Greek chef has embarked on the ambitious project of introducing Londoners to ancient Greek cuisine and diet.
At “Life Goddess,” his London based restaurant, Louis Chrysostomou aims to present the Greek cuisine as a whole starting from the culinary art handed down to us from ancient Greek literary and philosophical texts.
The project “Secrets and Flavours from Ancient Greece” is the result of the chef’s comprehensive research into prescriptions, recipes and dietary regimes abounding in the works of ancient authors such as Archestratos and Athineos.
Theme gastronomic nights titled “Ancient Greek Dinners” will give those attending them the opportunity to taste dishes like the renowned “black broth,” the highly nutritious and empowering stew that ancient Spartan warriors used to eat, “mypotos” which was very similar to contemporary Greek spinach pie, and “melicraton,” a sweet dessert made with a variety of nuts, pollen and Greek honey.
Through Ancient Greek Dinners, Chrysostomou aspires to offer his guests a modern version of ancient Greek symposiums, during which ancient Greeks used to converse while enjoying food and wine in a relaxed fashion to the accompaniment of good music.
However, palatal delight was not the only pursuit of Ancient Greeks. Nutrition played a significant role in health and general well-being, which is what has motivated Chrysostomou to expand the range of his culinary services by introducing the British and other nationals residing in London to the dietary regimes proposed by philosopher and cult founder Pythagoras as well as Hippocrates, the famous doctor of antiquity.
The Pythagorean diet was mainly vegetarian aiming to uplift the human spirit, while the Hippocratic diet was based on Hippocrates’ conviction that “food is thy medicine” meaning that the prevention and treatment of most ailments can be achieved through the intake of the appropriate kind of food.
Apart from the above, the chef also plans to hold evenings dedicated to traditional cuisine from various Greek regions such as Macedonia, Thrace etc.
Louis Chrysostomou, who is currently the head chef of the Greek Embassy in London, has worked as a chef in Greece and Britain for 17 years.
Source: thegreekobserver.com
