Globe Trekker Planet Food Greece

Angela May's culinary journey through Greece takes her from the bustling capital of Athens, to historic Thessaloniki, and to the islands of Lesvos and Crete, on an exploration of Greece's delicious and healthy Mediterranean cuisine. The classical civilization of the Ancient Greeks still influences modern Greece, and in Athens, a melting pot of tastes and traditions, Angela is treated to a feast served in the elegant style that Athenians would have been accustomed to 2000 years ago. Angela visits the central food market in the busy streets beneath the Acropolis, sampling souvlaki and learning how to prepare and the Greek favorite, moussaka. Traveling to the island of Lesvos, Angela discovers how the aniseed-based Ouzo came to be created here when all the local vines were wiped out by the phylloxera plague in the 19th century. Angela then heads out to sea with a local fisherman to catch octopus for dinner, before finding out from a local cooking expert the secret of making the finest spoon sweets. In Greece's second largest city Thessaloniki, Angela meets Greek TV cook and singer songwriter F.T. Bletsas, who explains how the city's historic position on the major trade routes between East and West has influenced the regional cuisine. He demonstrates one of his favorite recipes, learned from his grandmother, using spicy stuffed peppers and other vegetables. Heading on to the island of Crete, Angela discovers how the local people have one of the healthiest diets in the world. Angela joins a shepherd tending a flock of sheep in the mountains, before ending her trip learning how to make a delicious rabbit stifado, a traditional stew