Athens Walking Tours: Greek cooking class in an Athens tavern

November 12, 2016 ~ culinaldi ~ 3 Comments

I like to try and take a cooking class whenever I travel, endeavouring to learn and understand more about the cuisine of the country that I’m visiting. But I must admit that after holidaying around Europe and eating at numerous restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner over the past eight weeks, I’m not entirely sure if I can remember how to cook. So with an equal sense of trepidation and excitement, I arrived at the Diavlos Tavern in the heart of Athens, eager to escape the late-afternoon thunderstorm and ready for my three-hour cooking lesson in Greek cuisine.

Diavlos Tavern, Thissio, Athens

The kitchen table – Athens Cooking Lessons

Individual work stations – Athens Cooking Lessons

After meeting cooking instructor Fofi Olympidou outside the restaurant, our group of seven participants who were all coincidently international travellers like myself, went upstairs into a private room where the table had been laid with our individual workstations and aprons. I must admit that this is only the second cooking class that I’ve undertaken where you are seated for the entire session and my relaxed holiday vibe loved it!

Fofi started the session with an introduction to Greek cuisine and challenged us as to what our own understanding of traditional Greek fare was. For as long as I can remember I had somehow associated baklava with Greek food, probably because I see it served in Greek pastry shops and Greek restaurants back home in Melbourne. Fofi corrected that perception by commenting that baklava was actually a legacy from the Ottoman Empire, which has been assimilated into Greek cuisine, but is not considered to be traditionally Greek.

The traditional Greek menu for the evening was to be zucchini balls, tzatziki, dolmades, Greek salad, spanakopita, roast lamb with potatoes followed by a Greek yoghurt dessert. I’ve never prepared any of these dishes at home so I was really looking forward to participating in the end-to-end cooking process, all the way from the beginning to eating and enjoying the final result.

Cooking instructor Fofi Olympidou – Athens Cooking Lessons

Aperitif – Athens Cooking Lessons

Mezze of olives, tomatoes and feta cheese – Athens Cooking Lessons

Mezze – Athens Cooking Lessons

The kitchen table – Athens Cooking Lessons

As per Greek tradition, we started with an aperitif of raki made from grapes, complemented with mezze, which is a term used to describe small serves of food to accompany drink. It was rather nice to begin the evening with something other than ouzo as aniseed is not my favourite flavour and I’ve been served quite a few glasses of this aperitif during my time in Greece. The raki was quite smooth to drink but with a powerful finish that you typically get from beverages with 45 per cent alcohol volume. I took note of Fofi’s advice to take small sips and enjoy with the mezze of bread, feta cheese, tomatoes and olives served on the table.

Fofi explaining the cooking process – Athens Cooking Lessons

The kitchen table – Athens Cooking Lessons

Preparing roast lamb with potatoes – Athens Cooking Lessons

The dish taking the longest time to cook was the roast lamb with potatoes, which needed to be baked in the oven for approximately an hour and a half, so this naturally was the first recipe to be prepared for the evening. Fofi explained that sheep and goats are quite prevalent in the mountainous areas of Greece, therefore lamb is a meat that features predominantly in Greek cuisine. With one portion of lamb given to each one of us, we carefully followed Fofi’s verbal instructions by making several cuts into the meat and then filling each hole with a sliver of garlic, pinches of dried oregano, salt and pepper before placing back into the baking tray. Take careful note of the container of olive oil in the photos above which is almost full at this point in the evening.

Dressing the lamb and potatoes with lemon juice and mustard – Athens Cooking Lessons

Preparing the roast lamb and potatoes – Athens Cooking Lessons

Just add olive oil … – Athens Cooking Lessons

Ready to go in the oven – Athens Cooking Lessons

Rather than getting up and washing our boards and utensils in the kitchen, there were bottles of vinegar and paper towel on the table that we could use to wipe down our individual preparation areas and knives, before starting to peel and cut potatoes into small portions for the next part of the dish. Topped with a dressing made from lemon juice and mustard, Fofi generously added more salt, pepper and oregano to the baking tray before liberally applying olive oil over the lamb with a little water and then covering in preparation for roasting.

With the lamb whisked away to be cooked in the oven, the next part of the lesson was to start the spanakopita which is a classic Greek dish not dissimilar to a cheese and spinach pie. Most of us are typically accustomed to buying and using ready-made sheets of filo pastry to make spanakopita at home, but Fofi assured us that it was relatively quick and easy to make our own pastry for this recipe.

Making filo pastry dough – Athens Cooking Lessons

Rolled filo pastry for the cheese and spinach pie – Athens Cooking Lessons

Combining a simple mixture of flour, water and olive oil together in a large bowl, the dough began to take form and surprisingly a KitchenAid or Thermomix was not required other than some old-fashioned elbow grease. Most of us were given a small ball of dough to roll and then flatten into a circular shape that would be used to cover the base of the pie dish, which I must admit wasn’t an easy feat to achieve sitting down.

Chopping the spring onions – Athens Cooking Lessons

Preparing the spinach and cheese pie filling – Athens Cooking Lessons

Spinach and cheese pie filling – Athens Cooking Lessons

The next step was to start to chopping the herbs and vegetables for the filling and then spread over the pastry base before covering with the two remaining discs of pastry that had been set aside. One of the key ingredients of spanakopita is feta cheese which is traditionally made from either sheep or goats milk. Rather than cutting the cheese in preparation for the filling, Fofi gave some excellent advice on how the cheese should be grated instead so as to control the residual liquid content, in addition to some great tips for removing the excessive salty flavour typically found in purchased feta cheese.

Adding the top layer of pastry – Athens Cooking Lessons

Cutting the top layer into segments – Athens Cooking Lessons

Spinach and cheese pie (spanakopita) ready for the oven – Athens Cooking Lessons

Fofi demonstrated everything so beautifully, including cutting the top pastry layer into equal portions neatly without breaking through into the filling beneath. With a quick milk wash before being placed in the oven, another dish had been completed and all in the space of 15 minutes. Many hands make light work but I’m pretty positive it would take me five times as long to achieve a similar result in my own kitchen, but definitely worth a try at home.

Rice and herb filling for the dolmades – Athens Cooking Lessons

Fofi demonstrating how to roll domades – Athens Cooking Lessons

Lay the grape leaf out on the board – Athens Cooking Lessons

Add some filling onto the leaf – Athens Cooking Lessons

My own attempts at rolling dolmades – Athens Cooking Lessons

Freshly rolled dolmades ready for cooking – Athens Cooking Lessons

Just add oil … dolmades ready for cooking – Athens Cooking Lessons

The next dish to be prepared on the evening menu was the ever popular dolmades which I enjoy eating but have never made from scratch. Dolmades, or stuffed grape vine leaves, can be made with meat and rice, however the traditional version we were making had a rice and herb filling. Fofi first demonstrated how to lay the leaf on the board followed by the wrapping process before letting us reciprocate. My first dolma wasn’t too bad considering but the quality improved markedly with each new attempt. Once the saucepan had been filled with our own contributing efforts, Fofi added water and a few glugs of the obligatory olive oil to the dish before sending it downstairs to the kitchen to cook during the remainder of our lesson.

Grating zucchini and chopping the ingredients for zucchini balls – Athens Cooking Lessons

Chopped ingredients for zucchini balls – Athens Cooking Lessons

Zucchini ball dough mixture – Athens Cooking Lessons

Freshly cooked zucchini balls – Athens Cooking Lessons

While there is a lot of meat in Greek cuisine, Fofi explained that stuffed vegetable dishes and the use of vegetables as an accompaniment to each meal, are also key to traditional Greek cooking. The next dish of zucchini balls is a popular inclusion on mezze platters and entrée courses and relatively simple to prepare. Apart from grating a few zucchinis and chopping spring onions, it was a matter of adding eggs, flour, herbs and cheese to create a dough-type mixture. The hard part of rolling the individual balls and deep-frying in olive oil (of course!) was best left to the kitchen staff down below!

Just add oil … making the tzatziki dip – Athens Cooking Lessons

Mixing the tzatziki dip – Athens Cooking Lessons

Tzatziki dip – Athens Cooking Lessons

Zucchini balls with tzatziki

The perfect accompaniment to crispy zucchini balls is naturally tzatziki, which is a mixture of thick Greek yoghurt, shredded cucumber and garlic. Because of its cool, creamy texture tzatziki is often paired with rich meat dishes or fried foods for added flavour and to assist with digestion, however it is also commonly served as a dip. The most identifiable ingredient in tzatziki tends to be the presence of finely minced, raw garlic and so for the quantity we were preparing to be served with our evening meal, everyone at the table was each given a glove of garlic to peel and chop for the bowl. When all the ingredients had been included, Fofi poured a very healthy amount of olive oil into the bowl before combining everything together into a smooth consistency. As if by magic, the first batch of zucchini balls arrived at our table, in time for us to try with the just finished bowl of tzatziki.

Fofi preparing the horiatiki (traditional Greek salad) – Athens Cooking Lessons

Adding the last of the olive oil – Athens Cooking Lessons

Horiatiki (traditional Greek salad) – Athens Cooking Lessons

While we were busy devouring the zucchini balls and tzatziki with a glass of Greek white wine, Fofi started to prepare and cut the ingredients for horiatiki, or what we commonly refer to as a traditional Greek salad. This dish is essentially a meal in itself, consisting of tomatoes, cucumber, Kalamata olives, sliced red onion and capsicum (bell pepper), topped with feta cheese, dried oregano and olive oil, although variations of this salad will occasionally include capers.

Fofi explained that horiatiki served in restaurants should have a large slice of feta cheese on the top, as a way of demonstrating to the patrons that the cheese served in the salad has been freshly cut from the block and has not been recycled from a previous dish. Good to know!

Olives and olive oil are essentially the heart and soul of Greek cuisine. Olives are generally served at every single meal in Greece, even breakfast! Greece is the third largest producer of quality olive oil after Spain and Italy but is largest consumer of olive oil in the world. This fact has been well and truly demonstrated throughout the entire evening, as the olive oil container is now empty with Fofi continuing to generously pour any remaining liquid over the salad as a dressing.

Combining Greek yoghurt and sweetened condensed milk – Athens Cooking Lessons

Add lemon rind and lemon juice – Athens Cooking Lessons

Greek yoghurt dessert – Athens Cooking Lessons

And so now we had arrived at the final dish to be prepared for the evening, a Greek yoghurt dessert. According to Fofi, a good quality Greek yoghurt must have at least 10 per cent fat content – if it doesn’t, its not Greek yoghurt! Greek yoghurt is considered to be good for the digestion, particularly after consuming rich meat or fried foods, therefore it tends to be served with fresh or preserved fruit (which is also referred to as spoon sweets in Greece) for dessert.

This dessert is also a simple dish to prepare – strained Greek yoghurt, a can of sweetened condensed milk, grated rind and juice from a lemon, all combined together with a whisk. I don’t think I’ve ever made such an easier or tastier dessert in less than 10 minutes.

It’s hard to believe that three hours have already flown by and while the class was fun and informative, the real action begins as we head downstairs into the restaurant terrace to consume all the dishes that we had helped prepare.

Diavlos Tavern – Athens Cooking Lessons

Tzatziki dip and traditional Greek salad – Athens Cooking Lessons

Horiatiki (traditional Greek salad) – Athens Cooking Lessons

Our banquet-style dinner started with the freshly made horiatiki, followed by the zucchini balls and tzatziki dip, and the dolmades. The new batch of zucchini balls were more crispier than our first sample, no doubt from having benefited from a longer stint in the deep-fryer, matched nicely with the sharp and creamy tang of the tzatziki.

Fresh out of the pan, the warm dolmades were glistening in the candlelight, with a sleek sheen from its prolonged olive oil bath. The texture of the cooked rice combined with the moist grape leaves and the soft, subtle flavour of dill was absolutely delicious and I started to question whether I would ever consider purchasing dolmades again.

Dolmades

Zucchini balls

Roast lamb with potatoes

Spanakopita

Greek yoghurt dessert

Recipes from the evening – Athens Cooking Lessons

The same could also be said for the next course of spanakopita, with the crispy, thicker-style pastry that we had helped to prepare. The crunchy and crisp texture of the pie pastry was definitely more flavourful than its commercial counterparts and almost a complete meal in itself.

Then the main course of roast lamb and potatoes that I had been eagerly anticipating arrived at the table. The slow-cooked meat and soft, lemon and herb-flavoured potatoes was definitely a highlight but it was certainly a struggle to consume my allocated portion of lamb following all the previous courses. And by way of demonstration that Greek yoghurt is the answer to all digestive ailments, the chilled sweet yoghurt dessert was served at the conclusion of the evening.

I can’t remember attending such an informative cooking class and preparing a range of delicious recipes with a simple list of ingredients and relatively easy cooking processes. With everything demonstrated and explained so effectively, I’m looking forward to going home again and preparing my own traditional Greek dinner for my friends and family.

http://www.athenswalkingtours.gr/Cooking-Lessons

https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/AttractionProductDetail?product=2906COOKING&d=265865&aidSuffix=xsell&partner=Viator

My Big Fat Greek Waistline – A culinary odyssey around Greece from A to Z

October 28, 2016November 12, 2016 ~ culinaldi ~ 1 Comment

I love Greek food. One of my fondest childhood memories is smashing plates on the floor at Albury’s only Greek restaurant with my family. And while that restaurant’s existence was unfortunately unable to rival that of the Parthenon, my love for Greek cuisine continues to endure.

I recall on my previous visit to Greece sixteen years ago that there was a lot of pastitsio on the daily menu, primarily because it was cheap and ready made. On this trip however I was intent on reacquainting myself with some of Greece’s other well known dishes, and looking forward to trying new ones. The following is not a definitive list of Greek cuisine but just a small foray into the food I enjoyed on my holiday, using the Greek alphabet as my guide:

A is for Anise which is the predominant flavour found in the traditional Greek aperitif of ouzo. Whilst my palate is still yet to appreciate the distinctive taste of anise, in many of the restaurants that I visited during my holiday, legendary Greek hospitality ensured that a shot of ouzo was placed in front of me before I started my meal. It feels somewhat appropriate to begin with an aperitif before I eat my way around Greece. Opa!

Ouzo

Aperitif – Athens Cooking Lessons

Ouzo

B is for Bougatsa. (You probably thought that I would say baklava and yes, I definitely ate plenty of that as well, but I’ve been reliably informed that baklava is not traditionally Greek but rather a legacy from the Ottoman Empire).

Baklava

Baklava for sale in Rhodes

Baklava

Bougatsa is a pastry that can be either sweet or savoury, consisting of warm semolina custard or soft creamy cheese between layers of filo pastry. If I was down to my last Euro, I would probably buy a tray full of this … or a glass of wine. It’s a tough call. Let’s just say that my heart would skip a beat whenever I saw this at the breakfast buffet.

Bougatsa

C is for Cheese. Whilst there are many varieties and differing textures of cheese found in Greek cuisine (Feta, Haloumi, Graviera, etc.) my favourite cheese dish would undoubtedly be saganaki. Traditionally served as an appetiser, this dish derives its name from the small frying pan in which Kefalograviera cheese is quickly cooked over a high heat and served with fresh lemon. Have your knives at the ready so you can successfully fight off your friends for a portion while it’s still hot.

Saganaki

Flogeras – Filo with honey, sesame and myzithra goat cheese

Feta cheese

Fruit and cheese plate with feta

D is for Dolmades. Served hot or cold, dolmades are grape leaves stuffed with rice and fresh herbs (usually dill, which is my favourite herb) although they can also be filled with minced meat and rice. Deceptively small, dolmades are almost a meal in themselves and are always a hit when they appear on a mezze platter.

E is for Eggplant which is the main ingredient in one of my favourite Greek dishes, moussaka. Moussaka is a layered pie made with sliced fried potatoes and eggplant, tomato-based sauce, spiced minced meat topped with béchamel and cheese. The more memorable versions of moussaka that I enjoyed had identifiable hints of cinnamon and nutmeg in the meat filling. But not even the best Greek chefs can compete with my sister Nicole’s version because hers is always made with love.

Moussaka

Eggplant at the Athens Central Market

Moussaka

F is for Fava. Fava originates from the island of Santorini and is a warm purée of cooked yellow split peas topped with finely chopped red onion. It can be served as an appetiser, mezze or accompaniment to the main meal and is really quite tasty. Although be aware that it is made with a healthy dose of garlic, so in conjunction with the fresh onion topping, you are guaranteed to repel any vampires and gypsies in your immediate vicinity for at least 48 hours.

Fava - a puree made from yellow split peas — Fava – a puree made from yellow split peas

G is for Gyros. Pronounced with a “Y”, the word “Gyro” means “turn” in Greek referring to the meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie (generally pork or chicken) which is then carved from the spit and served wrapped in pita together with cucumber, tomato, onion, tzatziki and chips inside. Gyros are the ultimate Greek version of fast food and I found a couple of great places selling these in Athens for only 2-3 Euros a piece.

Gyro from the Plaka, Athens

Meat roasting on the vertical spit

Gyro from Souvlaki Bar, Athens

H is for Horiatki or what you and I commonly know as a traditional Greek salad. This is essentially a meal in itself, consisting of tomatoes, cucumber, Kalamata olives, sliced onion and capsicum, topped with feta cheese, dried oregano and olive oil. Sometimes variations of this salad will also include capers. I recently learnt that Greek salad served in restaurants should have a large slice of feta cheese on top in order to show the patrons that the cheese used in the salad is freshly cut from the block and not recycled from another dish!

Horiatki (Traditional Greek Salad)

I is for Ithaka, which is a poem written by the Greek poet, Constantine P. Cavafy. While you can’t physically eat the Ithaka, if you read this poem and digest the words you will find your soul nourished and your perspective renewed, particularly if you are still travelling. I had the privilege to hear the Ithaka at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, beautifully narrated in English by Sean Connery and accompanied to music by Greek composer Vangelis. It was especially poignant being in the final days of my holiday and feeling somewhat fatigued, listening to the Ithaka revived me again.

National Archaeological Museum in Athens

J is for … The letter “J” in the Greek language doesn’t actually exist as it originates from the Latin or English alphabets. It has a few different sound variations when incorporated into the Greek alphabet but many Europeans pronounce “J” as “Y”. Therefore my “J” equivalent is “Yamas!” which is an abbreviation for the Greek phrase “To your health!” or “Cheers!” which I ended up saying quite often on this trip. Yamas!

K is for Kebabs which is a general term describing skewered food such as souvlaki, a popular Greek fast food consisting of grilled small pieces of meat such as chicken or pork (or vegetables). It can also be served on a full plate with chips or fried potatoes and pita. One of exciting things about ordering souvlaki is that no two dishes are ever the same!

Chicken souvlaki

Kebab plate

Chicken souvlaki

L is for Lamb. One of my favourite movie quotes comes from My Big Fat Greek Wedding – “What do you mean he don’t eat meat? That’s okay. I make lamb”. While there are many variations on how lamb is cooked in Greek cuisine, I found it very hard to pass by the oven-baked lamb (kleftiko) with potatoes whenever I saw it on the menu.

Roast lamb with potatoes

Meat roasting on a spit in Athens

M is for Mezze or a Mixed Grill platter. Why settle for just one dish when you can try new things and enjoy smaller samples of all your favourites? Better still, food always tastes better when shared and enjoyed with friends.

Share plate of Greek specialties

Mezze platter

Traditional mixed grill platter

N is for Nutella … or is it? The Greeks have their own version of chocolate hazelnut spread called Merenda and many of the hotels in Greece have large bowls of this available on the breakfast buffet. My friend Julie was accustomed to mixing spoonfuls of hazelnut spread into her yoghurt each morning while I just ate a spoonful of it every now and again because it’s awesome.

O is for Octopus. The Hellenic Republic, which is another name for Greece, is surrounded by four different bodies of water (the Aegean, Ionian, Cretan and Mediterranean seas) so it’s little wonder that fish and seafood play a prominent role in Greek cuisine. Octopus is usually served grilled or marinated and features as part of a mezze or main meal. Squid (or calamari) is also a favourite often arriving on your plate battered and fried, but there is also plenty of fresh fish, mussels and shrimp readily available at most restaurants. It’s not unusual to see a multitude of sardines and anchovies as well as whole bream, snapper and mullet trying to avoid eye contact as you pass by the display case.

Damn it … I got caught!

Fresh octopus in the Athens Central Market

Fried anchovy, calamari, mussels and shrimp

Shrimp saganaki

Grilled squid in Mykonos

P is for Pita. There is something unique and special about Greek pita – a little smaller and softer in texture than its foreign counterparts – it tastes more like bread and is usually my downfall when brought out to the table, especially accompanied by eggplant dip or an olive tapenade. Some Greek restaurants in Australia also lightly fry the pita in a pan with olive oil before serving … extremely dangerous for the waistline.

Pita bread

Pita bread served at the Oionos Greek Tavern, Rhodes

Pita bread for sale in the Athens Central Market

Q is for … actually there is no such letter in the Greek alphabet! There are 24 letters in the Greek alphabet as opposed to the 26 letters in the English alphabet. A big thank-you to my friend Kiri for being my online Wiki expert for all things Greek!

R is for Rizogalo or rice pudding. When I first saw small bowls of this at the breakfast buffet, I thought “Seriously?” and avoided it like the plague. Then one particular morning I decided to try some and didn’t look back. Commonly sprinkled with cinnamon, the version I bought at a local bakery in Athens tasted like a cross between a warm baked custard and cream brûlée. Yummy!

Rice pudding (Rizogalo)

S is for Spanakopita. My Mum makes spanakopita regularly at home in Australia, which essentially is a savoury pastry or pie, very similar to a borek, with spinach and feta cheese filling. The handmade filo pastry often used in Greece is a little thicker than the commercial version bought from my local supermarket back home in Melbourne, but no matter where you eat spanakopita, it’s delicious especially when eaten with a salad.

Spanakopita

T is for Tzatziki which is a mixture of yoghurt, shredded cucumber and garlic that often accompanies grilled meat dishes or is served by itself as a dip. It’s cool, creamy with a bit of a tangy, sharp finish from the added vinegar or lemon juice but like most things, a little bit goes a long way.

U is for Ubiquitous and what could be more prevalent in Greek cuisine than olives and olive oil. Travelling around Greece, you will see olives on the breakfast buffet; olives and olive oil in your salad; olive groves as far as the eye can see; your food swimming in a sea of olive oil; souvenirs made from every conceivable part of an olive tree; olive motifs on every menu, napkin and tablecloth in addition to the cans of olive oil and vacuum-sealed bags of olives in gift shops just begging to be taken home. Greece is the third largest producer of quality olive oil after Spain and Italy but is the largest consumer of olive oil in the world. So embrace your inner Greek and immerse yourself in the olive universe!

Olives from the Central Market in Athens

Souvenir with olive motifs

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Olive tree with olives

V is for Vegetables. Don’t be fooled by the plethora of meat and seafood dishes in Greek cuisine as there are a number of excellent vegetable dishes on every menu. Tomatoes and capsicum (peppers) stuffed with rice is known as Yemista and is not only delicious but also filling. Another one of my favourites is stuffed cabbage rolls which is called Lahanodolmades, although it does contain minced meat so not strictly vegetarian. Typically there is also okra, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and potatoes served as a side to every meal.

Stuffed cabbage rolls (Lahanodolmades)

Stuffed Tomatoes (Gemista)

Baked eggplant, tomatoes and potatoes

W is for Wine (not Windex!). Greece is known for producing some excellent wines and the house wines served in most tavernas and restaurants is not only drinkable but also extremely cheap. Wandering around Athens over the weekend, I happened to discover some very chic and beautifully designed wine bars hidden in the backstreets near my hotel, serving amazing wines by the glass. Make sure you try assyrtiko which is a white grape varietal indigenous to the island of Santorini. The 2011 Karipidis Syrah from the Thessaly region was also a standout favourite of mine. Yamas!

Enjoying a glass of Greek red wine at a cafe in Metaxourgio, Athens

Award winning Greek wine

Drupes and Drips wine bar, Athens

Dry white wine from Mykonos

Assyrtiko from Santorini

X is for Xynotyri. Erin, our tour director, ordered this for us to try in a lovely little taverna on the island of Rhodes. Xynotyri, which literally means “sour cheese” is an unpasteurised whey cheese made from sheep or goat’s milk. The fresh goat’s milk cheese which we enjoyed had a creamy, thick yoghurt consistency and was used as a spread although as this cheese matures, it becomes hard and flaky but supposedly has great health benefits.

Xynotyri from Oionos Greek Taverna, Rhodes

Y is for Yoghurt. All thoughts of going on a diet are dismissed when you see very large bowls of Greek yoghurt containing at least 10 per cent fat content every morning for breakfast. Usually the yoghurt is so thick and creamy that you need some serious muscle power to shake just a dollop into your own bowl. Greek yoghurt is apparently good for the digestion particularly after consuming rich meat or fried foods. Often served as a dessert with preserved fruit or whipped together with cream, good Greek yoghurt is one of those universal substances that seems to appear at every meal.

Greek yoghurt with fruit

Greek yoghurt dessert with fruit and cream

Greek yoghurt dessert with quince

Z is for Zucchini. Whether it be deep-fried zucchini balls (kolokythokeftedes), pan-fried slices of zucchini or stuffed zucchini, the Greeks know how it make this vegetable taste just that little bit better.

Fried zucchini mezze

Zucchini balls

Zucchini balls with tzatziki

Zucchini balls

And so now I have come to the end of my own culinary odyssey and time in Greece. Although I’m looking forward to going home and practising some of the recipes I learnt at a cooking class in Athens, a recent visit to the historic site of Olympia and hearing about the ancient gymnasium and athletic rituals has inspired me to start training for the 2020 games!

Real Food Adventure – Macedonia and Montenegro

October 11, 2016October 11, 2016 ~ culinaldi ~ 1 Comment

I confess – I love food and I’m often guilty of having more than my fair share. I can conquer a buffet like no one’s business but I have to tell you that as I write this post, the prospect of going downstairs to meet my tour group for breakfast is making me ill. I don’t think I can eat anything, anymore. I’ve just done a few squats to make sure the pants still fit and I’m thinking about ringing my personal trainer (at 3am his morning, of course – not that I’m vengeful or anything) and begging for forgiveness and some mercy for when I return home.

The first sentence of the trip notes for this 10-day amazing culinary odyssey around Macedonia and Montenegro says that no one leaves this real food adventure hungry. I don’t think I fully understood the ramifications of that statement until I had the chance to experience this unforgettable foodie adventure around the Balkans for myself. Like my previous post the trip notes fall somewhat short of what actually took place but that’s because we did SO MUCH MORE than what can be put into words, but that hasn’t deterred me from trying to describe what happened on the tour …

Day 1 Skopje

Real – I’ll be the first to admit that I know next to nothing about Macedonia, or its capital Skopje for that matter, but that’s the primary reason why I signed up for this trip, so that I could learn more about this incredible country. Skopje was actually the birthplace of Mother Teresa and there are plaques and a museum celebrating her life and legacy.

Quotes from Mother Teresa, Skopje – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Mother Teresa Museum, Skopje – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Adventure – This first day of the tour is a chance to become more acquainted with the city and discover the famous landmarks on my own, before meeting the tour leader and the rest of the group in the evening. Skopje could be described as a strange amalgamation of socialist Russia and moorish Turkey – hammans and mosques are easy to identify from a distance but there are several stately new government buildings and a multitude of bronze statues also competing for immediate recognition within the city square.

Skopje – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – At our welcome meeting, Jane (pronounced Yann-eh), gave an overview of our ten-day trip and then took us for a short walk to a restaurant area only a couple hundred metres from our hotel. As soon as we sat down, there was wine on the table and food started to appear in front of us. A delicious mezze consisting of a variety of several different types of cheese, accompanied with dips, grilled vegetables and bread. Thinking that this was dinner, I was full after sampling a little bit of everything on the plate, only to learn that there were another two courses still to come. Okay – it’s a food adventure and things just got real!

Salad at the Welcome Dinner – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Welcome Dinner – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Macedonian red wine – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Baklava at the Welcome Dinner – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Mezze at the Welcome Dinner – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Day 2 Leunovo

Real – This morning we met our driver Igor, who appears to hold an honorary doctorate in Tetris, as he somehow manages to load a dozen oversized suitcases into the back of a small minivan. Today’s journey begins at the Stone Bridge, one of Skopje’s most recognisable landmarks, where Jane gives us a brief overview of the city as we make our way towards the entrance of the Old Bazaar.

Stone Bridge, Skopje – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Skopje – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Old Bazaar, Skopje – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – Our breakfast today comes courtesy of a tasting trail around the Old Bazaar, starting with borek and yoghurt at a small cafe. After trying a few types with different fillings, Jane also bought a few pastry cakes filled with chocolate or jam to try. Naturally, the next stop is to sit in the sun at a Turkish tea house and enjoy a few different drinks before moving onto the Bit-Pazar to shop for a few items for lunch.

Breakfast tasting trail in the Old Bazaar, Skopje – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Turkish tea house, Old Bazaar Skopje – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – The Bit-Pazar is one of the biggest green markets in Skopje, located at the north entrance of the Old Bazaar. This is where Macedonian cuisine comes to life with fresh peppers and tomatoes as far as the eye can see, marinated olives of every variety, mountains of black tea and spices bought and weighed on scales, large mounds of white cheese of every consistency and much, much more. We had the opportunity to sample a few different types of the all-important cheese before buying our favourites for lunch.

Market visit in Skopje – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – Located in the heart of the market are two brothers who have recently returned from Germany and have opened a small kiosk, making delicious wraps which we ate in total silence because it was just that good. Making our way back to the bus, we stopped at a local kebap shop to use the facilities. While we were waiting for the amenities, the owner kindly brought a plate of hot kebaps out to us to eat, straight off the grill.

Breakfast tasting trail in the Old Bazaar, Skopje – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Kebap shop in the Old Bazaar – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Old Bazaar, Skopje – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Adventure – The Matka Canyon is rated as the top attraction to see or visit in Skopje. The Matka Lake is one of the oldest artificial lakes in Macedonia and is popular for fishing, swimming, cave diving and kayaking. Today’s adventure is a leisurely boat cruise on the lake with its stunning blue-green water, including a visit to the the Suva section of the Vrelo Cave, noted for its unusual stalactite and stalagmite formations.

Matka Canyon boat cruise – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Matka Canyon caves – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – The best thing about being on a food adventure is that meals are not always served in a formal setting. Jane and Igor had arranged a magnificent barbeque picnic lunch for us at a secluded spot on the lake and all we had to do was kick back and enjoy a glass of wine or two while lunch was being prepared. These guys definitely know how to cater for a crowd – there were fresh salads made, grilled chicken and sausages, and they even brought along the hand wipes and seat cushions for added comfort. Lunch was a lot of fun in a lovely setting and it was so enjoyable that we didn’t realise that the boats had forgotten to pick us up again until much later in the afternoon, naturally when all the wine and beer had run out.

Picnic lunch at Matka Canyon – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Real – En route to our next next destination, we stopped in the town of Tetovo to see the painted mosque Sarena Dzamija. Originally built in 1438 by two sisters, this mosque was later reconstructed in 1833 and has beautiful bright, floral decorative glaze and paintings which were created using more than 30,000 eggs. I can honestly say that this mosque is truly spectacular and definitely worth a look inside.

Painted mosque of Tetovo – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – Arriving in the small village of Leunovo in the early evening, our food and most of our home-stay accommodation is provided to us courtesy of residents, Danny and Tina. It’s hard to believe that we need to eat again, but our hosts have kindly prepared a magnificent meal for us to enjoy outside, underneath the stars.

Dinner in Leunovo - Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro — Dinner in Leunovo – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Day 3 Ohrid

Food – This morning we’re back outside at Danny and Tina’s enjoying mekici or Macedonian fried doughnuts, with jam, cheese and coffee for breakfast. The doughnuts are heavenly but there is so much food on this trip that it is almost a struggle just to eat one!

Home stay in the village of Leunovo – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Mekici Macedonian fried dough – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Adventure – Not long after leaving Leunovo, we see the stunning view of St Nikolas church, which now lies abandoned near the shores of Mavrovo Lake. The pressure is on to get that perfect shot for our screen savers, blogs, Instagram shots, Facebook posts and Twitter feeds!

Abandoned church of St Nikolas in Mavrovo Lake - Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro — Abandoned church of St Nikolas in Mavrovo Lake – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Real – The monastery of Saint Jovan Bigorski (St. John the Baptist) is an Orthodox monastery originally established in 1020, although a fire destroyed some of the complex in 2009. The monastery has a collection of a number of holy relics which a many pilgrims come to see, however the wooden hand-carved iconostasis at the front of the chapel is also a stunning and magnificent work of art.

Monastery of Sveti Jovan Bigorski (St John the Baptist) in the Radika Valley – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Adventure/Food – After our monastery visit, we get to stretch our legs again and walk a few kilometres uphill to visit Duf waterfall (yes, it’s pronounced “doof”). Following the marked trail, it was great just to walk in the cooler mountain air and take pictures of the verdant greenery and listen to the sound of running water. Jane had mentioned that there was a “coffee shop” at the end of the trail which kept us all moving. The waterfall is located within a national park and not otherwise accessible except on foot. Somehow our clever-thinking tour leader had organised a friend to meet us at the waterfall where there was a thermos of tea made from thyme and camphor, hot coffee and delicious homemade baklava (made with cow’s fat, no less) waiting for us. So having finally burnt off the breakfast calories, I ended up consuming nearly a thousand more!

Walk to Duf waterfalls, Rostushe – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Homemade baklava and hot tea at Duf waterfall – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – With a bit of exercise under our belt, it’s time for some lunch. Nearby in the village of Jance is Hotel Tutto which is owned and operated by Tefik “Tutto” Tefikovski, a pioneer of the slow food movement in Macedonia. After living and working in Europe, Tutto returned to his home town to build his own hotel and restaurant, keen to promote the culinary traditions and produce of the Radika Valley region. The valley is home to approximately 40,000 sheep and renown for the variety of mushrooms that grow there in season. One of the first dishes that Tutto introduces to us is ajvar (pronounced “ivar”), a delicious paste made from roasted red peppers, often served as a side dish or spread and is very popular in Macedonia. It usually takes five kilograms of red peppers to make just one jar of ajvar. The process is quite lengthy and time-consuming, taking several hours of roasting just to produce a small quantity. In jest we asked Tutto whether there was a Thermomix version available and duly received a blank look in reply.

Lunch at Hotel Tutto – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Ajvar at Hotel Tutto – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Lunch at Hotel Tutto – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

The village of Jance – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Lunch at Hotel Tutto – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – I’m not a fan of mushrooms and while Tutto was displaying them to us and preparing the next course, I was wondering how I could politely refuse as I was sitting right up the front. The mushroom stalks had such a meaty texture that curiosity got the better of me and I tried one … and it was incredibly delicious. I just got that one taste because the pan returned back empty! Our “lunch” was a veritable feast as Tutto kept cooking a number of dishes to try, including a number of different salads, grilled beef chops and dessert. Halfway through our lunch a German camera crew appeared to film Tutto cooking for us … who knows I might be appearing on an Al Jazeera television segment soon!

Mushrooms from the Radika Valley – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Lunch at Hotel Tutto – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Al Jazeera camera crew filming Tutto at lunch – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Lunch at Hotel Tutto – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Mushrooms from the Radika Valley – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Adventure – Having sat and watched Tutto prepare numerous courses for our consumption, one of the women from the kitchen came to teach us how to roll the dough to make our own pastry pie. After indulging in several glasses of wine it was no mean feat to replicate the perfect circle that our instructor had demonstrated but I think I managed it in the end! So after arriving at Hotel Tutto at 12.30PM, we departed from the restaurant for the town of Ohrid at 5.00PM. I think I might like this concept of “slow food” …

Learning to make a pastry pie in Jance – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

My turn! Learning to roll dough for the pie – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Day 4 Ohrid

Adventure – Today we have the opportunity to take an optional excursion to visit the St Naum monastery and then enjoy lunch in the small fishing village of Trpejca, following a short boat cruise across Lake Ohrid.

St Naum, Lake Ohrid – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Lake Ohrid – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Real – The monastery of St Naum was founded in 905 A.D. and gets its name from the medieval saint who founded it. It’s a popular tourist destination for visitors to Macedonia, noted for its architecture, artisan and historical significance. The hand-painted frescoes and dome inside the church are well preserved and quite captivating.

Monastery of St Naum – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Adventure – Thankfully the weather held out for our boat cruise as we followed the lake shore. There were dark, stormy rain clouds above the mountain ranges surrounding the lake that looked ominous but otherwise it was relatively smooth sailing. After 45 minutes we arrived at Trpejca, which has its own secluded beach area, and is becoming an increasingly popular destination for visitors because of its private locale.

Lake Ohrid – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Boat trip across Lake Ohrid – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Trpejca – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Captain Jane – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Trpejca – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – Lunch had been arranged for us at a family-owned restaurant in Trpejca which specialises in serving fresh trout caught from the lake. The owner’s 86 year-old mother was still in the restaurant keeping a quiet eye on things! It was the perfect Sunday lunch sitting outside, enjoying a glass of wine with a view of the water. Lunch consisted of shopska salad, makalo (garlic spread), cheese, grilled trout and chips followed by pancakes with chocolate sauce.

Lunch in Trpejca – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Grilled trout from Lake Ohrid – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Lunch in Trpejca – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

86 years old and still supervising! – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Lunch in Trpejca – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Shopska salad and makalo (garlic spread) – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Adventure – Arriving back in Ohrid in the mid-afternoon, Kym, Jann, Greg and I were keen to explore the old town a bit further, and Jane kindly obliged by guiding us up to King Samuel’s fortress where we could see panoramic views of the city and lake below and hear about its military history. We then followed Jane down the opposite side of the hill to capture the stunning view of the Byzantine Church of St. John, situated on the cliff over Kaneo Beach. I kept thinking that I would never have discovered this part of Ohrid if Jane hadn’t decided to accompany us on a private tour of the old town.

Church of St John at Kaneo, Ohrid – Real Food Adventure Montenegro and Macedonia

King Samuel’s Fortress, Ohrid – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – Walking along the lake shore, we stopped by a restaurant along the waterfront for a glass of Macedonian bijelo vino (white wine) and local bar snacks to relax and watch the setting sun.

Watching the sun go down at a bar by Lake Ohrid – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – No less than 30 minutes after arriving back at the hotel, it was time to get back on the bus and travel to the village of Kuratica to enjoy dinner in the mountains. Our host for the evening was Goran and his family, who welcomed us into a purpose-built private dining area with a glass of his famous home-brewed rakija which is made from nettles. With 50 percent alcohol content, it was perfect for a chilly evening in the hills but I wisely limited myself to just the one glass. The regional delicacies served for evening included edible snails foraged from the forest, cheese pie and slow-cooked pork with mushrooms, followed by chocolate cake. Somehow I couldn’t bring myself to try the snails but was more than happy to sample dessert.

Dinner in Kuratica – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Nettle rakija – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Dinner in Kuratica – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Day 5 Bitola

Food – Breakfast this morning was an assortment of borek and pastries from a bakery located in the local market of Ohrid. Being a sunny Monday morning, the market was thriving with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and all manner of produce to purchase, including jars of the much-coveted ajvar.

Breakfast at a bakery in Ohrid – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Jars of ajvar – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Market visit in Ohrid – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

The tedious business of making ajvar – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Real – After the market visit, we left Ohrid and drove to the village of Brajcino, passing through the town of Resen, located equidistant between Ohrid and Bitola. Situated near Lake Prespa, Resen is well known for the quality and unique taste of the apples grown in the numerous orchards planted throughout the area.

Apple orchards in the Resen region - Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro — Apple orchards in the Resen region – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – Later in the morning we arrived in the quaint village of Brajcino, where we are introduced to Milka who lives on a small acreage of land near Lake Prespa, located relatively close to the border of Greece. Carp caught from the lake is considered to be the regional speciality and Milka demonstrated a recipe that she typically prepares for our fish lunch. With the carp in the oven, we kicked back with bijelo vino, helped prepare a salad with a few items bought at the market in Ohrid and had another opportunity to practice rolling the perfect dough to make a pie.

Cooking demonstration with Milka in the village of Brajcino – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Day 6 Dihovo

Adventure/Food – This morning we met Jane early in the hotel lobby in search of the local breakfast specialty of tripe soup. Not that I was particularly keen to partake but I did want to see what it looked like. Despite wandering through the city square and enquiring at a few cafés, the supposed local specialty didn’t appear to be on the regular breakfast menu. Jane did however find a restaurant that had fantastic homemade soups for breakfast but unfortunately the waiter on duty was more than a little slow on the service aspect which meant that timing for the morning activity had to be changed to accomodate our meals.

Looking for breakfast Bitola – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Mushroom soup for breakfast Bitola – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Real – After breakfast we met the rest of our group for an orientation tour of Bitola, a city of 75,000 people, it is the second largest in Macedonia, located only 14 kilometres away from the border crossing with Greece and surrounded by a number of prominent mountain ranges. Previously known as “Manastir”, Bitola was part of the Ottoman Empire from 1382 to 1912 where Turks were the majority in the city. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was once stationed in Bitola for a period of time. Bitola has a long history of being a strong trading centre and many cultural organisations and consulates are still located there today. A world-class film festival celebrating the work of cinematographers is held in the city centre every year, bringing celebrities from all around the globe.

Bitola – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

City tour of Bitola – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – Our walking tour of Bitola brings us into the Old Bazaar where the buying and selling of goods continues to be in the lifeblood of the city. It was fascinating to see an old Turkish hamman at one of the entrances to the market now surreptitiously transformed into a supermarket. Everything is for sale in the Old Bazaar – even plastic soft drink bottles filled with pigs fat!

Market visit in Bitola – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Old Bazaar Bitola – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Market visit in Bitola – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Bottles of pig fat for sale, Bitola – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

The supermarket hiding in the hamman, Bitola – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Real – Near the outskirts of Bitola are the remains of the ancient Greek city of Heraklea Lyncestis, later occupied by the Roman Empire. I’ve personally seen the handiwork of a few Macedonian concreters throughout my lifetime and the restoration efforts applied at Heraklea appear to have utilised the same modern day techniques. While there are a few tonnes of concrete poured throughout the ruins, particularly the amphitheater, the tiled mosaics are quite spectacular.

Heraklea Lyncestis – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – Located on the opposite side of Bitola, in the foothills of Mount Pelister, we drive to the small village of Dihovo for our included lunch and visit to a local beekeeper for a masterclass. Our host at Villa Dihovo was away supervising the current wine vintage when we arrived so we enjoyed a short walk through the village to see the apiary. The first order of business was to put on protective sleeve suit complete with hat and enclosed veil. After that challenge was successfully completed we gathered around one of the hives to learn about how honey is made and extracted, the life and times of the average honey bee followed by an elusive search to locate the Queen bee (the one wearing a spot of blue on her wings). Following our tutorial we got to taste some of the produce and different flavour combinations. My favourite was the creamy, crystallised honey very similar to the one that my late Grandfather used make from his own hives.

Beekeeping demonstration in the village of Dihovo – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – Arriving back at Villa Dihovo we met our host Pece Cvetkvski, who kindly took a chosen few down to his cellar to learn more about his wine production and local produce. An amazing banquet of homemade sausages, salads, cooked meat and stuffed vine leaves had been laid out when we made it back upstairs, accompanied by Pece’s homemade pinot noir.

Lunch at Villa Dihovo – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Talking wine with Pece Cvetkovski at Villa Dihovo – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Lunch at Villa Dihovo – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – It’s our last evening in Bitola and while we were definitely not hungry after our late lunch, I did want to visit a unique wine bar located in the main square that specialises in Macedonian wines, just so I’m prepared for tomorrow …

Mezze at a wine bar in Bitola – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Wine bar in Bitola – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Day 7 Skopje

Real/Adventure – When I first heard at the tour briefing that we would be visiting a couple of wineries hosted by an expert in Macedonian wines, I thought all my Christmases had come at once. Now looking back in hindsight, if I had to describe what this day was like, it can be likened to visiting two sets of relatives on Christmas Day and having back-to-back feasts served with free-flowing matching wines. Our group left Bitola mid-morning gradually making our way to the Tikves wine region, arriving at the Popova Kula winery just before midday. Here we met Alexandra, our hostess during our visit at Popova Kula and were also formally introduced to Ivana Simjanovska, who is a wine judge, co-author and publisher of the Macedonian Wine Guide. Popova Kula literally means “Pope’s Tower” which once stood as a distinguishing landmark in the Demir Kapija valley where the winery is situated. A 17-metre replica tower now features prominently at the front of the vineyard as well as in their logo design. Following a short tour around the winery and cellar door area, we are ready to start sampling our selected wines.

Popova Kula Winery – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Vranec grapes – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Popova Kula Winery – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Real – Macedonia is very much a part of the “new world” when it comes to wine, yet the paradox is that wine has been produced in this region for a number of centuries dating back to a period B.C. Ivana gave a fascinating overview of the history of Macedonian wine including a discussion on the nationalisation of all wine production after the Second World War and how Macedonian wines are now in a period of renaissance, with a renewed focus on producing high quality wines rather than large yields. As a result these wines are starting to achieve international recognition and accolades.

Ivana Simjanovska – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Popova Kula Winery – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – Stanushina is a unique Macedonian grape variety that Popova Kula specialises in utilising in their own signature wines. Ivana chose a Stanushina Rose 2015 with a striking salmon pink-orange colour and soft aromas of fresh strawberries as the first wine to drink. With a dry, medium finish, the flavour of wild strawberries complemented the Macedonian salad that was matched with the wine. The next wine paired with the salad was a Zilavka 2015 which had a pale green straw colour, herbaceous aromas of cloves, sage and thyme, together with subtle citrus notes on the nose. A clean, dry, medium finish and fresh lemon flavour on the palate.

Food – Looking very much like Christmas dinner, the next course served was a delicious dish of pork stuffed with plums matched with a “Perfect Choice” Vranec 2013. Ivana specifically selected the 2013 vintage as there was heavy rainfall recorded during the 2014 vintage. Deep, rich ruby red in colour, Vranec displays blackberry fruit on the nose with hints of vanilla from the American oak barriques used during the maturation process, complemented with aromas of white pepper and tobacco. This wine had a lovely, smooth, soft tannic mouthfeel and plenty of fruit-driven flavour.

Vertical Vranec tasting at Popova Kula Winery – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Lunch at Popova Kula Winery – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Real/Adventure – The next winery was located in a different part of the Tikves region, about 20-30 minutes drive away from our first stop. The Stobi winery is a top producer of Macedonian wine despite only being in operation since 2009, making it the youngest winery in the country. Our visit included a tour of the fermentation facility and education about the production process before concluding at the cellar area where the barriques are stored.

Stobi Winery Tour – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Stobi Winery Restaurant – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – Jane had casually mentioned during a previous conversation that the food at the Stobi winery was exceptional and that we should really wait to eat at this restaurant. The problem with this plan was that it was now 5PM when we sat down in the restaurant to eat the “second lunch” and this is where the Macedonian hospitality came out in full force, with no less than five dishes put on the dining table before us to eat.

Real – Ivana had rejoined us at the head of table and talked a little bit more about the wines she had selected for our meal:

Rkaciteli 2015: Rkaciteli is a grape variety that originated in Georgia and was brought to Macedonia 40 years ago. It produces high yields and the resulting wines were principally exported to Russia. This wine is light-bodied but with a balanced structure. There are aromas of lemon citrus, green grass and jasmine subtly complemented with flavours of honey, apricot nectar and citrus on the palate. This wine pairs well with salads, smoked meats and cheeses.

Chardonnay 2014: Pale yellow straw in colour but also displays a slight green hue. Ripe tropical fruit aromas predominantly of kiwi fruit married with lemon/lime citrus on the nose and palate.

Syrah 2011: My favourite grape variety … now we are talking! This wine had been maturing in French and American oak for a period of 15 months. Lots of spice and pepper savoury notes with hints of vanilla typically associated with the integration of the wine with oak barriques. A combination of black fruit and savoury notes on the palate with a medium, dry finish. Lovely flavour and texture.

Aminta 2013: This wine is an amalgamation of equal quantities of Vranec, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, separately maturing in French oak barriques for 18 months before bottling. Beautiful ruby red in colour, the Vranec brings a powerful black fruit structure to the wine, Merlot adds elegance and softness and the Cabernet contributes pepper and savoury characteristics. A nice full bodied wine with 14% alcohol content. A very elegant wine from an excellent vintage.

Real – The poor restaurant manager was a little distraught when there was so much food left untouched on the table and wanted to know what was wrong. The meals were absolutely delicious and of the highest quality but the quantities served were more than my ever-expanding stomach could accommodate and I am certainly capable of eating vast amounts of food. So just like Christmas, we rolled back on the bus to Skopje with full bellies, happy vibes and ready for bed.

Second lunch at Stobi Winery Restaurant – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Day 8 Kotor

Real – When you sign up for a multi-country tour, long periods of road travel are sometimes inevitable and today’s journey is expected to be an eight-hour marathon bus trip. We say goodbye to Macedonia and make our way to Montenegro, passing through Kosovo and Albania en route. Kosovo has a deep admiration for Tony Blair and Bill Clinton of epic proportions, so much so that numerous children born after the war were named after these two statesmen. In a small regional town, we drove past the newly opened “Bill Clinton Sports Stadium” so it’s absolutely true!

Adventure – Our first stop for lunch was in picturesque Prizren (affectionately mispronounced as “Prison”), the second largest city in Kosovo well known for its Ottoman architecture, particularly the Sinan Pasha mosque and Old Stone Bridge.

Prizren, Kosovo – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – Prizren has a distinct cafe culture with lots of young people enjoying coffee and conversation in the city square. From one of its famed qebaptore (barbecue restaurants) in the Old Bazaar, I ordered the mixed qebap plate for lunch which cost only 3EUR and it was absolutely delicious!

Qebap plate - Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro — Qebap plate – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Adventure – The best laid plans can go horribly pear-shaped on holidays, even on organised tours. Shortly after crossing over into Albania the tour bus experienced engine failure so we had an unscheduled coffee stop in the town of Kukes to rectify the issue. After getting back on the road again, the problem reoccurred so we found ourselves at a rest stop that looked like Albania’s homage to Las Vegas, complete with a dedicated wedding chapel and replica Universal Studios signage, while waiting for a replacement bus to come from Skopje. There are worse places to be stranded so with a fully stocked bar on hand and obliging waiter, we kicked back with several G&T’s and a marathon game of cards.

Where are we? Albania! – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Emergency stop #1 – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Where are we? Albania! – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Real – Three hours later our new vehicle arrived looking more like a mobile disco than a transit bus and we were finally on our way again after spending considerably more time in Albania than originally planned. Just after 10PM and only 60 kilometres from our intended destination, we had another unexpected delay when we encountered a roadside accident and waited another 30 minutes for the police and ambulance to clear the road. After more than 12 hours since leaving the hotel, we finally reached the beautiful Old Town of Kotor in Monentegro close to midnight. I’ve never been so happy to arrive at a hotel in my entire life.

Emergency drinks – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Disco replacement bus – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Old Town Kotor – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Day 9 Kotor

Real – I love James Bond movies, especially “Casino Royale” which was supposedly set in Montenegro (and which might have given me more impetus to take this tour!). Montenegro, which means “Black Mountain”, is a small sovereign state with only 700,000 inhabitants and has been touted as one of the top world destinations to visit. The beautiful Old Town of Kotor has historic cathedrals and churches, a myriad of winding alleys and numerous cafes, restaurants and tourists yet no matter how far I walked, I never did manage to get a glimpse of Daniel Craig.

Old Town Kotor – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Kotor – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Old Town Kotor – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – The village of Njegusi, located high in the mountain ranges above the town of Kotor (about 900 metres above sea level), is renown for its smoked dried meats and artisan cheeses. Its location made for an interesting trip, given that we had to slowly climb up the dizzy heights of Mount Lovcen, in a small bus on a narrow, winding road. Eager to get some fresh air and stretch the legs, we made a beeline to see the hams drying in the rafters of the smokehouse. In the building next door a small batch of Vranec grapes was currently going through the process of being transformed into wine so we had a look around to see how the vintage was coming together. Platters of smoked ham and beef, cheese, olives and bread were served for our enjoyment together with the customary alcoholic drinks and all the while I was thinking that it’s not even 11AM and here I am drinking shots of rakija and glasses of wine. This tour is starting to wear me out!

Making wine at Njegusi – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Smoke dried hams at Njegusi – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Cheese produced at Njegusi – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Tasting plate of produce from Njegusi – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Adventure – Given our very late arrival into Kotor the night before, I decided to skip the olive oil visit and spend some time meandering around the Old Town in the afternoon and do some sightseeing before the next cruise ship arrived into port. It was a lot of fun exploring the labyrinth of alleys and wandering into the cathedral without large crowds obstructing the entrance.

Old Town Kotor – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Food – There’s lots of places to grab a decent cup of coffee in Kotor but as a popular tourist destination, the price of food and wine (which is now charged in EUR) is astronomical compared to Macedonia and definitely not of the same quality. Our last dinner together was at a restaurant that supposedly specialises in seafood yet the mussels I ordered looked like something John West had rejected a decade ago. Although the fillet of bream was nicely cooked it also came with a hefty price tag. I guess that is to be expected if you hang around the playground of the rich and famous.

Old Town Kotor – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Last dinner on tour – Real Food Adventure Macedonia and Montenegro

Day 10 Kotor

This trip has had so much to offer in terms of amazing food, generous Macedonian hospitality, great wine, fabulous weather, an excellent and dedicated tour leader and driver, beautiful scenery and fun friends to share it all with. Thanks Jann, Greg, Steve, Chris and Kym for being my Intrepid family for the past three weeks and being part of my Real Food Adventure odyssey through the Balkans.

Real Food Adventure - Macedonia and Montenegro — Real Food Adventure – Macedonia and Montenegro

This is where the diet finally starts. You might heard of the song “I lost my heart in San Francisco”? Well my version goes something like “I lost my waistline in Montenegro”. Our tour leader, Jane, keeps telling me that I should be hungry for this tour and that I needed to starve for one month before coming on this trip. I think the opposite is true for me and I’ll need to starve for TWO months afterwards BEFORE I am brave enough to see my personal trainer again. Oh wait … I’m now off to Germany, the land of roasted pork knuckle, wurst, potatoes, sauerkraut, pretzels and Riesling … Okay, I guess the diet will have to wait a few weeks more … Bon appetit!

bonjourchickie

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