Ikaria

Ikaria is a collection of traditional recipes from the Greek Island of Ikaria, famed for the longevity of its inhabitants. ​In the northern Aegean Sea lies Ikaria, where blue waters lap against a mountainous coastline and rocky trails lead to quaint villages, and where the locals seem to hold a secret. The island is known worldwide for its incredibly high life expectancies and low rates of chronic disease, much of which can be attributed to diet. Born to Greek parents, author Meni Valle has always been fascinated by her family's traditions of cooking and eating. In Ikaria, Meni collects traditional recipes from across the island that encapsulate the best of Mediterranean food: vegetables, beans, whole grains, small amounts of meat and fish, a couple of glasses of wine, and plenty of olive oil. But she also tells the stories that make up Ikaria, where life is all about taking time: time to cook, to eat, to nap, to spend with family and friends, to enjoy and to appreciate.   With intimate glimpses of the island’s festivals, markets, kitchens and people, Ikaria is a cookbook that will transport and transform you.    

Ikaria: Food and Life in the Blue Zone, by Meni Valle is a rather lovely book to have on the shelf as we enter what may well be a dark and rather sobering winter.

When she is not writing cookbooks, Meni Valle shares her knowledge and passion for Mediterranean food through cooking classes and culinary tours to Greece and its neighbouring countries, where she loves connecting with locals and discovering new recipes. She first visited Ikaria in 2017 and now returns every year.