The Olive Tree
About 8.5 km, or a 15-minute drive, from Naxos Town (also called Chora) lies the Kampones estate. After passing Agios Thaleleos, just outside Kourounochori, you come across a family-owned estate, the “dowry” of a Naxiot woman who, instead of a house, asked for an olive grove. The grove is home to trees with ancient, gnarled trunks and views of the hills that turn purple every afternoon.
The People Beneath the Olive Tree
It was in this earthy landscape that a symposium was held as part of the festival An Evening Under the Olive Tree, from October 8 to 11 (a detailed report will be published on ethnos.gr in the coming days). The discussion was purely gastronomic: How did Catherine de’ Medici reshape French cuisine? Is there a unified culinary identity across the Cyclades, and how can it be supported, given the difficulty of transporting products from one island to another? When does the cooking experience cease to be common ground and become a chef’s personal creative expression? Why is it important to document old recipes? What value does family memory hold for a pastry chef? And, ultimately, what matters more—the ingredients or the techniques?
Food Under the Olive Tree
As the discussion drew to a close, there was also a little gastronomic improvisation, with a selection of dishes made from Naxian ingredients—primarily potatoes and graviera—served on a wooden board in the middle of the field.
The Collectible Whisky
After the festival, our travels took us to a few unexpected places, including one of the spirits cellars at the Naxian Collection hotel in Stelida, between Alyki and Agios Prokopios. This is where an impressive collection of carefully selected whiskies and bourbons is kept. Among them, my eye—neither that of a connoisseur nor entirely untrained—was immediately drawn to the collectible Game of Thrones set of nine bottles. The collection features whiskies representing seven Houses—House Stark, House Targaryen, House Lannister, House Baratheon, House Greyjoy, House Tully and House Tyrell—as well as two others, The Night’s Watch and Six Kingdoms. Some are fruity, with notes of vanilla or citrus; others are smoky and richly aged. Together, the nine bottles make up a distinctive collection, sure to appeal to fans of the series.
Fusion Cuisine
After feasting our eyes on the whisky, the pleasures became more tangible. At Tortuga restaurant, on Plaka Beach, the menu featured fava with grilled octopus and caper oil; soutzoukakia with tuna tartare, cumin, chilli and rice paper; a modern take on patatavgoula, with poached eggs, local ham (zamboni) and Naxian kefalotyri; and several other dishes not pictured here, including Greek salad with Naxos xinotyro cheese, lamb giouvetsi with fennel pesto, and rice pudding with cherries.
The Estate with the Chicken
And from the waves to the estate. Here, a chicken was wandering around carefree, if slightly annoyed, gently bobbing her head back and forth like an Egyptian dancer. I photographed her, because I like chickens. They have a wonderfully uninhibited way about them, they’re loud, and they couldn’t care less what anyone else thinks.
The Wine with the Cricket
The aforementioned lady was roaming around the garden of Gryllis Winery. It’s a beautiful little winery—its emblem is a cricket wearing a cape and a top hat—where Cycladic wines are produced from Mandilaria, Assyrtiko, Fokiano, and white and red Aidani grapes, in relatively small quantities (let’s call it a “boutique” production). The winery is located in Sangri, just a stone’s throw from the temple of Demeter, the great nurturing goddess of antiquity.
The Oil with Citron
If wine is one of the pillars of the Naxian table, another is olive oil. I stopped by the supermarket of the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives, centrally located on the seafront in Naxos Town, hoping to find an almost exclusively local selection. Reality was somewhat different: the supermarket carries quite a few products from outside Naxos. Still, among the local offerings, one caught my eye: a citron-infused olive oil seasoning. And that’s because citron is so deeply intertwined with the gastronomy of Naxos. It’s made by Naxos Happy Olives (editor’s note: this is not a paid mention—I currently have five readers; once that number goes up, I’ll cover the brand name with correction fluid and just use the initials).
The Agricultural Revolution
This small tribute to autumnal, gastronomic, productive Naxos—its wines and spirits, olive trees and livestock—comes to a close with two drawings “on display” in the corridor of the Vivlos Gymnasium, a school in the island’s interior. “Real fruits and vegetables are Greek” and “No to Mercosur” (editor’s note: referring to the free-trade agreement between the EU and South America, which threatens small Greek producers) read the colourful posters, created by children from—presumably—farming families who live on one of the few productive islands of the Cyclades. Nearby, more drawings of tractors and blooming fields, accompanied by emphatic slogans—“Respect farmers,” “Our farmers deserve more,” and “You threaten the farmers? You’re hurting yourselves!”—come together as a visual “labour of love” by the students, dedicated to their families and their island.
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