Do you believe that Greek products hold a future in Saudi Arabia? Are there the necessary conditions for their spread to these markets? GTBB is already planning to communicate new premium product codes weighing the needs and preferences of these markets.
I am sure that Greek products hold a future in Saudi Arabia, because Arabs are first of all philhellenes. They believe that Greece is an important destination and they know what Greek cuisine means. They love Greek food and this is evident every time we host a Greek buffet at our hotel. Although they live their life in a different way, they are very communicative and love investing in everything of good quality that is related to food.
Despite all this, there is a delay and a difficulty in the way Greek products are imported in Arab countries, but I believe that in the future we will overcome it and replace it with a much easier procedure. Still there must be a more long-term plan, an accurate payment policy, consumers’ training and also patience regarding Greek companies, if they are eager to enter in this large market.
When you don’t have professional engagements, how do you spent your free time?
I enjoy spending valuable time with my family, my friends and playing the drums.
What would you plan on cooking for an important institutional person abroad, ie America, who doesn’t know the Greek cuisine? And what would you cook for a child – again in a foreign country who has never been in touch with our culture – with the ulterior motive to familiarize them with our unique flavors?
I will tell you what I actually did cook. In 2002 I started working at AM Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s palace in Saudi Arabia. As you obviously understand, my first day’s stress was enormous and for days I was preparing, writing notes, searching for recipes, menus…. At those times we didn’t have all the modern today dishes neither social media, so French and Italian cuisine were dominants. Cuisse de canard confite, tournedo Rossini, foie gras, gnocchi, ravioli de aragosta and many more which nowadays remind us of a different era or even like Escoffier’s notes.
Having all this in my had, I had a phone conversation with my mother “You are Greek and you will not cook any Greek plates? You should cook stuffed tomatoes, lamb fricassee and spinach with rice”. At that time, I laughed at my mother’s idea about serving spinach with rice to the king!
“Spinach with rice”. This humble dish was the one that gained the king’s approval and makes a difference when you cook it with love using pure ingredients, freshly chopped spinach, dill and fresh onions with their leaves finely chopped, Greek olive oil I carried with me and of course Mrs. Mary’s -my mother’s- addition finely chopped leak and fennel, lemony and grainy to the last bite.
It is difficult to tempt a child at any cuisine.
I would probable cook a round bread roll stuffed with kasseri cheese, a Skopelitiki cheese pie with Greek feta cheese and thyme honey, tomato balls from Santorini, fried courgettes and aubergines with tzatziki, ntako with barley rusks (one of the best dishes Cretans taught us) with soft Greek cheese and grated tomato, hot and fluffy meatballs like the ones our grandmother used to make and, if these weren’t enough, I would make “giouvarlakia” with egg and lemon sauce, that all kids like to eat.
And of course in the end Greek donuts, creamy custard pie and “submarine” Greek mastic gum dessert.