International food blog: INTERNATIONAL: GREECE: Part 12: Athens and central Greece

Athens and Central Greece

ATHENS

If you follow the downhill trail at the southwestern part of the Acropolis, you will find the upper entrance to the Agora,

the ancient marketplace of Athens. A visit to the site and to the Agora museum,

which has many ancient cooking and serving utensils, gives a sense of the everyday life during classical times. A short walk through the narrow streets of the Monastiraki neighborhood

(which is mainly occupied by kitschy "Greek Arts" stores) leads to Athinas Street, where the modern agora is located. The triangle enclosed by the streets Athinas, Evripidou, and Sophocleous comprises the core of the market.

Although many stores and stalls have undergone serious renovation in recent years, you'll still see whole slaughtered animals and parts of meat and innards hanging in the corridors of the vast hall. At the fish market, seafood of all kinds lies on crushed ice atop marble counters. The scent of fresh blood and fish intermingles with the aroma of garlic,

oregano,

and other dried herbs sold by vendors at every corner. Walking down Evripidou street, you smell cumin,

cinnamon,

and other spices, often mixed with the sweet intoxicating aroma of incense,

all sold at spice shops here.

This is the area for street food, including gyro,

souvlaki (pork or lamb kebobs),

tyropita (cheese pies),

LINK to mini Tyropita low salt version

and spanakopita (spinach pie).

LINK to Spanakopita recipe or Greek spinach pie

Bakeries on every corner have their own versions of savory pies; seek out horiatki pita, "country pie"

LINK to Hortopita or Greek Savory Pie

made with thick olive oil–phyllo pastry, filled with spinach, scallions, and Feta, and baked in large round pans.

While the central market doesn't have a lot of vegetables and fruits, produce can be found at touring farmers' markets that appear once a week in every Athenian neighborhood. The huge Saturday market of Neos Kosmos, behind the Intercontinental Hotel, is one of the best ones, while on Fridays there is a farmers' market in Koukaki, a short walk from the Acropolis.

If you're looking for bars, coffee shops, and clubs, head to Herakleidon Street in the old neighborhood of Thission—it's the meeting point for Athenian youths. On sunny days you can enjoy a frappé (ice-cold foamy instant coffee) sitting at a sidewalk café, as the locals do. Southwest of the central market is Psiri— it seems that every house in this once-dilapidated neighborhood has become a restaurant or a bar, and many have live music (particularly on Sunday afternoons during the winter).

Central Greece

Roumeli, as Central Greece used to be called, has mountains, plains, and an extended shoreline, and traveling around the area you'll find an incredibly diverse range of culinary specialties. There is a general belief among Greeks that the custom of spit-roasting young lamb and kid was invented in Roumeli, and many meat-loving Athenians head here on Saturdays and Sundays to eat at hasapotavernes (butchers' taverns).

Mount Parnassus,

less than a three-hour drive from Athens, is a favorite winter destination, with ski slopes and plenty of hotels in the surrounding villages. This is shepherd's country, where the Sarakatsani nomads

have settled permanently and continue to herd sheep and goats. A favorite Feta cheese, creamy and rich, is made in Parnassus, as is katiki,

a slightly tangy spreadable fresh cheese made from a combination of goat's and sheep's milk that's the perfect addition to salads and grilled summer vegetables.

Further north, the mountainous and once isolated prefecture of Evrytania has become a favorite weekend destination for young Athenians, with luxurious small boutique hotels in some villages. Stremmenos Pork Meat Factory in the picturesque village of Proussos produces exquisite organic ham, sausages, and other products according to traditional recipes.