In Greece, life tastes like olive oil

Audio 48:30

Olive oil on the bread.

© @cdenavitLGDM

By: Clémence Denavit Follow

54 mins

Olive oil in Greek must mean life, it is everywhere, all the time and the gestures around the olive in Greece are so many traditions, teachings, transmissions.

The harvests punctuate the years, the green juice of the new harvest a happiness in the heart of winter, from the morning.

Life therefore, but in Greece too it happens to forget that life is a gift and a wealth to be preserved.

This is the case with olive oil that Greece - 3rd world exporter - does not highlight as it could.

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As is often the case, the distance brings out the gold of everyday life.

This was the case for Alexandros Rallis: In France he became aware of the little importance that was paid to Greek products, the land of his roots where his parents send them every summer to preserve the link with his origins, to Kalamata in southern Peloponnese.

Since 2015, Alexandros has been working to share them and make them discover: this incredible oil, olives, feta - not a cheese, a condiment!

- oregano, bottarga, mountain tea;

and the artisans who produce them.

With Alexandros Rallis, founder of Profil and his mother Evangelia

.

Greek profile:

 7 rue des Savies, 75020 Paris

Profil Grec is originally the office / landmark of Alexandros, the anchor of his research of producers and craftsmen.

The office has also become a grocery store since the first containment and the closure of restaurants.

Cabin nestled at the top of Belleville, we taste it - among other things!

- music, feta, oils, honey, Kinos (marvel of mastic liqueur from the island of Chios) and Greek literature.

For further :

Nikos Cavvadias - Greek writer, poet and sailor, author of "The Quarter"

Kalamata

Eternity and a day by Théo Angelopoulos

Greece, the cookbook by Vefa Alexiadou editions Phaïdon

Kalamata, Julia Sammut's family, cuisine and Greece

Musical programming

Kuro Siwo by Thanou Mikroutsikou

Saudade by Cesaria Evora and Elefteria Aravanaki

Recipe

Spanakorizo, spinach and feta rice

Ingredients:

 for 4 people

3 tbsp.

to s.

olive oil, 2 chopped fresh onions, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1/2 bunch of chopped dill, 1/2 bunch of chopped parsley, 100 ml of white wine, 1 kg of fresh spinach, 1 vs.

to s.

of tomato paste, 250 g of long grain white or semi-wholemeal rice, fresh feta with raw milk if possible, 1 lemon, salt, pepper.

Clean the spinach and cook it in steam or in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes.

Drain well and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium / high heat then brown

onion and garlic for a few minutes, until tender and translucent.

Add the rice, mix and cook for 2 min.

Add the wine, leave reduced before adding the tomato paste, 2 cups of water (about 500 ml), the chopped herbs, salt and pepper and mix.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and

simmer,

 uncovered, for 20 to 25 min, until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed.

5 min before the end of cooking, 

stir in

 the spinach (previously squeezed to extract as much water as possible). 

Serve

 with a nice slice of feta, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a dash of lemon juice.

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