FEAST GREECE is a nine-part food-lifestyle-travel journey into an ancient land with a gloriously rich past. With its dramatic mountains, magical islands and deep blue seas, Greece is a country which seduces its travellers back time after time.
From the awe-inspiring rock pinnacles and monasteries of Meteora, to the mastic trees of Southern Chios. From the stone villages of mountainous Zagoria, to the bustling metropolis of Athens; this series highlights the many facets of this wonderfully diverse country.
Following the success of Feast India & Feast Bazaar, Chef Barry Véra embarks on the journey of a lifetime, experiencing first-hand the culture, traditions, cuisine, and people of Greece. While the focus of the series is primarily gastronomic, there is an interesting balance of geography, history and culture present.
Episodes
Episode 1: Garden Of The Aegean - We begin on the island of Lesvos and learn of it's rich produce; namely Olives, Sardines and Ouzo. Due to it being relatively isolated and rather close to Turkey, there are many unique customs and dishes on offer. After discussing a little of the island's history, we're given some insight into the process of Ouzo making.
Episode 2: Lesvos- The Virgin Mary Festival - Continuing our exploration of Lesvos, we take a look at one of their most widely celebrated religious festivals, which involves a six-hour pilgrimage by foot up an ancient stone path to the town of Agiassos. Some time is also dedicated towards explaining the island's name and it's association with the word "Lesbian".
Episode 3: Chios- The Weeping Isle - An amazing centuries-old village, Chios has a labyrinthine design that was intended to deter invaders but nowadays it just confuses tourists. We visit a farm of weeping trees where mastic is harvested. The clear resin has a plethora of uses, from adhesives to drink flavourings.
Episode 4: Athens- Athena - In the Olympic city, we visit a people's market and explore the vast array of produce on offer. Tucked away in the market is a quiet 24-hour restaurant where Barry tries a rather dodgy-looking broth. One of the highlights of the series for me, we're introduced to poet-sandal maker Stavros Melissinos who recounts his experience making sandals for all four Beatles in the 60s.
Episode 5: Crete- Milia - A little more focused on architecture and lifestyle now, we visit a very old market that was built on the site of a Venetian bastion. Then, before attending a traditional Greek Orthodox wedding, we're shown how snails (a Cretan specialty) are harvested, as well as hand made filo pastry.
Episode 6: Crete- A Taste Of Honey - We visit a family-owned farm where a vast array of produce is made, including grapes, wine, herbs and honey. After cooking up a dish of snails, we explore the renowned local pottery galleries and meet a few of the artists.
Episode 7: Zagoria & Ioannina- Behind The Mountains - Zagoria is an isolated region with fantastic restaurants and very unique architecture. Wild mushrooms are prominent in the bush here and feature on most of the menus, but this episode does highlight the effect climate change has had on yields.
Episode 8: Meteora - The monasteries of Meteora were built upon enormous rock formations that are truly a sight to behold. At the age of 73, father Dositheos is a world-famous chef whose simple book of traditional recipes has been translated into countless languages. He cooks a number of dishes for us from his monastery kitchen. We also visit an iconography studio to see how students create the decorative religious artworks.
Episode 9: Greek Offerings - An overview of the whole series, as Barry hits his home kitchen and prepares a number of his Greek favourites.
