Greek Recipes

A Kumquat Sweet for Your Thoughts – Click to Enlarge I was first introduced to this exotic Greek confection in the late ‘90s. One of my friends had gone to Greece for the summer and had returned with several packages of individually wrapped kumquat sweets , an exclusive specialty of the Ionian island of Corfu (Kerkyra). Though I was already familiar with Corfiote (i.e. of Corfu ) kumquat liqueur, I had never tried the glacé fruit until my friend, Kyriakos, generously shared some of his supply with me. Needless to say, I was immediately hooked. The subtle orange citrus bitterness of the fruit’s tender though slightly chewy translucent flesh was totally suffused with the sweetness of its sugar syrup and was simply irresistible. Interestingly enough, not long after that first sampling, I remember learning that upon completion of the filming on location in Greece for the James Bond movie “ For Your Eyes Only ” (1981), Roger Moore left Greece with several suitcases stuffed fu...

Biankéta ... Almond Tangerine Bites. Puréed blanched almonds flavoured with tangerine rind and juice, sweetened with brown sugar and dusted with confectionery sugar before serving. These wonderful little delights leave a lingering tangerine flavoured scent in your mouth long after you eat them up! Cute little morsels... The almond (' amygdalo ' in Greek, pronounced "AH-MEEG-THA-LOW") has a long history in Greece. Today, Greece is the fourth largest producer of almonds in the world after the United States, Spain and Italy. The epicentres of Greek almond production are the prefectures of Magnesia, Larisa, Serres and Kavala, and the cultivation of the almond tree is a traditional practice that dates back to ancient times. In the Classical period, almonds were common "dinner ornaments" ( αναθήματα δαιτός ) and those from the island of Naxos were especially prized. Other centres of almond production in the ancient Greek world included Cyprus, Thasos, Paphlagonia...