Authentic flavors that stand out for their pure ingredients and the locals' passion for creating them Insider guide by food journalist Dimitris Stathopoulo
Authentic flavors that stand out for their pure ingredients and the locals' passion for creating them.
We're in a place synonymous with traditional, delicious food. Pure raw materials centered on seasonality and creativity, recipes from the past, worthy chefs focused on quality: all give life and continuity to Epirus cuisine.
Through five selected dishes, we'll attempt to sketch this cuisine and give you inspiration for another journey to Epirus's beautiful mountains.
We travel to Epirus, pass through historic stone arch bridges, walk on paths that for centuries have connected one settlement to another, observe the rich nature, and meet inspired people who are hospitable and full of truth. Every time, this journey has a common thread: good traditional food.
Here we'll taste pies, delicious meats, ideally balanced combinations with legumes and vegetables, while we won't neglect to focus on dishes that are signatures for certain restaurants, certain villages.
Bear's Plate at Mikri Arktos, Tsepelovo
One such dish is the "Bear's Plate," which we tried at the restaurant Mikri Arktos (Tsepelovo 440 10, Tel: 2653 081128) in the central square of Tsepelovo.
It's a dish made with pork combined with dried fruits, nuts, honey, and sour apple. It combines rich, full flavor while being nutritious and delicious.
Epirus Pies: A Nomadic Tradition
A key characteristic of Epirus cuisine is the many different types of pies. Savory and sweet, with phyllo (most often handmade) or even without phyllo, pies were a basic element in the diet of shepherds who lived nomadically.
One of the most characteristic is batsaria, made with wild greens and cornmeal sprinkled over the filling. This particular pie is preferably eaten warm and usually served with yogurt. Another category includes those containing meat, either goat or pork, and in some cases they don't have a top layer of phyllo.
Zagori's aleuropita is a special pie that resembles cheese bread and was usually prepared for shepherds to take with them when they might be away from home for days. In parallel, it's worth noting that in some parts of Epirus, the New Year's vasilopita, even today, is a pie made with meat, usually lamb.
Chickpeas with Eggplant at Dilofo
Making use of the region's legumes and fresh vegetables, Takis at Dilofo (Dilofo 440 07, Tel: 2653 022600) prepares a dish that embodies the taste and value of the place.
Chickpeas combined with eggplant and tomato sauce create a dish that is an ode to the creativity and inventiveness of local cuisine.
Gigantes Beans with Wild Greens
Staying with legumes, we move to gigantes beans, which remain arguably one of the most popular and classic dishes, combined with wild greens.
For this dish to succeed, the gigantes must be fresh and soaked well for at least 12 hours in water. Then, after boiling, we'll put them with the greens and other herbs in the oven. We'll find this dish in many restaurants and tavernas in the region, and in some cases it's served as a meze to accompany tsipouro.
Wild Boar with Leek at Ano Pedina
Beyond traditional meats like lamb and goat, wild boar is a basic meat that finds its place in Epirus cuisine in various versions.
However, the combination with leek results in a dish with special flavor, in a gastronomic universe that stands out. We try it at Ano Pedina at the restaurant Sotiria Tsigara (Ano Pedina 440 07, Tel: 2653 071209).
Common Questions
Where can I find this in Athens?
The Central Market (Varvakios Agora) on Athinas Street is the best starting point for any serious ingredient hunt in Athens. It's open weekday mornings and is genuinely one of the great food markets of Europe — chaotic, loud, and completely authentic. Go with a local if you can. I take people there on my Athens food walk.
What makes Greek versions of this different from what I've had elsewhere?
Greek cooking is obsessed with quality of ingredients, not complexity of technique. The olive oil is better. The tomatoes taste like tomatoes should. The feta is brined in whey, not plastic brine. When you eat the same dish in Greece vs. a Greek restaurant abroad, you're eating fundamentally different food.
