Kudos to Lincoln Center’s continuing commitment to inviting cultures from around the world to New York City in their Summer for the City offerings. Thanks to this program, we were introduced to the mythic performance of Samsara by the Aakash Odedra Company at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater.
The dazzling dance duet was created by its two performers, Aakash Odedra and Hu Shenyuan, and is based on the classic 16th century Chinese novel, Journey to the West, attributed to Wu Cheng’en.
This fictionalized morality tale recounts the trials and tribulations of the monk Xuanzang (also referred to as Tang Sanzang or Tripitaka) in his quest to establish the Buddhist religion in China by undertaking the dangerous journey to the “western regions” – the area we now call India – to obtain Buddhist religious scriptures (sutras).
Samsara. Photo courtesy of Aakash Odedra Company, Lawrence Sumulong.
Along the way, the monk is helped and/or hindered by three disciples the Buddha has assigned to assist in his journey. They are represented by statues sitting in sand. The three – Monkey, Piggy, and Sandy – possibly symbolize the egoic mind, body, and soul that the monk has to overcome on his hazardous journey.
While this novel is a fictional tale, it’s based on the true story of the monk Xuanzang who actually undertook the grueling journey across the Silk Road to India around 629 AD to 645 AD.
His 16-year long journey culminated in his return to China with many artifacts and sacred objects that established the unifying Buddhist religion at a time between dynasties, when war was tearing the country apart. The tenets of Buddhism were a stabilizing factor much needed to bring the country together.
Samsara. Photo courtesy of Aakash Odedra Company, Lawrence Sumulong.
The hour-long program without intermission opened to a blackened stage. A lone seated figure was illuminated by a shaft of light from above. A base drum wakened the figure with a single thump, and he began to move rhythmically to the sound of high-pitched vocalizations.
Dressed simply in a loincloth, his body became animated, achieving impossible positions that only a double-jointed, highly classically trained dancer could accomplish – striking and holding positions seen only on India’s temple carvings and statues.
Effortlessly, he donned a monk’s robe and began to slowly perambulate across the stage as the music built in volume and intensity. His journey had begun.
The set was an empty stage except for the statue sitting on and surrounded by sand, and as the program progressed, other statues surrounded by sand emerged out of the darkness. Behind a darkened screen were the shadowy figures of the musicians: Beibei Wang and Michael Ormiston and the composer/singer Nicki Wells.
Samsara. Photo courtesy of Aakash Odedra Company, Lawrence Sumulong.
The monk journeyed on slowly as the music propelled his movement forward until another monk appeared, and a battle ensued. They engaged in stylized combat to the sound of wailing and drum beats.
Twirling and jumping with quick jabbing movements, the pair battled on, but the adversaries were equally matched, making for a truce. Spotlights from the ceiling then made a pattern for the two figures to interact finger to finger and toe to toe until they began to mirror each other’s movements as they recognized their mutual humanity.
Samsara. Photo courtesy of Aakash Odedra Company, Lawrence Sumulong.
The conflict ended, and the communion began to the sounds of bells as their bodies entwined together in what seemed to me to be the dance of Shiva, the Hindu Supreme God. The two dancers became one form with four arms, fingers, and toes animated and moving at speed.
At one point in the program, there was a thrilling musical interlude with the drum master creating a cascade of sound that reached a crescendo of such power that it brought the audience to its collective screaming feet. The dance culminated in a shower of sand that poured from the ceiling onto the dancing figures.
This action must be seen to be believed, as the dancers interacted with the sand as a living being while it permeated the sitting statues and the dancers alike, pouring down on them as they whirled like dervishes in a maelstrom.
Samsara. Photo courtesy of Aakash Odedra Company, Lawrence Sumulong.
Samsara is performance art unlike anything else I have ever seen. It’s imaginative and creative in the extreme and offers a perfect platform to showcase the amazing talents of the performers and musicians alike.
The degree of flexibility exhibited by both dancers with total control over every joint and muscle group independently was unique and illustrated the capacity of the human body’s range of motion. It incorporated movements from many different East Asian cultures, and I would categorize the style as Asian Fusion.
Samsara curtain call. Photo by Barbara Angelakis.
Thanks to Lincoln Center for providing access to this truly amazing dance performance. See excerpts below:
The Thracians made the earliest wines and declared Dionysus the “god of wine.” The Egyptians made beer 5,000 years ago, and the Incas made corn liquor (chicha) 3,000 years in the past.
The first recorded reference to cider dates back to Julius Caesar’s Britain, where he found the native Celts fermenting crab apples and making cider, as well as fermenting honey to make mead. There were also alcoholic cider-drinking Normans and Anglo-Saxons in what is now France.
Norman means “North Man,” and most of them were Vikings who had traveled south from Scandinavia in the late eighth century, settling in what is today Western France. Vikings were cider-makers and drinkers, which explains why France, a land usually dominated by wine lore, has a tradition of high quality cider production.
That production exists even today in Normandy and Brittany, where the best Calvados is produced. The largest and most successful Viking settlements were there.
Nowadays, there is alcoholic hard cider and non-alcoholic cider, sweet or at various degrees of dryness, produced to the delight of imbibers. Cider is very popular in the British Isles, Western France, Scandinavia, and Switzerland.
Cidre Pommes Vulcain. Photo courtesy of Pommes Vulcain.
During last year’s visit to Geneva, Zurich, Basel, and Lucerne, I had Möhl, Cidrerie du Vulcan, and Ramseier Apple Ciders with many of my meals. They exhibited various degrees of fizziness and sweetness. The Cidrerie du Vulcain’s Trois Pépins is exceptionally tasty, made by pressing apples, pears, and quince and fermenting the resulting nectar.
In recent years, Britain has had a revival of interest in artisanal cider production using regional apple varieties and different fermentation and aging techniques. In Yorkshire, historic orchards are producing some impressive ciders using a mix of dessert and cooking apples.
Calvados. Photo courtesy of Calvados AOC.
Calvados is an apple brandy produced exclusively in Normandy that has attained AOC status. The base cider is made from apples, but sometimes, a few pears are added at the pressing stage.
The fruit must be grown in Normandy, where more than 200 varieties of apples are cultivated. The fruit is pressed and fermented, then distilled into an eau de vie and aged for a minimum of two years in oak. A good Calvados is respected as much as a good Cognac.
In the United States, there is a very nice, demi-sec cider from Washington State, as well as non-alcoholic sparkling and non-sparkling ones produced in California and New York State.
Zeigler’s Apple Cider. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
Personally, during the hot summer months, I drink Zeigler’s Old-Fashioned Apple Cider, a non-alcoholic, sweet, and refreshing beverage made from New York State grown apples. It comes in seasonal varieties, such as Gala and Honeycrisp blends, as well as seasonal flavors that include Caramel and Cinnamon Spice. Both of those are available each fall.
Through the year, Zeigler’s presses an amazing two hundred million pounds of fresh, whole apples to produce their ciders.
Do you drink cider? if so, what are your favorites?
Viking River Cruises have some of the most appealingly seductive television ads. Often, when watching them, I wondered how accurate they were. Well, after having experienced a Viking Cruise, I can honestly attest to the fact that the ads are not exaggerations.
We chose to cruise on Portugal’s Douro River, named “River of Gold,” because back in the day, the river was the method of transport for the fine wines, almonds, and olives produced in the river valley (the primary source of the area’s wealth). Portugal has everything we were looking for – a rich cultural history, renowned cuisine, and world-famous wines. Perfect!
Once we chose the destination and date, scheduling the trip was effortless. The touring options were generous with daily included offerings, plus we were given optional extra tours for minimal additional fees.
The Viking Hemming ship. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
Due to the size of the Douro’s lock system, our ship, the Viking Hemming, is one of the smaller ships in the Viking fleet. But it has every amenity one could hope for. The cabins are beautifully decorated with queen size beds, balconies in every stateroom, full baths with rain showers, and abundant hot water, as well as complimentary WiFi throughout the ship, nightly entertainment, and a pool topside with a large deck for enjoying the passing scene.
Fresh local food with daily Portuguese specialties were on the menu, and for those who wanted something more familiar, steak and hamburgers and other stateside staples plus vegetarian meals were always available.
Mushroom dish on our Viking cruise. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
The staff gets high marks for their friendliness and efficiency. Kudos also to housekeeping for their constant attention and the spic and span cleanliness of cabins and public spaces. Even the floor-to-ceiling windows were spotless.
At each stop, the windows were washed, allowing us to take photos from inside when weather didn’t encourage going outside. Maps, bottled water, and umbrellas, when necessary, were handed out every time we left the ship to tour, with a smile and “have a good time until we see you again.”
Daily updates as to where we were and our next port-of-call, including the all-important weather conditions, were placed each evening in every cabin, and a libation was offered when returning to the ship from a day of sightseeing.
And speaking of tours, the tour directors were amazing: knowledgeable, helpful, and pleasant, always with a smile and jokes. If you have a special interest, they will happily research it for you.
In order to guarantee personal attention and not to overwhelm the sites we visited, the 120 passengers were split into three groups. Our assigned tour director was Joana Lapes, who kept us entertained with anecdotes and funny stories when traveling by bus to our destination of the day.
Viking’s buses for traveling to excursions. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
Our cruise actually began in Lisbon with a city tour and overnight at a five-star hotel, a mere five-minute walk from the city center. Next morning, we piled into our comfortable, spacious coach for the drive north to Porto, Portugal’s second largest city, and the port from which the ship departed.
On the way, we stopped to visit the famous University of Coimbra. Established in 1290, the university is notable for the black capes the students wear and the colorful ribbons that determine each undergraduate’s course of study. A graduation tradition has friends and family removing all clothes from the graduate, leaving only their shoes and capes, and the festivities continue with the burning of the ribbons.
Coimbra’s library is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with access strictly limited and controlled and no pictures permitted. We were only allowed to stay a few minutes, hardly enough time to take in all of the spectacular gilded decorative elements. These included exotic carvings on rare African woods, intricate marble-laid floor, and painted ceilings.
A Fado singer. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
We had lunch in the República (house of students) and were entertained by students and ex-students singing Fado, the very emotional and heartfelt form of singing usually accompanied by the Portuguese guitar. Originally in Portugal, only men sang Fado, but in 1891, female students at Coimbra began singing. Now, both sexes perform the mournful melodies.
On to Porto, made famous for the fortified Port Wine on which the city’s prosperity was built. Originally named Portoscali, the city is separated by the Douro River with Porto on one side and Scali (now Vila Nova de Gaia) on the other.
Porto. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
Porto is referred to as the City Of Bridges for the six that span the river, two by Gustave Eiffel of Eiffel Tower fame. The historic Old Town Center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia. We had the opportunity to learn about and taste Port wine at one of the many wine-shipper cellars along the waterfront.
No visitor to Porto should miss the São Bento railway station, where one of the most romantic stories is played out in azulejo tiles. In 1386, King John, an infamous man-about-town, was married to Philippa of Lancaster, eldest daughter of John of Gaunt, to seal a vital alliance with England. They didn’t know each other. In fact, their marriage was by proxy, as was the custom of the times. And supposedly, when they first met, they didn’t like each other.
King John was charming and handsome, and Philippa apparently lost her heart to him. So the story goes, Philippa, a pious young woman, tried to lay down the law and told King John to shape up and stop playing around. When he refused, she returned to England.
Realizing the error of his ways, King John ran after her, espousing undying love. She returned to Portugal, they had nine children, one of which was Henry the Navigator, and enjoyed a long, faithful, and loving marriage. End of story. (Editor’s Note: I could not find reference to this story in a history book, but our Porto guide assured me it was gospel. Besides, the tiles were beautiful).
Daily, we visited charming small towns along the Douro River Valley, sailed in the afternoon when the light was best for viewing the hillsides covered by vineyards, and docked in the evening to explore on our own.
Our last port of call was Salamanca in Spain, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its beautiful main square, Plaza Mayor – often called the most beautiful in Spain. The Cathedral of Salamanca, is a must see. Parts of it were built in the 12th century and parts in the 16th century.
Museum of Art Deco & Nouveau in Salamanca, Spain. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
Another not to be missed site is the Museum of Art Deco & Nouveau behind the Cathedral. If you are a fan of French decorative art glass by Rene Lalique and Emile Gallé plus stained glass windows of exceptional quality and art from circa 1920s, this is the museum to visit. There is also a collection of about 300 porcelain dolls in a gallery on the second floor.
Thankfully, we had the good sense to stop for a treat of the famous Spanish hot chocolate in the café on the first floor before visiting the gift shop.
Sailing leisurely back along the Douro River to Porto and passing through the five locks to navigate the different water levels on the river and canals was equally captivating on our return.
For information on the many destinations, cruises, and schedules Viking offers, visit Viking River Cruises.
The author received a complimentary cruise, but we are dedicated to providing unbiased reviews based on our experience. See our Disclosures page for more information.
Conde Nast Traveler has named its top 100 restaurants in the world, and Nuema in Quito is number 61. It’s nestled in the Illa Experience Hotel & Spa, and I had the extraordinary opportunity to experience this restaurant firsthand.
Run by Chef Alejandro Chamorro and his Pastry Chef wife, Piedad Salazar, the restaurant raises its own fresh Ecuadorian herbs and other produce for farm-to-table dining.
When you walk into the hotel, you’re greeted by an enclosed courtyard surrounded by stone columns. But this courtyard has no roof, so there is a shallow pool of water that reflects the stars at night.
Marcel Perkins, the owner of Latin Trails, has attended to every detail and made it his personal quest to turn the Illa into a true “experience” hotel that feels like home. Each suite is individually decorated but contains three items that Ecuadorian grandmothers have traditionally made for the birth of new family members – a sheep’s wool rug, a handmade embroidered cotton blanket, and pillowcases trimmed in lace.
A handmade blanket at Illa Experience Hotel in Quito. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Guests are also treated to hot chocolate before bed if they wish, which is a treat not to be missed since chocolate in Ecuador is an experience in and of itself. My room contained complimentary local artisanal chocolates as well, some of which were flavored with fruits indigenous to the country.
The “experiences” at the Illa include tailor-made courses or excursions for guests to get a sense of local life, such as visiting an artisan’s workshop or even painting with an artist. You might also get to taste a traditional dish made by an authentic grandmother just down the street. Perkins is dedicated to helping guests become a part of the neighborhood while also giving back to the community.
My room at Illa Experience Hotel in Quito. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
The small boutique property contains only ten suites on three floors with each floor representing a different era in Quito’s history – the Colonial floor, the Republican floor, and the Contemporary floor. Surprisingly, despite its size, the Illa also contains a private spa with a Jacuzzi that’s available only to guests, a wine cellar, a reading room, a gym with cardio machines, and a rooftop bar with views of the city.
Artwork in my room at Illa Experience Hotel in Quito, created by a local artist. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
A local artist has created distinctive wall paintings for the suites, some of which depict Quito landscapes, and the doors to the rooms are all different with their own histories. Much of the furniture has also been locally handcrafted.
My Colonial Suite Junin was on the ground floor, so I had an internal bedroom window that opened up to the courtyard. Opposite the king-sized bed were a sitting area and a large television in the wall that was hidden by a lace-work gate.
The unusually large bathroom was behind the wall containing the TV and had its own shower room, a separate room with the toilet, twin sinks, and a deep, free-standing tub with its own little shelf that ran across one edge.
The bathroom in my room at Illa Experience Hotel in Quito. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Of course, every suite in the hotel includes plush bathrobes, slippers, a duvet, mini-bar, safe, alarm clock, bathroom scale, hair dryer, and array of pillow choices. Additionally, the rooms have two heated blankets in the closet.
Dining at the Illa’s restaurant Nuema is its own experience. Nuema was an already popular and award-winning restaurant in Quito started by Chef Alejandro Chamorro and his Pastry Chef wife, Piedad Salazar. (The name was created by combining portions of their children’s names.) It has been named in the top 100 restaurants in the world.
Latin Trails convinced them to relocate their restaurant within the Illa Experience hotel and provided them with a garden so that they could raise fresh Ecuadorian herbs and other produce for farm-to-table dining.
Chamorro trained with some of the world’s best chefs and returned to his roots, where he puts his own modern spin on traditional Ecuadorian dishes. My tasting menu prepared began with lobster served with fresh Ecuadorian herbs from the garden, avocado cream, crispy sourdough, lemon juice, and a fruit that’s a cross between a lemon and a tangerine.
Next, I had braised octopus in chimichurri sauce with crispy potato skins and herbs. The course that followed was pork belly with cacao butter, picked vegetables, herbs, and pumpkin seeds.
The last two courses were Andean fruit with fermented mushrooms, herbs, and broth, followed by a dessert of an apple from the Andean city of Ambato, known as the City of the Flowers and Fruit, along with a small banana called an orito and a tiny tangerine on quinoa.
Even as a savvy traveler who has been all over the globe, I had never tasted flavor combinations quite like these created by Chefs Chamorro and Salazar.
Breakfast at Nuema. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Breakfast at Nuema is equally creative with fruit juices that you won’t find in most other parts of the world (certainly not outside of South America), homemade breads, flavored butters, and the finest quality of meats. The kitchen is open, so there’s a good chance you could say hello to the Chef and ask questions about the cuisine.
If you aren’t fortunate enough to be a guest at the Illa, you can still dine at Nuema, provided you make a reservation. There are few tables, however, so if you want to have a meal, you should plan ahead, as hotel guests are given reservation priority.
Clearly, Perkins, as well as Chamorro and Salazar, take enormous pride in what they do, and it shows in every element of this exciting property in Quito. The Illa Experience affords you the chance to stay within walking distance of the capital’s most desirable sites in a neighborhood that exposes you to local culture. I can’t imagine that you’d want for anything at this property, so I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Latin Trails also runs yacht cruises in the Galapagos Islands. Read about my experience on one of their cruises.
The author received a complimentary stay at this hotel, but we are dedicated to providing unbiased reviews based on our experience. See our Disclosures page for more information.
This quick and easy take on a Greek classic – shrimp and feta with orzo – will have dinner on the table in 20 minutes from start to finish if you use precooked shrimp as we now do!
For a lengthier cooking-time version, you can use fresh shrimp that has to be boiled, shelled, and de-veined before being cooked in the dish.
At this point, we use ready-cooked frozen shrimp, already peeled and deveined, and the dish is as good as the uncooked shrimp. It takes half the time to make, it tastes heavenly!
Shrimp with orzo and feta cheese. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
Ingredients (serves 4 to 5 people depending on actual shrimp size)
1 1/4 pounds cooked, cleaned jumbo shrimp. Thaw if frozen. Size 13-25 per lb.
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 fresh lemon, squeezed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and ground pepper to taste
3 cloves large garlic, chopped
Crushed red pepper flakes, optional
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups orzo pasta, uncooked
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups dry white wine (we prefer Italian wine made from Turbiana grapes)
3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled and divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup
8 sprigs flat leaf parsley or cilantro, chopped, stalks discarded
Shrimp with orzo and feta cheese. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
Method
Toss the shrimp with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper and half of the chopped garlic. You could use some crushed red pepper flakes to give the shrimp a little kick. Put it aside for at least a half hour until you start cooking.
Heat a large skillet on medium high.
Add the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Heat until the butter has melted.
Add the onion, the balance of the garlic, and the orzo.
Cook for 3-4 minutes until the onion is translucent and the orzo is slightly toasted.
Add the chicken broth, wine, remaining lemon juice, and more salt and pepper to taste.
Reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is soft, and just a small amount of liquid remains in the pan.
Toss in the shrimp, and stir and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes or until it is warmed through.
Add the 1/2 cup of feta cheese, and stir until combined.
Garnish with the additional 1/4 cup of feta cheese, and sprinkle with the chopped parsley or cilantro.
If you’re looking for something fun to do in New York City this summer, try the One World Observatory, which boasts the highest observation deck in the city with three floors and 360-degree views (sorry, Empire State Building). And this summer, it’s collaborating with the Museum of Ice Cream so that you can buy a single ticket for both.
The One World Observatory. Photo courtesy of One World Observatory.One World Observatory. Photo courtesy of One World Observatory.
The Museum of Ice Cream is a paradise for kids with unlimited ice cream and its famous sprinkle pool. Name yourself your favorite ice cream flavor, and walk through the interactive exhibits.
The Museum of Ice Cream. Photo courtesy of Museum of Ice Cream.
The kids can play games, and there are weird and wonderful rooms like the one with hanging bananas, a rainbow hallway, a pink subway room, a slide, a melting cave, and more.
The pink subway exhibit at the Museum of Ice Cream. Photo courtesy of Museum of Ice Cream.
JetBlue news. Starting September 6, 2024, JetBlue will allow a free carry-on bag to those flying via Blue Basic fare. Good! It’s ridiculous to have to pay more for a carry-on.
Lufthansa Airlines news. Starting in 2025, the airline will charge an extra fee of up to 72 Euros to pay for sustainable fuels.
Delta lounge news. Delta has a new lounge at Kennedy Airport (JFK) in NYC – a Delta One lounge specifically for people flying in Delta One cabins, which are special First Class cabins available only on certain flights.
Airplane in airport. Photo by cegoh.
New airlines join TSA Precheck. Air New Zealand, Aer Lingus, Ethiopian Airlines, and Saudia Airlines are now a part of the TSA program to get through security faster.
Boeing news. Remember those 737 Max jets? There were crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed a lot of people. Well, Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to commit fraud against the U.S. government. That sounds very noble of them, but doing this actually gets them out of a high-profile trial. The court still has to approve the plea agreement, and Boeing still has to pay billions in payouts and penalties.
“Raw dogging” on a plane? Apparently, this is a new trend, and it means staring into space for the entire flight (meditating, I guess?) with no movies, no music, no reading, and no sleep. I don’t know about you, but I have no interest in this. The last place I want to meditate is on an airplane.
What’s the least expensive place to travel? According to Conde Nast Traveler, it’s Hoi An, Vietnam. Book your trip!
Yacht. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Uber isn’t just about cars anymore!Uber Boat and Uber Yacht allows you to rent a boat or yacht for short-term excursions in a couple of European hotspots.
Barcelona news. By 2028, Barcelona will ban short-term apartment rentals in an effort to stop escalating housing costs for residents. I don’t blame them.
Vatican City news. Vatican City will soon generate all of its electricity from renewable energy!
Dangerous national parks in the U.S. A personal injury firm studied accidents in national parks in the U.S. and discovered that the most dangerous is Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona. Virgin Islands National Park is second, and New York’s Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River (part of which is in Pennsylvania) came in third. Be careful out there!
Several beach closures. Due to bacteria in the water, several beaches have been closed this summer in Massachusetts, Suffolk County, New York, and Coronado, California in San Diego Bay. Be sure to check before you set out to visit a beach in these areas.
Beach. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Want to fly between the Greek isles? A helicopter service can make that possible! Check it out.
Got $299,999 to spare? You could buy yourself lifetime access to an Oceanview Villa on a ship around the world.
Problem with an airline? Try Instagram. Twitter used to be the go-to social media for getting in touch with difficult-to-reach airline customer service, but now, apparently, it’s Instagram. So the next time you’re stuck, try reaching your airline through their Insta account.
Packing lists. I just discovered this blog that provides packing list advice for different kinds of trips.
Quick dry pants. I love visiting rainforests for birdwatching, and quick dry pants are my favorite thing to wear in places like that. I’ve just discovered these, and they’re terrific. The link is for women’s pants, but they also make them for men.
The 2024 Summer Fancy Food Show at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City seems to have recovered the losses of exhibitors during the COVID period, making it as large as (or possibly even larger) than ever.
There were exhibitors from all over the world, but I will dedicate this article to my thoughts about the presence of mostly Greek products at the show.
Greek olive trees. Photo by Nick A. Ross.
The great Greek writer, Nikos Kazantzakis, once wrote, “If you disassemble Greece, all that will remain will be an olive tree, a grapevine, and a ship.”
And at the 2024 Summer Fancy Food Show, even though no Greek ships were there, we saw lots of pickled olive jars, bottles or tins of high quality olive oil, tinned vine leaves, pickled vegetables, and other agricultural products. We also saw traditional dishes that are sold in cans or jars for home use or in plastic pails for restaurant use.
There were even some interesting frozen specialties like spinach pies or cheese swirls that I love, as making them from scratch is a difficult and time-consuming endeavor.
Green and black olives. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
Since time immemorial, there have been many great Greek olive products exported initially throughout the Mediterranean, with Pharaonic Egypt a major trading partner, and eventually throughout the world. Olives and olive oil have been a major part of the Greek economy and gastronomy for a long time.
Olive oil is considered an integral part of healthy living, and I don’t think you can say you lead a healthy life unless you use lots of extra virgin olive oil in your kitchen. Actually, the “Mediterranean Diet” uses olive oil both raw and cooked as a primary vegetable fat ingredient.
OLIVELLAS products. Photo courtesy of OLIVELLAS.
OLIVELLAS from Halkidiki of Northern Greece exhibited a large variety of green (unripe) olives, as well as black-purple (ripe) olives either whole (with pits) or pitted, sliced, or stuffed and preserved in brine (in glass jars for home use or tins and plastic pails for restaurants). Some of the stuffed ones had plain almonds or almond, pimento, or jalapeño stuffing. Others were stuffed with citrus fruits like orange or lemon. Still others were stuffed with garlic, gherkins, or a mixture of pimento, chili, and jalapeño. All were very tasty.
They also private-brand these olives, so you might be purchasing them under a different name. No matter what they’re called, they’re excellent!
Minerva Horio Olive Oil. Photo courtesy of Minerva Oils S.A.
Minerva products (another Greek olive oil producer present at the show) are usually sold in either glass bottles or 3 lit. tins, which is what I get for my kitchen. Minerva was present in either the classic Green tin or the Horio (meaning village) version, which contains monovarietal oil only from the Koroneiki variety of Southern Peloponnese.
Feta cheese drizzled with olive oil. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
I use both versions in my kitchen, and both are great for salad dressing or to drizzle over a piece of feta cheese. But I prefer the green tin for cooking vegetable dishes like Imam Bayildi or Melitzanes Moussaka.
Loumidis Papagalos. Photo courtesy of Loumidis Foods.
At the Loumidis Foods booth, I saw a number of brands that the company is importing from Greece. Loumidis has been known for their Greek coffee, packaged in green plastic/foil bags featuring a parrot. In Greece, it’s known as Papagalos Kafes, which means Parrot Coffee. I usually have it as an after-dinner indulgence or when I have friends visiting from Greece, as the traditional “welcome” sip.
MISKO Penne. Photo courtesy of Loumidis Foods.
Loumidis is importing a number of other well-known Greek brands, including the MISKO brand of Greek pasta, sea salt, wild-gathered herbs, olive oil, spinach pies, cheese pies, Agrino rice and legumes, Olympus hard cheeses, Lux fruit drinks, the Paliria line of tinned stuffed vine leaves, and beans and vegetables.
Even though there were many Greek stands at the show, there was a problem communicating with their personnel because there were few English-speaking attendants. So, I had to dust-up my Greek, which has become rather rusty, as I’ve been living and working in the USA for more than 55 years.
There were many other interesting stands that I visited from all over the world, but my time at the show was short. So there were just too many exhibitors. In a future article, I’ll describe some interesting products from India, Spain, Italy, Morocco, Turkey, Thailand, etc. that I tasted at the show.
If Washington State wines are not on your radar, they should be. It has a particularly ideal climate for winegrowing since it’s 46˚ North latitude, which is the same as France’s Burgundy and Rhône regions. It also gets 17 hours of sunlight and has cool nights that help maintain the acidity of the grapes.
Since the state’s wine region is on the other side of the Cascades from wet Seattle, it benefits from the rainshadow effect, which makes the land dry and perfect for grapes. Plus, 90% of the wineries in Washington produce fewer than 5,000 cases, which means they’re smaller, family-owned, boutique establishments.
Grapes at Yakima Valley’s Dineen Vineyards. Photo courtesy of Dineen Vineyards.
Within that wine country is the Yakima Valley, which is the state’s oldest growing region and accounts for a third of Washington’s 60,000 acres of planted grapes. There are 120 wineries in the area.
While a visit to the Yakima Valley is still on my bucket list, I recently had occasion to join an informational webinar as a member of one of my travel writer organizations. As part of that, I was sent a complimentary bottle of Riesling from Two Mountain Winery run by brothers Patrick and Matthew Rawn.
Two Mountain Winery. Photo courtesy of Two Mountain.
The name “Two Mountain” was inspired by the views of Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier, which serve as the backdrop of the vineyard. “We want to make wines that speak to a place, and that place is Yakima,” says Patrick Rahn.
Two Mountain’s Riesling. Photo courtesy of Two Mountain.
I have very much enjoyed my bottle of Riesling from Two Mountain. It isn’t sweet like most Rieslings, but it’s enormously refreshing. So it’s perfect for summer. I tasted apple, lemon, and other fruit notes and have sampled it with chicken and Mexican cuisine. I’d also like to pair it with a mild fish such as sole, flounder, or white snapper. This Riesling is 12% alcohol with 0.5% residual sugar.
Two Mountain is devoted to sustainability and was the first winery in Washington to be certified by the prestigious LODI RULES Sustainable Winegrowing Program.
Some of the other wines offered by Two Mountain include classics that you would expect like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Rosé, and Merlot.
But their Hidden Horse Red Blend is an interesting blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. Expect dark fruits, tobacco, and white pepper with flavors of blackberry, dark cherry, and vanilla, framed in toasty oak. Their Lemberger, a dark red grape, is light-bodied with medium acid. It will bring you currant, blackberry, and white pepper to start and then plum, vanilla, and toasted almond.
The entrance to Two Mountain Winery’s tasting room. Photo courtesy of Two Mountain.
Two Mountain offers tastings, and while you don’t have to make a reservation, it’s a good idea!
Dineen Vineyards is another LODI RULES-certified winery in the Yakima Valley that is also a family-run establishment. They focus on grapes traditionally found in the Bordeaux and Rhône Valley regions of France. These include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Viognier, and Semillon.
Viognier is particularly significant because that varietal became mostly extinct in the 1960s except for one small village in France’s Rhône Valley. Now, Dineen makes Condriesque, which is a white blend of the Viognier and Roussanne, the latter of which is a leaner grape. This wine is an homage to that village in France.
Dineen Vineyards. Photo courtesy of Dineen.
The Condriesque has aromas of cantaloupe, pear, dried apricots, and vanilla with flavors of lemongrass, green papaya, spring crocus, and some sweet agave. It’s fermented in barrels, which allows for a nice mouthfeel.
Dineen also offers tastings, but again, reservations are highly recommended.
Dineen Vineyards. Photo courtesy of Dineen.
Yakima Valley is an easy drive from Seattle, Spokane, and Portland, Oregon. You can book wine tasting tours, and there are numerous other activities in the region. Visit Yakima‘s website can give you ideas for things to do and places to stay in the area.
