Foraging for Flavor Greek Herbs/Bean Cuisine / Spa ... - Kerasma

Kazantzakis (1883-1957), the
emblematic literary figure of Crete
par excellence, was born in
Herakleion and made the island
the backdrop for many of his
books. Through his works, we
glimpse the rich heritage of Crete,
its history, its daily life, its leventia.
We also garner much about the
ancient yet constant food ways of
the island.
In two of his works, namely Report
to Greco and Freedom or Death,
Kazantzakis includes references to
food that provide glimpses of the
islanders’ relationship to the table,
level more profound than that of
mere nutrition. These depictions,
though written five decades ago,
are still fitting and telling of the
island's rich food culture, which
epitomizes the generosity of the
Cretan, and Greek, spirit.
Hospitality might find itself connected
with quantity and largesse. In
Freedom or Death, a novel about a rev-
40 GREEKGOURMETRAVELER
olutionary commander in Ottomanoccupied
Crete, Kazantzakis writes
about centenarian grandfathers
who express the fullness of their life
by enumerating their offspring, then
tallying the enemies they had killed
in honest battle and the war
wounds they had received in the
process. Inevitably, they describe
their cellars overflowing with
wheat, barley, olive oil, wine,
honey, raisins, and dried figs, then
declare that they are ready to
Dimitris Charisiadis © Benaki Museum Archive