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Gastronomic Feast with Graviera Naxos 2018
This long weekend can be described in one phrase : a long gastronomic feast. A gastronomic feast starring no other but the famous Graviera Naxos P.D.O costarring side by side the island’s renowned traditional products. Against the backdrop of the immeasurable brilliance of the Aegean , we reproduced island recipies with Graviera Naxos which were attended to by distinguished chefs and local cooks, all of which knew all the well kept secrets of the Cycladic cuisine.
I was very lucky to have the chance to be a guest at the gorgeous boutique hotel and villas, Naxian Collection which combines elements of homelike luxury and comfort. All of this was topped up with the exterior pools with stunning views and immense tranquility that only the unique island of Naxos can offer.
With my neighbour top chef Vasilis Kallidis, we enjoyed the private pool!
I wasted no time! The first thing I did upon my arrival was rent a small convertible car and start exploring. I ended up in Hawaii Beach.. The greek tropics..There I had a dip, admired the natural beauty of the “Kedrodasos”, which is one of eight Greek cedar forests. This beautiful landscape is made up of scattered cedars of all ages reaching all the way down to the turquoise waters. Later on I joined my friends Christos Nezos and tv presenter Maria Bekatwrou at Santana Beach Bar located in Agia Anna.
Christos Plesiotis , a famous chef and truffle collector who recently discovered the largest white truffle in Greece, had a special menu set for us. In a huge pan he prepared an huge spaghetti dish with a truffle, which was discovered by his hunter dog, Brio, up in the mountains.
The dish was served with lots of Graviera Naxos.
That same evening in the old town center of Naxos, up on a castle ,local cooks prepared a surprise dinner for us with great views.The President of the Agricultural Union of Naxos, Dimitris Kapounis, explained to us all the special features of naxian graviera and what makes it so distinctive. In addition to this he also presented the future plans of the Agricultual Union of Naxos in relation to the Graviera.
During this event, the cook book of tv star and food lover, Christos Nezos ‘ Cooking in Naxos and the small Cycladic islands’was presented. This amazing book is expected to become a best seller.
The next day the weather in Naxos was not at its best and so we decided to forget about the thunderstorms behind and take a small boat to the Koufonisia islands. The Fanos Beach, Restaurant and Studios was a true oasis and a must destination for excellent food and relaxation.
The same evening we had an exquisite dinner at Tortuga restaurant in Plaka, one of the most popular beaches of Naxos. The sea-side hotel of Giannis Margaritis, who also owns the Naxian Collection, is a true master piece of unique flavours and tastes.
Naxos is an island of genuine greek beauty. It claims the best Graviera and unforgettable carefree holidays. Ill be back soon !
Information regarding the Graviera Naxos :
Graviera Naxos P.D.O ( protected destination of origin) , with its sweet buttery taste is the best of its kind within Greece. This is why it is considered on the favorite table cheeses of the country. It is a relatively new member of the Greek cheese variety, as it was first produced in the 20thcentury in the Peloponnese and thus quickly spread to the rest of continental Greece and Crete, where amazing Graviera cheese was produced from sheep milk.
It is important to note that Naxos boasts the only Greek Graviera from cow milk which has a protected destination of origin.
The Naxos Graviera is a harder cheese , semi-yellow , with a solid elastic mass and scattered holes. It is molded into big yellow heads in forms of a one , three and nine kilograms, with a thin skin which is covered with a microbial growth that contributes to the maturity of the cheese. It is a sweet cheese with strong distinct smell of butter and milk and a mild aftertaste. As mentioned above it has a protected destination of origin and is produced from cow milk or from a combination of cow milk and a mixture of sheep and goat milk where its proportion does not exceed 20%.
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