Flavors of Greece: culinary week on a Greek island.
This holiday will give you the chance to get acquainted with various aspects of the Greek cuisine, discover rare regional recipes and sample some excellent local products, savoring the leisurely pace of island life in a relaxed and intimate atmosphere. You will take four different cooking classes during which you will learn to prepare several dishes from various regions of Greece, have a wine and cheese tasting, and enjoy traditional Greek feasts.
During the week you will have the chance to visit the local market where you can taste and buy local delicacies, to explore the medieval settlement and some fishing villages, walk in beautiful nature and forage herbs, and swim on pristine beaches.
You will be staying in a mansion full of old world charm, in the magnificent town of Ermoupolis, the capital of the Cyclades and one of the most beautiful towns in Greece.
The cooking class will take place in the villa’s first floor professionally equipped kitchen catering for the villa’s guests.
The program
Day 1
Arrival by morning or evening ferry. For those arriving in the morning, free time to explore the town or have a swim at Vaporia.
Evening welcome drinks and buffet dinner with local specialities. Getting to know each other and talk about the week’s schedule.
Day 2
Breakfast in the courtyard.
Organic and homemade! With freshly baked whole meal bread, cakes ( such as carob, cinnamon and orange, nuts and raisins), jams made with fruit from our garden ( fig with rose geranium, lemon/lavender, Seville orange marmalade), thyme honey, butter and yoghurt from the local dairy farm, our homemade seed, fig and nut granola, fresh fruit…
10:30: COOKING CLASS 1: Grains, pulses and stuffed vegetables.
Learn the basics of Greek cuisine. Why it is one of the most balanced and healthy in the world. Secrets and techniques.
A hands-on 3-hour class during which we will prepare a Greek feast of several dishes, that we will then enjoy in the shaded courtyard.
Sample dishes
- split peas purée with caramelized onions, capers and sun-dried tomatoes
- parsley/garlic dip
- chickpeas with rosemary
- beetroot/walnut and yogurt salad
- stuffed peppers and tomatoes with herbs, bulgur, pine nuts and black currants
- sweet milk pie
Free evening.
Day 3
Breakfast in the courtyard.
Market tour. We will visit the fruit and fish market, and shop for today’s class, then a shop selling loukoumia ( a kind of mastic or rose flavored Turkish delight) and halvadopites ( a kind of nougats ), the traditional sweets Syros is famous for, as well as shops where you can find and sample the local products from the Cyclades (louza, the local cured spices ham, many different cheeses, award-winning thyme honey, capers, pickled rock samphire, olives and olive oil, olive oil soaps, pickled artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, pasta, liqueurs etc.)
11:30: COOKING CLASS 2: A seafood feast. We will prepare fish and seafood traditional recipes such as:
- fish roe dip
- steamed skate with mustard/lemon dressing
- anchovies in vine leaves with fennel
- sardines stuffed with herbs
- shrimp saganaki
- semolina halva
Afternoon rest or swim.
Day 4
Breakfast in the courtyard.
A free day with several suggestions for optional activities depending on the weather and the group’s mood!
OPTION 1: Beach picnic. You will visit one of the pristine northern beaches, accessible only by boat or hiking. You can opt for a short taxi drive and a boat trip (depending on weather and time of the year) or a short drive and a 45 minute walk in spectacular scenery. You will spend the day at the beach and have a picnic there with some things you can grab before at the local market.
OPTION 2: Visit Kini, one of the nicest and most popular beaches in a lovely fishing village. Easy access by bus or taxi.
Spend the morning at the beach and enjoy a late lunch in one of the waterfront fish tavernas. If you stay late, the sunset there is lovely.
OPTION 3: For those with a special interest in herbs and their culinary and medicinal uses, take an extra class with a herb specialist. You will go foraging and there talk about the different uses of herbs and prepare a simple meal using the herbs you have picked. This activity needs advance notice to confirm availability and its cost is 100€ per person.
Day 5
Breakfast in the courtyard.
10:30:COOKING CLASS 3: Doughs, pastries and pies.
We will prepare some traditional recipes using phyllo or an olive oil and yogurt pastry, and a couple of salads.
Sample dishes:
- olive bread
- ladenia, a Greek vegan pizza
- zucchini, goat cheese and mint pie
- a unique cheese pie
- “flour pie” with feta cheese and eggs
Lunch in the courtyard.
In the evening, we will visit Ano Syros, the traditional medieval settlement perched on the hill above Ermoupolis, walk in the cobblestone streets, admire the spectacular views.
For dinner we will try the iconic Greek street food at its best in a place that is locals’ favourite.
Day 6
Breakfast in the courtyard.
Free morning to visit some of the town’s sights and museums or have a swim.
17:00 COOKING CLASS 4: a meze feast.
On our last evening, we will prepare a feast with different mezedes, small dishes that will accompany our wine tasting. We will try white, rose and red wines from small producers from several Greek regions. We will also have a cheese tasting of sheep, goat and cow cheeses and we will use cheese in some of our recipes.
Sample dishes
- aubergine rolls with ricotta cheese and tomato sauce
- figs stuffed with goat cheese and mint
- smoked aubergine dip
- raw zucchini salad with lemon and herbs
- black lentil and barley salad with red peppers and walnuts
- vine leaves with rice, herbs and a tahini sauce
- almond figs poached in sweet wine with yogurt
Day 7
Breakfast in the courtyard.
Free morning to explore the town, visit some of the sights and museums, or, if the weather permits, have a swim at Vaporia.
Departure with the afternoon ferry at 4.00.
Cost per person
1.700-2.000 € (private double room/single occupancy, price varies for different rooms)
1.500-1.700 € (shared twin or double room)
Minimum number of participants: 4
Maximum number of participants: 12
For 1-2 participants, there is a 400 € supplement per person.
For 3 participants, there is a 200 € supplement per person.
What is included
- 6 nights accommodation
- 6 breakfasts
- 1 welcome dinner with wine
- 4 cooking classes ( followed by lunch or dinner)
- 1 cheese and wine tasting
- 1 visit/walking tour to Ano Syros / drinks and dinner in a taverna
- 1 market tour
- Refreshments, teas, coffees during your stay
- All the cooking class recipes
What is not included
- Airfare, ferry tickets, shuttle boat ticket
- Extra drinks/meals not mentioned above
- Optional activities
Note
This holiday can be tailor-made on requested dates.
Some activities may change depending on the weather and time of the year.