GREEK CUISINE: A taste of food fit for the gods
The range of Greek food served at dusitD2. PHOTO | COURTESY | dusitD2
What you need to know:
- The first cookbook ever written was in the fourth century by Archestratus, the ancient Greek also known as the master of tasty dishes.
- He wrote about where to find the best foods in the Mediterranean world.
I love food from the Mediterranean — happy food from the sunny climates next to the sea. The finest of Greek traditional foods from chef Papadopoulos Giorgos were served at the dusitD2 in Nairobi, introducing Greek cuisine to the city.
And I indulged in a spread fit for the gods — olives, wine, meze and more.
With 20 years of experience in cooking and four Hellenic gold medals to his name, Giorgos produced a delightful meal.
“Mediterranean food has a history of 4,000 years,” he told us.
The first cookbook ever written was in the fourth century by Archestratus, the ancient Greek also known as the master of tasty dishes. He wrote about where to find the best foods in the Mediterranean world.
“The menu has food prepared from traditional recipes,” Giorgos added.
The starters were soon on the table — Kalamata olives (this dark purple meaty tasting olive only comes from the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece), sun-dried Santorini capers from the Aegean islands, and oregano created by the goddess of love, Aphrodite, who tended it in her garden on Mount Olympus. I was in heaven.
And then came the meze.
“The meze is a very social platter at every house. People nibble on the little offerings on the platter while chatting,” said Giorgos.
Capers, hummus, moutbal, tzatziki, tarama and spicy cheese dip accompanied dishes like olives stuffed in vine leaves, marinated octopus, smoked kingfish, beef and halloumi, and a Greek salad.
Go to The East African for the full article.
