Original Recipe: Mystron: Athenaeus, The Partying Professors ‘Nicander of Colophon is the author who employs the word mystron when describing the use of the word barley groats in the first of his two books On Farming. He writes: “But when you are making a dish of fresh kid or lamb or capon, put some barley groats in […]

Servings: 6 Ingredients 1 medium celery (stalks) 7 oz of olive oil 1 batch of parsley, finely chopped 3/4 cups of orzo pasta (kritharaki) 1-2 pinches of pepper 2-3 pinches of salt 9 oz of tomato sauce, or fresh 4 1/2 cups of water, or meat stock Directions Combine all the ingredients but the pasta in […]

RIGANATHA APO TIN LEFKADA This is another simple bread snack that was the traditional afternoon meal among field hands and farmers in Lefkada. Islanders will tell you proudly that riganatha isn’t made anywhere else in Greece, and they are right. Unique to this dish is its dressing—rose water vinegar. For the rose water vinegar: The traditional way of making this was […]

Question: What Did the Ancient Greeks Eat? Answer:The foods of ancient Greece were similar to foods we eat today, but did not include many that have become important parts of modern Greek cooking. For example, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and bananas didn’t arrive in Greece until after the discovery of the Americas in the 15th century, because […]

Like other ancient civilizations, the basic ancient Greek foods were cereals, legumes, oil, and wine. Many ancient Greeks lived in Magna Graecia (Megale Hellas), so the food of the Romans overlaps that of the Greeks. There were, of course, other influences on ancient Greek foods, especially from Asia. We know the Greeks had a wide variety of […]

In Greek: χωριάτικο ψωμί, pronounced hoh-ree-AH-tee-koh psoh-MEE In villages around Greece, this classic bread is still baked in outdoor wood-burning ovens. This bread is more dense than other types of bread (the loaf at right measures about 13 inches across and weighs a little more than 2 pounds) and can be made with a variety […]

Making rusks (twice-baked bread) from regular bread is very easy, but because of low oven temperatures, it takes a while. The good thing is that you don’t have to stir, mix, or even flip it. Rusks are an important part of Greek cooking – they’re used to make crumbs, in salads, but the most popular […]

Bouquet Garni for Soups & Sauces There’s nothing quite as disconcerting as finding a whole allspice berry or piece of dried rosemary in a sauce or bowl of soup. A tip from Margarita Krasanaki. Cure Your Own Olives Greek olives are known the world over for their variety, flavors, and colors. Learn about the methods […]

Its Cypriot story Zivania is a traditional alcoholic beverage, which has been produced for centuries in Cyprus by distillation, and has played an important role in the everyday life of Cypriots. Zivania is a strong drink, high in alcoholic content which according to tradition (also adopted by the 1998 Regulations for the Control of zivania) […]

Ingredients: 1 small chicken (1kg) 500g hulled barley or wheat (bulgur) 50g fresh butter (optional) 1/2 cup olive oil 1 onion, quartered 1 carrot, sliced 1 stalks celery, with leaves, chopped salt and pepper Method: Place the chicken and vegetables in a pot with enough water to cover. Add salt and pepper and cook over […]