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G - 145 : Beziers - Ancient Celtic Wine Capital?
Until recently, Beziers was a place on the map I only knew from passing by. It was where I had to exit the A7 motorway and turn north to...
hbanziger
Feb 19, 20234 min read


G - 150 : Is Ligurian Olive Oil the finest?
In several of my previous blogs I mentioned that Greek settlers brought olives to the Ligurian shore around 600 BC. Time to talk about...
hbanziger
Feb 14, 20234 min read


F + 18 : Living well 4'000 Years ago - Akrotiri
A Boy from one of the Frescos found in the Big House in Akrotiri - he is boxing At a time when pile dwellers lived on the shores of Swiss...
hbanziger
Sep 2, 20224 min read


F + 5 : Hallo Berlin? Hier Pergamon! Wann gibt ihr uns den Altar zurück?
At 6.47 am, just as the sun rose behind the hills of Dikili, we pulled into the harbour. It is change over day. Group One will leave and...
hbanziger
Aug 20, 20226 min read


F - 32 : On the Origin of Spices
The pleasure of sniffing spices in the market is never getting old. The sensual whiff of flavors is always surprising, the vibrant color...
hbanziger
Jul 13, 20225 min read


F - 74 : Ataturk and his Tea
Had it not been for our friend Ibrahim, a merchant in the Grand Bazaar, we would never have learnt about the origin of Turkish Tea. As...
hbanziger
Jun 7, 20223 min read


F - 79 : The Unintended Consequences of Coffee
Turkish coffee is boiled slowly, not filtered. Sugar is mostly added during Boiling How coffee was discovered has become well known...
hbanziger
Jun 2, 20225 min read


F - 87 : The Story of Turkish Delights
It is almost impossible to visit Turkey without seeing a shop with Turkish Delights. Lokum, as they are called in Turkish, got their...
hbanziger
May 25, 20223 min read


F - 149 : Turkish Wines
Most people who come to Turkey would not associate the country with wine production. But the wine list in Istanbul’s restaurants is...
hbanziger
Mar 24, 20224 min read


F - 164 : What's all the Fuss about Mussaqqa'a?
One of the world’s most prominent food controversies is about who invented yoghurt. My blog F - 183 talked about it. An equally intense...
hbanziger
Mar 10, 20224 min read


F - 167 : Honey versus Cruise Missiles
At times when cruise missiles and artillery shells rain down on civilians in Kiev and Kharkov, it is worth remembering that human...
hbanziger
Mar 2, 20225 min read


F - 183: Yoghurt - Neither Greek nor Turkish
Love watching Greek and Turkish people arguing about the origin of “their” yoghurt. They are passionate and argue like football fans....
hbanziger
Feb 14, 20224 min read


F - 201 : Ariousios - The World's Finest Port?
Always wondered why people in antiquity mixed wine with water. Wine was not consumed undiluted as we drink it today. It was served during...
hbanziger
Jan 27, 20224 min read


F - 216 : Living Long and Happy on Ikaria
The over 80 years old Dr Xenakis arranges Senior Sailing Regattas today Working in my forest is always a pleasure. This week am trimming...
hbanziger
Jan 12, 20223 min read


F - 238 : Greek Fish love Plate Tectonics
Sailing from Istanbul to Athens next summer, where Genovese galleys once roamed, will take us to many tiny ports where fishermen still go...
hbanziger
Dec 21, 20214 min read


E - 38 : Greek Wines from the South (2)
Thought I would continue the wine series in a few days but got so much feedback that I will write episode 2 today. As promised, we move...
hbanziger
Jun 5, 20214 min read


E - 39: Greek Wines from the North (1)
Am not an expert in Greek wines because I did not like the wines made and sold in the seventies and eighties . To me they were cheap mass...
hbanziger
Jun 4, 20214 min read


E - 65 : What Did Ordinary Greek Eat?
It occurred to me today that in two months’ time we will set sail in Malta. Better hurry up with my blogs as there are still so many...
hbanziger
May 9, 20214 min read


E - 85 : The invisible Border (3) - Greece's Levantine Cuisine
We talked in previous blogs what still separates Italy from Greece and discovered the old border between East and West Rome. The former...
hbanziger
Apr 18, 20212 min read


E - 147 : Pane di Altramura or the Beauty of Poetry
The famous Pane di Altramura from Puglia made from Durum Wheat Wanted to come back on my Puglia Food blog from the other day. Was...
hbanziger
Feb 14, 20214 min read
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