“Mount Athos Area Kouzina” Culinary Days Kick Off In Greece

Photo © Mount Athos Area Organization

Culinary days have launched in the Athos Region in Halkidiki aiming to promote local production and products to establish the area as a destination for thematic travelers.

The culinary days are part of the “Mount Athos Area Kouzina,” an initiative of the Mount Athos Area Organization and chef Dina Nikolaou, where  local chefs combine tradition with gourmet creations, always based on local organic produce.

The official start of the Mount Athos Area Kouzina event was dedicated to “Ancient Greek Cuisine” and kicked off on 15 May in the mountainous area of Arnea at Cholomontas where guests, including Greek and Bulgarian journalists and Dutch travel agents, were introduced to the area’s mushroom production.

Photo © Mount Athos Area Organization

The guests toured the Natura 2000 botanical routes, explored the famous Cholomontas mushroom fields and had a mountain feast prepared by local chefs Stergios Karantaglis and Tasoula Parliari.

The experience continued to the Grove of Agia Paraskevi for cooking lessons with local products by chef Yiorgos Vlachos, followed by an authentic ancient Greek symposium with products of the forest and the Aristotelian Mountain by chefs Dimitris Nikolaidis and Dimitris Polyzos.

Later, in Olympiada, guests had their first “Feast of the Aristotelian Mountain” prepared by chefs Jean Louis Kapsalas and chef Louloudia Alexiadou.

The Mount Athos Area Kouzina events will run until 15 June. Further information and the full event program can be found here.