organic products Address: 171, SYGGROU AVE Zip Code: 11471 Town: ATHENS Telephone: +30 210 9330595 Fax: +30 210 9330576 email:   Web:   CORFU BEER Beer Address: ARILLAS Zip Code: 49081 Town: CORFU Telephone: +30 26630 52072 Fax: +30 26630 52132 email:   Web:   KOLLECTIVA Pasta, snails, salad, traditional cakes, honey, jam, wine, olives, olive oil, herbs, pate, salt, truffle, vinegar, liqueur, sauces Address: 55, DROSINI STR. Zip Code: 16345 Town: HLIOUPOLI ATHENS Telephone: +30 210 3465562 Fax: +30 210 3474384 email:   Web:   DOMAIN SIGALAS Wines Address: OIA Zip Code: 84702 Town: SANTORINI Telephone: +30 22860 71644 Fax: +30 22860 71645 email:   Web:   MASTIHA SHOP Masticha, traditional sweets, chewing gum, candies, pies, loukoumi, honey, halva, cookies, pasta, sauces, coffee, tooth paste, liquer Address: 6, PANEPISTIMIOU STR. & KRIEZOTOU Zip Code:   Town: ATHENS Telephone: +30 210 3632750 Fax:   email:   Web:   MEDITERRA WINERY White wines, rose wines, red wines Address: 40,2 KLM. ATTIKI ODOS Zip Code: 19002 Town: PEANIA ATTICA Telephone: +30 210 6009828 Fax: +30 210 6009830 email:   Web:   MELITIMON Honey, royal jelly, pollen Address: LECHAIO Zip Code:   Town: KORINTHIA Telephone: +30 6909392055 Fax:   email:   Web:   ROUSSA GH - VOTANIA Dried herbs, soap Address: KASTELLI AG. NIKOLAOS Zip Code:   Town: CRETE Telephone: +30 28410 27419 Fax:   email:   Web:   MR. JAM Jam, traditional sweetes, sauses Address: 15, ETHNIKIS ANTISTASEOS STR. Zip Code:   Town: N. LIOSIA ATHENS Telephone: +30 210 2484137 Fax:   email:   Web:   NAOUMIDIS PEPPERS Pepper products Address: AG. PANTELEHMONAS AMYNTAIO Zip Code:   Town: FLORINA Telephone: +30 23860 61438 Fax:   email:   Web:   GAVALAS WINERY Vinsanto, red and white wines Address: MEGALOCHORI Zip Code: 84700 Town: SANTORINI Telephone: +30 22860 82552 Fax: +30 22860 82552 email:   Web:   OLIVE VISION Extra virgin olive oil Address: 62, AG. OROUS STR. Zip Code:   Town: MAROUSI ATHENS Telephone: +30 211 7002719 Fax:   email:   Web:   ORGANIC ISLANDS Organic plants Address: GALANADO KAZANOVA Zip Code:   Town: NAXOS Telephone: +30 22850 23110 Fax:   email:   Web:   SANTO WINES Wines, small tomato, fava, kapari, sweets Address: PYRGOS Zip Code: 15231 Town: SANTORINI Telephone: +30 22860 22233 / + 30 210 5155990 Fax:   email:   Web:   SYMPHONIA Olive oil, olives, honey, honey spread with hazelnut Address: 131, PRAXITELOUS STR. Zip Code: 18532 Town: PIRAEUS ATHENS Telephone: +30 210 4225500 Fax: +30 210 4225591 email:   Web:   TRATAMENTO Jam, liqueur, traditional sweets, pies Address: CHORA Zip Code:   Town: KYTHNOS Telephone: +30 22810 31638 Fax:   email:   Web:   TRIKALINOS Roe, salted, smoked fish, salt Address: 50, ETHNARCHOU MAKARIOU STR. Zip Code: 17234 Town: DAFNI ATHENS Telephone: +30 210 9273660 Fax: +30 210 9273661 email:   Web:   TSOLIS WINERY Wines Address: MOUZAKI Zip Code:   Town: MESSINIA Telephone: +30 27630 22125 Fax:   email:   Web:   VAGIAS FOODS SA Olive products, olive oil Address: 3TH. KLM. REGIONAL ROAD OF ATALANTI Zip Code: 35200 Town: ATALANTI Telephone: +30 22330 80295 Fax: +30 22330 97923 email:   Web:   WISH NATURAL PRODUCT WITHOUT SUGAR Chocolates without sugar, bars with chocolate, bars with fruits Address: 82, ARTEMISIOU STR. Zip Code:   Town: PERISTERI ATHENS Telephone: +30 210 5783080 Fax:   email:   Web:   ESCARGOT DE CRETE Snails Address: LATZIMAS RETHYMNO Zip Code: 74100 Town: CRETE Telephone: +30 28340 93155 Fax: +30 28340 93155 email:   Web: