Chef Christoforos Peskias

Of “48 - The Restaurant”, tells Epikouria’s Elena Fotiadi what makes Greek food ‘Greek’, where Greek food makers are going wrong and why he hopes his mother never reads this interview.

Peskias, who has spent time in the kitchen of Spain’s El Bulli with Ferran Adria, is one of the few Greek chefs to have completed extensive stages, including one with Charlie Trotter. Though hailing from Cyprus, he is considered one of Greece’s star chefs.

Many of the ingredients used in Greek cuisine – tomatoes, olives, cucumbers – are also important in the cuisines not only of other Mediterranean countries, but also of such countries as Mexico. Do you think there are key differences in terms of ingredients between Greek and other cuisines? Do you believe the quality of the ingredients available in Greece is superior? Do you think the preparation makes a difference? What do you think makes Greek food ‘Greek’?
The key difference in terms of ingredients between Greek and other Mediterranean countries lies in the way these ingredients are prepared. It would be presumptuous to assume that one country has superior ingredients, since every country has special products to offer. Nonetheless, the sun has definitely blessed this country with a variety of excellent indigenous products. Our olive oil for example, is the best. Greece has also delicious sun-ripened tomatoes and a plethora of wonderful vegetables. I believe that when it comes to fruits and vegetables, Greece is a paradise. The Greek Salad – consisting of all these wonderful ingredients – is, in my opinion, the best salad in the world. In addition, the fish available in the Mediterranean Greek water is a blessing.

The preparation of each ingredient certainly creates a distinct character. Greek ladera dishes – stewed vegetable in olive oil – are traditionally Greek. The technique of preparation is the key factor that distinguishes Greek food from other cuisines. The plethora of olive oil in Greece has accentuated Greek cuisine, making Greek food Greek. The cuisine of each country is an expression of its culture and tradition.

If you had to name the three most characteristic Greek ingredients, what would they be?
Olive oil would be the first and most obvious followed by our vegetables. Greek cuisine traditionally uses a lot of vegetables, not only in the summer but in the winter as well. The richness of vegetables available to Greek people has enabled this. We use fresh vegetables in salads or ladera dishes in the summer, in the winter we make spinach pies or hortopites. As the third most characteristic Greek ingredient, I would name cereal and pulses. Greek cuisine offers innumerable variations of pies; it also uses pounded wheat, rusks and trahana – a pasta-like product made with cracked wheat or flour mixed with buttermilk, milk or yogurt. And a lot of bread. All in all, Greek cuisine seems to be fully abiding to the Mediterranean diet pyramid.

What are the specialties of your home, Cyprus?
The ingredients used in Cyprus are basically the same as the ones used in Greece. However, Cyprus has had slightly different influences in its culture and cuisine. These influences come from the Middle East and Armenia, even Turkey, and they add a more spicy twist to the Cypriot cuisine. Cyprians use a lot of spices, like cumin and coriander.

Greek and Cypriot cuisine are similar, although the Cypriots do not use as much olive oil in their dishes. You can’t find great Greek salad in Cyprus or all this variety of ladera dishes you will find in Greece simply because the necessary ingredients weren’t as available as they were to the Greeks. However, Cyprus has a vast selection of specialties of its own. Just to name a few, haloumi, a delicious cheese, is one of them. Another Cypriot specialty is tahini – sesame seeds pulp – with which you make the famous tahinopita (sweet pie), an ideal breakfast. An Easter Cypriot specialty is flaounes, a folded pie, which is filled with raisins, mint and cheese. Another very characteristic dish would be pork in red wine.

Do you ever use ‘exotic’ Greek ingredients, like avgotaraho and certain kinds of horta? What ingredients do you think may be only or most easily found in Greece? Do you see regional differences in ingredients?
I do use ‘exotic’ Greek ingredients and a few are also on our menu at 48. We serve avgotaraho (salted and dried roe) on bruschettas. With tarama (carp roe), we create a foamy mousse. We also serve loutza, cured pork meat from Mykonos. Another delicacy on our menu is kopanisti, a delicious cheese from Mykonos or Tinos.