"Greek Breakfast" is an initiative by the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels that aims to incorporate the country's gastronomic wealth into the overall experience of Greek and foreign hotel guests.
The first meal of the day serves, symbolically and practically, as an introduction to the riches of the Greek land. It's a carefully structured program requiring participating hotels to rigorously comply with specific standards, guaranteeing the quality and authenticity of the products and recipes offered. This presents an excellent opportunity for visitors to taste local cuisine and discover the country's gastronomic and cultural heritage.
The Value of the Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet, well-known for promoting healthy eating habits, was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013. As UNESCO explains, this diet emphasizes "values of hospitality, neighbourliness, intercultural dialogue and creativity, and a way of life guided by respect for diversity." Traditional practices, knowledge, and skills passed down through generations in many Mediterranean countries provide communities with a sense of belonging and continuity, making them worthy of international safeguarding.
Greek Breakfast: A Culinary Journey
Greek Breakfast features a variety of certified products, all central to the Mediterranean diet. Bread, rusks, olives and olive oil, Greek yogurt, honey, fresh fruit, and organic eggs become the basis on which each region of Greece builds its product identity, inviting guests to a true culinary feast. Graviera cheese from Naxos, xinotiri cheese from Mykonos, tomatoes of Santorini, Macedonian pies, olive oil from Messinia, masticha from Chios, and trahanas from Thessaly are just a few of the products used in the recipes that form part of the Greek breakfast experience. Tasting allows visitors to learn about the history and culture of the various regions, connect with their natural environment, and combine culinary experiences with discoveries of landscapes and daily life.
Greek Breakfast offers a wide variety of certified products of excellent quality, known worldwide for their beneficial properties and nutritional value. Notably, Greece boasts over 1.2 million beehives with 15,000 experienced professional beekeepers, guaranteeing the excellent quality of Greek honey. Honey consumption in Greece is one of the highest in the world.
Greece's Superfoods
Greece has its own "superfoods": products that promote well-being, protect health, or have great nutritional value while also adding flavour. Oregano, beyond giving Greek salad its distinctive taste, can relieve a sore throat when used as an infusion. Honey, a natural sweetener, provides more than 180 nutrients. Chios masticha, with its unique flavour used in sweet and savoury dishes, also has a strong anti-inflammatory effect. Cretan stamnagathi, a wild cichory variety, is considered a tonic with detoxifying properties. Avgotaraho (bottarga), a delicacy made from cured mullet roe, is a source of protein, vitamins, iron, calcium, selenium, and zinc. Krokos, a saffron crocus from Kozani, prized for its flavour and colour, also contains essential vitamins and minerals and boasts anti-aging, antioxidant, and anti-cancer effects. Almonds, a symbol of spring, are believed to promote proper brain function and healthy bones. And the list goes on...
Read More - Explore Greece's History: 5 UNESCO Gems in the Peloponnese
