Loukoumi (plural: loukoumia) derives from the Turkish word Lokoum, an oriental sugar-based confectionery, known in Western Europe as Turkish Delight. They are made in Greece, Turkey and other eastern countries of the Mediterrenean!
The most famous loukoumia in Greece are made in the island of Syros where they have turned making loukoumia into a science of flavor! You can also find them in Andros and the city of Patras! One also famous variety comes from Cyprus!
The traditional Loukoumia come in three colors and flavors: Red with rose flavour, white with mastic flavor, and green with bergamot flavor. They are based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios and hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel! They are covered in thin sugar and they look like small bites of heaven!
They are an amazing small dessert that leaves a great aroma in your mouth and besides shops they sell them in almost all the boat that travel the Aegean.
Heliciculture, or snail farming is the process of breeding land snails for human consumption, and more recently, for cosmetics use. For centuries, humans have used snails either as food or jewelry.
Bread is the most important staple on the Greek table. No meal is complete without it, and few Greeks eat without it. It is both a food and a utensil, held in one hand to scoop up the delicious savory sauces and remains on many a plate of food.
Paximadi comes from the word Paxamas that used to mean baker. It begun as a way to preserve bread but it has now turned into a very popular and very nutritious basis for many dishes.
The Pistachios of the island of Aegina which is just an hour away from Athens are considered to be the best variety of pistachios in the Mediterrenean. Pistachio trees have been cultivated in Aegina since 1860, later spreading to other parts of Attica and Greece.
The salted and pickled caper bud (also called simply capers) is very nutritious and also very tasty seasoning for salads and other recipes of the Mediterranean cuisine and especially in Greek dishes!
Zagori is an area of great natural beauty and unique architecture in the Pindus Mountains in Epirus in Northwestern Greece. The area is of about 1.000 square kilometers and contains 46 villages. Zagoria villages is called by Greeks “Zagorochoria” meaning the villages behind the mountain.
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In 1989, Professor of Byzantine Studies, Helen Ahrweiler is appointed Chairman of the Cultural Centre Pompidou in Paris