Month-long ‘Kouzina’ Event Brings Halkidiki’s Edible Wonders to the Table

Greek chef Dina Nikolaou joins 18 local and five European colleagues to present 29 culinary evenings as part of the Mount Athos Area Organization’s “Kouzina” event, which kicked off in the Halkidiki peninsula on May 15.

The month-long series, with the support of the Greek-Italian Chamber of Thessaloniki, features culinary evenings dedicated to local products and their use in the region’s cuisine as it has evolved through time.

The edible wonders of Mount Holomontas and the surrounding area, known as the Aristotle path, were the focus of the first “Kouzina” event titled “Ancient Greek Cuisine”.

Other gastronomic evenings lined up include the edible gifts of Mount Athos Gulf, monastic cuisine, the traditions of diaspora Greeks (mainly from regions that were once Greek) and the Mediterranean cuisine.

This year’s event has garnered the support of 22 local businesses, three professional bodies, 22 local producers and nine local associations.

A World Heritage site, Mount Athos and its surrounding region offer visitors to Greece a unique gastronomic experience with the world-acclaimed “Mount Athos Area Kouzina” series during which participants have the chance to collect herbs and fruits, lunch in the heart of the forest, partake in the production of local sweets, and learn more about honey production, among others.