20-27 October 2014
Kryoneri Korinthias, Greece
During the period 20-27th of October 2014 the training seminar “Taste your culture” was hosted by Filoxenia in Greece, in Kryoneri Korinthias. Filoxenia is a Youth NGO founded in 1995. It offers educational & free time activities in the rural mountainous village of Kryoneri in Corinth upper land.
This project has been supported by the European Commission programme Erasmus+ and co-ordinated by the organization Altea (France).
Altea France is a non-governmental Youth Organisation, active in the field of non formal education, based in Limoges, France.
This project was focusing the gastronomy within a cultural and cross-cultural context.
Participants coming from Greece, France, Finland, Liechtenstein, Slovakia, Portugal, Turkey and Hungary had the opportunity during the seminar to explore cultural diversity and identify the opportunities and challenges it presents.
Different workshops, study visits and lectures from experts, have raised awareness about food-culture, healthy life style, promoting sustainable development, exchange of best practices and networking.
The experts offered a practical introduction in the Mediterranean cuisine: the nutritionist Mrs Eva Tsakou from Mednutrition offered valuable dietary information, the beekeeper Mr Christos Panagou offered an impressive introduction in the honey production, the farmer Mr Dimitris Doudoumis explained the Corinthian raisins production, Mrs Sofia Zarkou invited the participants to her house in Kryoneri and cooked together with them in the traditional stone oven. She was preparing also together with Mrs Zoi Dede and the participants the traditional sweet baklava.
The participants had also an insight presentation of the Secretary General of the Greek Agrotourism Federation SEAGE and board member of the European Rural Tourism Federation EUROGITES, Mr Panos Poulos.
An olive oil tasting experience of farm “Elisson”, a wine-tasting visit in Lafazanis winery in the Nemea region, combined with cultural visits in archaeological sites of Nemea, the Mycenaean cemetery of Aidonia and the Environment Museum of Stymfalia, have been also part of the programme.
The priest Panagiotis Theodorou accepted the group in the Trinity Church of Kryoneri and discussed with the participants about the Greek orthodox traditions.
The participants took also part at the solidarity music concert “Tris & o Cookos” in the seaside town of Kiato, offering food utensils for families suffering from the crisis.
The seminar took place at the Hostel “Elisson” in Kryoneri, which promotes sustainable agrotourism development and healthy life style.
The whole project was a beautiful example, how people from different places of the world came closer together in a small rural village and could get to know closer the Mediterranean kitchen and the Greek culture, by seeing, touching, smelling, tasting and feeling.
This project had a big impact to the local community involved. The organizers in Greece and France are wishing to co-operate, for setting up another similar project in the future.
Many thanks to all participants.
