Introducing Greek food

Introducing Greek food

The ancient Greeks' main diet consisted mainly of what's know as the Mediterranean tried: wheat, cheese, wine and olive oil, but there was also much more.

Once the ancient Greeks got moving with the expansion of commerce and trade across the whole of the Mediterranean, all sorts of goods and ingredients were available and the art of cooking evolved more. Eating and socialising was raised to an art form, at least among the wealthy, and there were even slaves whose sole purpose was to cook. Only men were invited and they would spend from late afternoon into the night discussing philosophy and basically getting drunk.

The first cookbook
It was during this time that the first historically recognised cookbook appeared : the Hedupatheia, by Archestratus. Written in rhyme, it was a treatise on the value of fine dining .It's thanks to another foodie that these poems survived : Athenaeus included 60 quotes in his own piece on food , The Sophists at dinner. In it he explores the greatness of food; centuries before the French, the gourmet was born.

Delicious Bookmark this on Delicious