With great success, the 2nd TASTE HALKIDIKI FESTIVAL took place on Sunday, June 19, 2022, at the Central Pier in Neos Marmaras, Sithonia Municipality, Halkidiki, organized by Chef Stories in collaboration with Halkidiki Chamber. The event is part of a series of actions integrated into the local program of Halkidiki’s Development LEADERCLLD (RDP 2014-2020), aiming to highlight Halkidiki’s gastronomy.
At the pier, right by the sea, 28 local producers of honey, olives, olive oil, wines, beer, herbs, goat cheese, and bakery products from all over Halkidiki presented their products to the visitors. In the specially designed cooking area, chefs from famous restaurants in the area, as well as traditional cooks from community associations, prepared their flavorful creations based on local recipes. The dishes we tasted at the 2nd TASTE HALKIDIKI FESTIVAL included:
- Almond sweets by the Cultural Folklore Association of Neos Marmaras “Proikonnisos”
- Smoked anchovies from the restaurant “Ta Kymata”
- Mussel pilaf by chef Ioannis Koukias, “taverna Dimitris”
- Politika meatballs with flavored yogurt by Miki Ninic of Culinary Professionals Greece
- Saragli traditional sweet by Kardasi Asimina, Karanikola Athanasia and Milkonidou Maria of the Cultural Association “O Parthenon”
The 2nd TASTE HALKIDIKI FESTIVAL also had the scent of Asia Minor since 2022 marks the memory year of the Asia Minor Catastrophe, and the event in a purely refugee village was an opportunity to refer to the great gastronomy of the Greeks who came from there. In a nearby specially designed area, Olive Oil Tasting was conducted with Olive Oil Expert Odysseas Vlachavas for those who wanted to delve into recognizing the aromas and flavors of pure virgin olive oil from Halkidiki.
The event was preceded by two fam trips of journalists and food bloggers from Athens, Thessaloniki, and Halkidiki, who visited product producers throughout Halkidiki and tasted local dishes at selected restaurants.
