Karaiskos Farm joins the forces of the Cultural Institution of Dimitriados & Almyrou Cathedral «Magniton Kivotos, for the preservation of our cultural heritage» in organizing the:
1st Gastronomic Festival of Pelion,
on the premises of Karaiskos Farm,
in Portaria Pelion,
during the three-day Friday 27, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 September 2019..
For these 3 days, the heart of Pelion will beat at Karaiskos Farm, with a rich display of local gastronomy specialties from all over the mountain area, sharing of recipes and cooking secrets, workshops with well-known Greek chefs, and evening food-sampling alongside wine-tasting, accompanied by wonderful music.
The basic «ingredient» of this festival is the love of Greek cuisine, particularly the cuisine in Pelion, which is an integral part of our cultural heritage. This Festival aims to bring these luscious tastes and local products to a wider audience.
To house this Festival, Karaiskos Farm will be transformed into an open market for local producers, enabling visitors to sample a wide range of chosen products, to meet the producers in person, and to learn the myths and history of Pelion and its products. Also, visitors have the chance to meet people from Greek Gastronomy, to learn about the beneficial properties of these unique products and to sample the local cuisine along with such favorite local drinks as tsipouro, local beer and wines from the greater region of Thessaly.
Throughout the 3 days, visitors will also have a chance to watch cooking workshops, presentations of local products, food sampling and wine tasting. Well-known chefs will share cooking tips and secrets, largely using the products of Karaiskos Farm itself. Open discussions with the chefs will follow, as well as with local notables about the role of the community in showcasing Pelion and its products, and especially about using them as a lever for cultural and economic development.
The program for the Festival is split into 3 areas:
- Products fair
- Gastronomic experiences
- Food sampling and wine tasting
Of special importance, and an honor for our Festival, is the active participation of George Pittas, the inspiration for the «Greek breakfast» of the Greek Hotel Association, Timoleon Diamantis, winner of Greek TV’s Master Chef 2018 contest, and Constantine Vasalos, the well-known Sifnaian chef. They will try the local products, introduce the local producers, and propose alternative ways to use and present the local foods. Each chef has also specific responsibilities throughout the Festival.
Friday 27 September 2019
Tourism and Local identity of Pelion. Monastic Nutrition.
16.00 OPENING OF THE 1st PELION GASTRONOMY FESTIVAL
Host: Timoleon Diamantis
Official opening of the market fair on the grounds of Karaiskos Farm.
Several Symposia will be held, where visitors will gather around a table and surprise presenters will lead a discussion about interesting elements in the production of these local products: olive oil, breads, cheeses, herbs, local drinks and the monastic nutrition. As in ancient Greece, these Symposia will be accompanied by food and drink.
Also interesting is the participation of the private vocational institute Thessaliko I.E.K. GIATSOS. Both teachers and students will prepare treats for the guests.
Welcome with traditional «Spoon sweets» from Pelion, an offering from Georgoulas Brothers «GOLDEN APPLE», Portaria, accompanied by stories about the rituals of offering sweets from olden times through today.
17.00 CONSTANTINE VASALOS:
«PELION: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE AND THE ROLE OF GASTRONOMY IN ITS DEVELOPMENT»
Guests have the opportunity to participate in a descriptive throwback of Pelion history and the role of gastronomy through the everyday life and the celebrations of the inhabitants by Head Chef Constantine Vasalos.
During this interesting talk, visitors will be served Mountain tea and other local drinks, offered by the MYRRO HERBS AND COSMETICS.
Homemade baked biscuits in the wood oven offered by the ARTOLICHOUDIES TSARDAKA Bakery.
18.00 THE MYSTERIES OF BREAD
Workshop showing the secrets of baking from the KONTORIZOS Bakery.
19.00 The head minister of the Saint Nicholas Church, Portaria, Monk Agathon, will demonstrate an old monastic recipe.
The food-tasting will be accompanied by white win offered by PATISTIS Vineyards and Winery, Argalasti.
20.00 Completion of the first day with music chosen by DJ Nikos Pappas.
Saturday 28 September 20199
Host: George Pittas
Gastronomic communities –
Gastronomic Destinations − Tsipouro – Cheese – Meat – Wine
10.00 OPEN COUNTRY FAIR WITH LOCAL PRODUCTS
Producers from all over Pelion, with different kinds of local and traditional products, recipes and cooking secrets, make up the scene of the country fair at Karaiskos Farm.
11.00 GEORGE PITTAS: «GASTRONOMIC COMMUNITIES – GASTRONOMIC DESTINATIONS – ACTION PLANS»
Gastronomic communities can become a lever for developing Greek gastronomy, mobilizing another one of our coyntry’s treasures, sleeping collectives. Also, gastronomic communities will be called to play a leading role in a new era, where partenships will dance together with individual ambitions, hopes will not wander in the solitude of personal paths and faith in the common good will not be a distant sight.
12.00 WORKSHOP ON MAKING «PITA» THE GREEK TRADITIONAL PIE
The women from Kritsa Gastronomy Hotel present the preparing technique of the traditional greens pie from Pelion.
13.00 ΤΙΜΟLEOΝ DIAMANTIS, GREEK MASTER CHEF WINNER 2018, IN THE GARDEN
Timoleon Diamantis will gather the produce from Karaiskos Farm and pickle them. He will also demonstrate several of his own recipes.
14.00 THE TRADITIONS AROUND TSIPOURO AND ITS APPETIZERS
The tradition of the tsipouradika in Volos and Pelion is well-known to all its visitors. Generous portions of the local drink, with and without anise, will be served by local producers.
Tsipouradiko ME MOSTRA, Portaria, offers tsipouro with traditional appetizers.
16.00 WORKSHOP OF SOAP PRODUCING WITH OLIVE OIL
By Andy Kapanidis and MYRRO HERBS AND COSMETICS.
17.00 «BOUBARI» SAUSAGE WORKSHOP: TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES FROM LOUKIA ROUSOYIANNI, DROSOS BUTCHER.
Boubari is a traditional spicy appetizer from Pelion, a sausage-like link made of rice, mincemeat and intestines. It is a special favorite as the weather turns cold. Loukia Rousoyianni of the DROSOS Butcher will demonstrate all the steps in its production and cooking.
18.00 WINE TASTING BY THE WINERY POYLTSIDI
Presentation and wine tasting of the estate wines.
19.00 WINE-TASTING BY THE CAVA «BOTILIA» WITH THESSALIAN WINES
Panagiotis Gavesis presents wines from the below wineries: Dougos Winery, Domain Migas, Vriniotis Winery, Milea Winery, Domain Messenicolas, Timpaleksis Estate, from Thessaly region.
The event will be attented by the wine maker Constantinos Liapis from Arlekinon Chora Winery and will present the estate’s wines.
19.00 Tasty creations from the chef instructors of «THESSALIKO I.E.K. SCHOOL GIATSOS».
20.00 Completion of the second day with music chosen by DJ Nikos Pappas.
Sunday 29 September 2019
Host: Constantine Vasalos
Presentation of Lunch time by Timoleon Diamantis – Greek Breakfast − Pies
10.00 OPEN COUNTRY FAIR WITH LOCAL PRODUCTS
Producers from all over Pelion, with different kinds of local and traditional products, recipes and cooking secrets, make up the scene of the country fair at Karaiskos Farm.
11.00 OFFICIAL VISIT OF THE MITROPOLITIS DIMITRIADOS & ALMYROU
IGNATIOS
A TOUR OF KARAISKOS FARM
11.00 GEORGE PITTAS and KRITSA GASTRONOMY HOTEL PRESENT THE ‘’GREEK BREAKFAST’’
George Pittas, who was the inspiration for the «Greek breakfast» initiative of the Greek Hotel Association, will join the Festival. He will give a speech about how he changed the public’s perception of «shameful» foods into products of cultural self-confidence.
He will also present the «Greek breakfast» of Kritsa Gastronomy Hotel, Portaria, which includes products such as: baked goods, olive oil, olives, yogurt, honey, home-made jams, cheeses, deli meats, pies, fruits, and sweets accompanied by various drinks.
12.00 THE SECRETS OF BREAD-MAKING
Workshop on bread-making in the wood oven by Eleni Sarakatsanou from the family bakery.
13.00 ΜΕ ΖΕΝ: WHERE GASTRONOMY MEETS TSIPOURO
Chef Gregory Helmis and Andreas Diakodimitris from tsipouradiko ME ZEN in Volos, submit their own culinary view of traditional appetizers (meze).
14.00 TIMOLEON DIAMANTIS: «THE PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COOKS AND LOCAL PRODUCERS THROUGH THE EYES OF THE YOUNGER GENERATION»
Our special guest presenter, Timoleon Diamantis, winner of the 2018 Greek Master Chef contest, will present his ideas on the professional relationship between cooks and local producers through the eyes of his younger generation. Following this, he will cook for us.
15.30 THE SECRETS OF PELION SAUSAGE BY THEOFILOS FASOULIDIS and accompany with local beer from Volos «PLASTIGA».
Workshop demonstrating local sausage-making, smoked techniques and ways of cooking by Theofilos, of FASOULIDIS Butcher.
16.30 The local small brewery «PLASTIGA» from Volos presents their beers.
17.00 PELION OLIVE OIL
Olive oil taste-tasting organized by the olive press «Olive Oil of Pelion – Volioti Family» with a rich history of the processing, standardization and distributorship of olives from 1969, with discrimination in the field.
17.30 CONSTANTINE VASALOS: TASTE CREATIONS FROM PILIO
Constantine Vasalos is known for the ease with which he combines simple everyday ingredients to create delicious recipes, which are also quick and economic. At the same time, he is also a Head Chef with the knowledge and ability to create unique recipes inspired by the gastronomic culture from Pelion.Visitors will travel with him through time from yesterday to the present. The traditional will be updated by modern gastronomic trends with recipes based on local ingredients. Cooking and serving visitors demonstrates the wealth of foods from Pelion in a modern gastronomic feast for all to enjoy!
The food tasting will accompany with wines offered by Roussas Winery, from Almyros.
19:00 HOT LOCAL DONUTS «LOUKOUMADES» SERVED BY THESSALIKO IEK GIATSOS
19.00 “Aeriko Smells and Flavors” will present various cocktails, inspired by the region of Pelion and visitors can enjoy the music selections of DJ Nikos Pappas, to renew the date for next year.
During the festival there will be:
* Creative outdoor activities for the children with Thanos Nickakis and Stefanos Karaiskos.
* Pottery workshop by the renowned ceramicist Xristos Giannakopoulos.
*Free Entrance