Who will take the heat?

A hot summer afternoon our stomach cramps brought me and Ani in front of our favorite taco truck. Ani placed her order of tacos with the non-English speaking cook in her perfect Spanish mother tongue. Me on the other end, in an attempt to show off what my expensively paid Spanish classes earned me, I cried "lo mismo!" (the same). One bite latter and I wished I paid more attention to those classes, as "lo mismo" created a fiery explosion in my mouth, with an extreme heat running my esophagus, a runny nose and watery eyes.

"Don't you think our tacos are a bit spicier today?" was the only question I managed to ask.


"Borrachita, didn't you hear me ordering an extra serving of habanero topping?" Ani replied.

Habanero chilies

Had I heard of a that little devil called habanero chili? Yes. Had I ever dared to try it? Too much of a chicken to do that! In 2000 the Guinness Book of World Records named the habanero chili as the hottest chili in the world, giving out 100,000 to 350,000 units of heat. In order to understand its heat level, compare it to other peppers, like the bell pepper that has zero amount of heat, or the jalapeño pepper that has less than 8,000 heat units and the tabasco that has around 40,000 heat units. Although over the years other chilies have taken its leading place, the habanero remains one of the hottest peppers in the world.

The degree of heat in a chili pepper depends on the amount of a capsaicine it contains. Capsaicine is a molecule with a rather complicated structure, which customarily attaches to the heat receptors of the nervous system. As a result, it tricks the brain into receiving heat and pain messages. In response, the brain reacts to alleviate pain by de-sensitizing pain receptors and drop the body temperature by producing excessive sweat, and thus provide an instant "cold shower". This explains two bizarre everyday acts. One, although capsaicine containing medical products create an intense burning sensation when applied on the skin, they still alleviate muscle pain. Two, in hot climates, people's diet contain more spicy food than the cold climate diets.

Besides pain relief, hot peppers have other tremendous health benefits as well. Many diets suggest spicing up your meals, as chilies help losing weight. Just consider how many calories the body has to burn in order to produce the heat induced by capsaicine. In addition, it can boost the immune

system, making your body stronger to disease fighting, especially the cold and flu. Finally, studies have found that chilies prevent serious illnesses, like prostate cancer and certain types of diabetes, from manifesting.

Capsaicine also creates euphoria, making the risk of pain and discomfort rather worth-taking. But despite the merry results of consuming chili peppers, the question that rises around the table has always been how to deal with the heat. One can always jump around in an erratic dance, like I do, but this solution comes with compromising your dignity, not to mention rising serious eyebrows considering your mental state. Using food science to attack capsaicine heat appears to be a much safer solution.

In order to understand the science, just consider a taco, a rather spicy one. Think...how do you eat a spicy taco? You add a splash of lime, a spoonful of sour cream and eat it with a generous serving of rice. You enjoy it with soda or, preferably, a cold margarita and of course you do not omit the dessert!

Food science only confirms what practical culinary wisdom knew all along. Capsaicine is contained in the essential oils of chili peppers, thus it cannot be washed off with water. On the contrary, practice has indicated that drinking water only aggravates the burning sensation of chilies. As capsaicine is on the basic side of chemical compounds, the acidity of lime, or any other citric relatives, can counteract the burning sensation of chili peppers. Carbonated drinks and alcohol also help soothing the intensity of capsaicine. As a matter of fact, practical experiments showed that tequila and vodka are the most effective drinks, due to their high content of alcohol. Beer on the other hand, might not be as effective, as it has higher content of water, rather than alcohol. Furthrmore, sugar and honey, contained in the desert, have the marvelous ability to soak the capsaicine off the taste buds, cleansing thus the mouth.

However, there are two types of food that are considered the most potent weapons in the battle against the fiery chili peppers: dairy products and white rice. Sour cream in particular, combines three elementary traits: it is cold, thus it offers an instant cooling of the mouth, it has high content of fat that can saturate capsaicine, and it contains casein, a chemical substance that can attack capsaicine right on. Personally, I love a generous serving of sour cream with my food, spicy or not, as it has been the

closest substitute to strained Greek yoghurt I can find in the American market. My friend Derek always shared his sour cream with me in Mexican restaurants we were dining, as he found peculiar, yet interesting, the way I was eating it with a spoon.

Furthermore, white rice and its high content of starch can act like a sponge and wipe out the mouth of any capsaicine molecules. Other starch containing products, like bread and corn, might be helpful, but white rice has been found to be the most successful. In the majority of world cuisines, especially the ones using chili peppers and other spices, food is served on a bed or with a side of rice, and for a good reason, as this particular grain provides the perfect balance in the consumption of spicy food. In practice, if rice is not on the menu and your mouth is on fire, eat a piece of bread, which might not be as effective, but it contains enough starch to soothe your taste buds.

Just remember that chili heat is an acquired taste and tolerance to it can be built. Spicing up your food makes it more interesting and provides many health benefits. So, at the question "who will take the heat" stand up and say "I will"!  

To be (a chef) or not to be (a cook)

My mother always brags to her friends that I am the chef of the family. However, spending time in her kitchen not only gives me amazing cooking lessons, but makes me realize that I am not the ruler of the kitchen. That is not the first time I am called a chef, due to my exceptional cooking knowledge and abilities.I have been called "a great cooker" as well, by non-english speakers. To that statement I always responded with the most whimsical attitude, that I might be a skillful cook, but that does not make a pot! Still, there is something about the chef title I am awarded that cannot agree with me, and that is definitely not a vocabulary issue. 

It was during my search for my culinary identity when I met Costas. Him and his wife, Theodora, lived next door to my sister in a less than idylic village in Southern Crete.

Since the first day my ladles met Costas' knives, cooking has been a bewildering experience, as we shared the same passion for food and for exploring new tastes and techniques. 

In the meantime, Costas decided to pursue his passion for cooking through culinary school, while I continued to indulge into the gastronomic knowledge through books and practice. Although we were still capable of producing exquisite food, mainly for the satisfaction of Theodora and Menia, my sister, we developed a different approach to the culinary art. As I watched him measuring and weighing everything, even the amount of eggs he was using for his recipes, while I was still using ordinary cups and humble pinches, I started to realize that I was right to renounce the

title of a chef for myself. That realization brought up a question that has been tormenting me for a long time: how can a chef be different from a skilled cook? 

The answer has always been obvious to my enenlightened eyes. An elementary comparison of my culinary identity to that of a chef, proves that I am nowhere near the chef-dom.

From a linguistic standpoint, "chef" is the French word for captain, thus in the kitchen battlefield they are the leaders. As French culinary culture set the ground for the development of eclectic cuisine, it established its intrinsic vocabulary in gastronomy as well. Personally, it is not my lack of leading ingenuity that makes me a less than adequate candidate to rule the culinary kingdom, but the fact that the pressures of a professional kitchen are far from the relaxation and rejuvenation cooking is offering me.

The distinction of a chef in the wild realm of gastronomy depends not only on their leading skills, but on their creativity as well. The modernization of product transportation, as well as the advance of food preservation systems gave extensive access to uncommon alimentary commodities. That allowed chefs to give a unique flair to their dishes, allowing haûtes cuisines to be carried away from the basic cooking premise: cook with respect to your environment. Inspired by my environmental studies, I engage in choosing my cooking ingredients according to locality and seasonality. As much as I would love to respect the originality of Italian pasta, I always choose local cheeses over imported parmesan.

Photo retrieved from www.instagram.com/gastroart

Accuracy and replicability (if scientists allow us to use their jargon in such a common way), has always been a huge issue in the professional culinary world. The perfect cuts of vegetables, the right consistency of sauces and the attention to every single detail is what awards chefs stars and golden toques. Thus, the use of specialized tools is essential, in order to assure the premium result. I have to admit that when it comes to kitchen tools, I am tempted to purchase every fancy tool that I encounter at the stores. Although they make my cooking easier, there is nothing I cannot cook with only a pot, a sharp knife and a ladle, as issues like accuracy and meticulous presentation do not really matter. In the cozy environment of my kitchen, who cares if my pie today looks

the same as the one I prepared yesterday? If it tastes deliciously, the accurate slices of potatoes and the perfectly trimmed sides of the dough are not significant, as the smiles of satisfaction on the faces of your loved ones are the ultimate reward.

Furthermore, recipes for chefs are as essential as the tools they use. All their gastronomic wisdom lays hidden within their notebooks and the passing of that knowledge from the leading chefs to their younger protegés, is almost exclusive. On the other hand, home-cooks use any kind of recipe notebooks that are convenient (mine is an old daily calendar, with music lyrics on the page sides).

In addition, recipe sharing is performed in the most unique manners, usually over a relaxing glass of wine, a carefree cup of coffee or casual conversation.

Keeping all that in mind, I have decided that I will hold on to my colorful apron, instead of the monochromatic appearance of a professional cook.

I still reserve great consideration for the culinary connoisseurs and follow their wisdom respectfully. After all, as Katherine Neville explains in her novel "The Fire" cooks are blessed people, as they are the magicians of fire, responsible for feasting and sacrifices, thus the utmost respected professionals. Yet, I choose a more down-to-earth approach to my cooking and define myself as a humble cook, leaving the reins of chef-dom to Costas. 

The Greek poet Giannis Ritsos once recited in his work The Blackened Pot " ...we do not sing to distinguish ourselves from the rest of the world, my brother. We sing to bring the world together." Well my bother, allow me to rephrase the wise words of the poet and speak a great truth about humble cooks, who find joy in serving their loved ones food that stems primarily from the heart: we do not cook to distinguish ourselves from other cooks or the world, we cook to bring people together!

Hey baklava girl... are you ready to marry?

The morning walk to Moscow Farmers' Market that Saturday had a surprise in store for me. I was showing my visiting parents the place that was hosting my new student adventures, when I heard an unfamiliar voice greeting me enthusiastically.

"Hey, I know you!" cheered a middle aged typical American male figure.

"I know you..." he continued. "You are the baklava girl!"

The Greek exhibition at the fair

As I explained to my parents this polite, but still strange man, was merely one of the many visitors of the booth representing Greece, I was holding in the International Students' Fair every year. The Fair was celbrating diversity among the world cultures and as a genuine Greek hostess I was treating my guests with a sweet bite of baklava. 

My guest's fervent greeting indicated two facts. First, my pastry cooking made a lasting impression on my booth vistors. Second, not only my cooking made me recognizable, but I had a nickname in the little town of Moscow, Idaho: the baklava girl! 

Baklava rolls (photo by Aditya Abburi)

The first question that might come to mind is how can a Greek girl, like me, be associated with a dessert that is Turkish, or at least Middle-Eastern. The truth is that the origin of baklava has been an issue of dispute among many countries in the areas around Greece. This sweet delicacy has been yet another reason for disagreement between Greeks and Turks. Who invented it first and who prepares it better? Both sides trace its roots in ancient desserts, like the Greek plakous, a pie with nuts and honey, or the treat from the Mongolian tradition, güllac. While one and the other historians have reasons to argue, they are probably engaging in a vain debate, as the  combination of dough, nuts and sweetening agent is one of the oldest recipes all around the globe.

Turkish version of baklava with pistachios
(photo retrieved from http://www.athinorama.gr)

The Turkish version of baklava is green. Thinly rolled phyllo dough wrapping a healthy serving of chopped pistachios, plunged in a sugar based ambrosial syrup create a divine dessert that has become the culinary symbol of Turkey. Thus, it was only fair that the Gaziantep baklava, named after the town that produces it, gained a protected status by the European Union, a title awarded only to a few products outside the official European boarders. 

Diamond-shaped baklava
(photo retrieved from http://ntrimy-oisydagesthsgiagias.blogspot.gr)

On the other side, Greeks choose the earthy colors of walnuts in combination with almonds for their baklava. On my island Lesvos, in particular, baklava is prepared on special occasions using only blanched almonds. One of those occasions is no other than the engagement. According to tradition, the bride has to prepare a big tray of baklava in order to please the groom's mother. Only if the mother in law is content with the result can she approve the wedding.



The cooking of baklava is a highly technical preparation, in which timing and choice of ingedients are crucial. The dough has to be paper thin, the almonds blanched and chopped correctly, the oil chosen among the finest qualities, the spices strong enough to flavor the dessert but not overpowering it and the syrup added at the perfect time to sweeten the dough, but still keep it crispy. The girl who manages to produce a perfectly balanced baklava can be consided ready to perform flawlesly in the kitchen and cater for her new household. If this tradition contradicts the fundamental premises of feminism, keep in mind that deep down Greek society is matriarchal. Thus, it is not just the future of a bride that is hidden between the layers of a diamond-shaped piece of baklava, but her ability to rule the family as well.

My skills regarding the preparation of baklava definitely made an impression on Moscow town dwellers. If I were a chef, I would probably claim that to be my signature dish. Whether my culinary aptitude on this matter proclaim me ready to enter the kingdom of mariage ... or not, will not be debated in this article. For the moment I will keep treating friends and visitors with the delight of a piece of baklava.      

 

The bursting Imam impact

A classmate in my PR class once asked me what is it like in Greece. I always took pride in answering this particular question with praising our great civilization, the warm climate, the amazing beaches along the coastline and the breathtaking scenery of the countryside. However, the girl wanted to know more and she asked me: "Do you have any McDonalds over there?"

I found the question so ridiculous that I mastered all the sarcasm I could fit in one simple reply.

"Oh yes my dear, we do. It is perfectly safe to visit Greece!"  

Aubergines Imam Baildi (photo retrieved from www.argiro.com.gr)

After putting myself in the poor girl's shoes, I realized that maybe she was not worth all that cynicism. I started wondering what my behavior would be if I was visiting a foreign country. I started imagining the case of visiting Turkey and coming across a dish called Imam Baildi. I look it up in the dictionnairy and I realize that the name stands for The Bursting Imam! The first thought that would emerge would probably be that if this dish caused a royalty's insides to burst, what would it do to my humble stomach? Judging by the name only, the chances of ordering it are minimal. On the other hand, the chances of searching for the closest pizza place would be considerably high. However, if I am bold enough to try such a dish, I would be surprised to realize that Imam Baildi is nothing more than an ordinary eggplant stuffed with earthy vegetables in tomato sauce. Legend has it that an Imam was so content with eating this particular dish that he could not take it any more, hence the bursting. Aubergine, vegetables and tomato sauce is a very common combination of ingredients in the Mediterranean Basin, so eating Imam Baildi would not be much different than eating Ratatouille for example, a popular dish in French cuisine. 

Thanks to my job as a park researcher, I had the chance to visit a considerable number and variety of recreational sites in America, from the humblest camping site to the vastly crowded Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. With research emphasis on visitor services, I was able to observe tourist behavior, considering food choices, as well as how site managers cater for visitors. The pattern was almost unanimous, as restaurants were serving the same food in every location, regardless of the place, the local tradition and the micro-environment. Burgers, hot dogs and pizza were the most popular choices of tourists. 

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

All my observations lead to more questions. Why do restauraneurs in tourist places maintain such unanimity considering their menus? Is it for being cost effective or because tourists ask for it? If tourists actually search for the same types of food in every place they visit, is it because they are affraid to try local cuisine?

The fear of food poisoning or other health issues is always a deciding factor in consuming unknown food. From an anatomic standpoint, the stomach is one of the toughest muscles in the human body, but at the same time one of the most sensitive. Just consider how irritant a stomach ache can be to understand why avoiding unfamiliar food seems like a safe plan while visiting a foreign land. Thus, fear plays an important role in choosing alimentation. A weird sounding name, a bizarre looking shape and the erratic image it creates in the brain, or a fowl taste can discourage people from trying unfamiliar food.

How unfortunate can that be, as the most delicious little secrets in every culture are hidden in bizzare foods! 

Black ivory coffee, for example, is considered the most expensive and exquisite brand of coffee, with a market value of more than 1,000 USD. Although it sounds like an exotic luxury item, would you dare to take a sip knowing that its beans are harvested out of elephant feces? Alternatively, the idea of swallowing the tequila worm might sound appetizing in the wooziness of consuming the whole tequila bottle, but would you eat it in perfect sobriety?  Locals in Mexico City and the surrounding areas though consider escamoles, the little white agave-dueling worms, a succulent delicacy, dating back to the Aztecs. Those bold ones who have tried it are pleasantly surprised by its buttery taste and its crumbly texture. And the list goes on with cases of peculiar food that tastes extraordinary.  

Despina and Panagiotis on their vaccation in Crete

It is said that one way to understand a foreign culture is to taste its cuisine. The optimal way to achieve this is to follow a local guide. My good friends Despina and Panagiotis, who recently visited me in Crete, stated "no one can unveil the delectable secrets of a culture's gastronomy better than a local"! And it is true. Without the proper intelligence even considering to try bizzare, but delicious foods might not be an option. If there is a dish that does not please the eye, but is worth tasting, only an erudite culture insider can point you to the right direction. Afterall, my experience has taught me that the most delicious secrets are well hidden in the oddest looking courses. Thus, no matter how secure you feel about that pizza slice, just keep in mind that the Imam only bursted out of satisfaction for a proudly served gem of his culture! 

Fava pantremeni ... or the married fava

Can fava get married? Culinary creativity can make it happen. When Greek cooks decide to cook fava pantremeni, meaning the married fava, they have to choose carefully the ingredients. Like any successful marriage, the way different elements connect in the dish is of vital importance.

Advice for good marriage:

The groom                                               The bride

2 cups of green split peas (fava)                1 small onion or 2 green onions

1 medium onion                                       1 Tsp capers

3 Tsp olive oil                                          Extra virgin olive oil for serving

Water

salt

The ceremony

Wash the split peas under cold water. 

Put the split peas in a medium pan and cover with water. Turn the heat on and bring to a boil. Remove the foam and discard the water. 

In a deep bottom pan heat the olive oil and saute the onion. Add the split peas and give them a spin in the hot oil. Add enough hot water to cover the peas.

While the peas are cooking, keep adding hot water if needed. When the peas are almost soft add salt to your liking. The peas are ready when they are soft and most of the water has evaporated. 

During the cooking peas will start dissolving, creating a puree with big chunks of peas. If you like the puree smoother you can always use the food processor.

Serve the fava in a bowl. Cut the onion in whatever shape you like and decorate the top along with some capers. Finish with a hearty serving of olive oil.

Marriage counseling

The two parties can always bring more into the wedding. For example, many cooks like tho flavor the fava with some kind of stock, such as vegetable or chicken.

On the bride's side, fava can be served with some kind of protein, usually seafood. On Greek islands cooks serve it with grilled octopus or fried cuttle fish. This is an excellent combination, as the ocean breeze of the seafood compliments well the earthy flavors of split peas. However, the choice of protein is entirely to your liking.

Just remember that when it comes to serving fava the Greek way it works as simplistic as a marriage. You don't need many ingredients. After all, a little more adds flavor, but a lot more is a crowd!

 

Fabulus legumes, part 2: the hummus origins

Cari's visit went as smooth as I expected it to be. She and her family came with a healthy appetite to try local food and take a deep plunge into the flavors and the aromas of the Greek culinary world. They had the great fortune of visiting during the lent period for one main reason. In order for restauranteurs to maintain their fasting clientele, they adjust their menus to include some marvelous vegetarian dishes from the Greek cooking tradition.

"We want to taste everything Greek!" was the visitors' wish, which made me extremely happy.

"Everything! The Greek salad, the fava beans, the lamb, the Greek hummus...!"

Hummus? A thousand little bells started ringing in my head, forcing my memory cabinets open to spill any information I had on hummus. No indication on the Hellenic identity of this dish surfaced.

"Why do you think hummus is a Greek dish?" I asked Cari.

Hummus served with flat bread  (photo retrieved from www.tovima.gr)

Revelation and misunderstanding! Cari reminded me of that brand of edible products, commonly found in grocery stores all around the US, with the characteristically Hellenic name. Among the typical Greek products, like feta cheese, olives and pita bread, one of the company's best selling product is hummus. Obviously, the popularity of the product in the marketplace has created the belief to the consumers that the origin of hummus is Greek! As much as I would like to express my chauvinism by stating that everything stems from the Greek civilization, I could not falsely claim the originality of hummus on behalf of my culture. 

Garbanzo beans (photo retrieved from www.emprosnet.gr)

Hummus is a dip or a spread, with the basic ingredient being the garbanzo beans, mashed and flavored with tahini (sesame paste), a splash of lemon and some garlic. Although great Greek philosophers, like Socrates and Plato, praised the nutritional value of mashed garbanzos, the roots of hummus reside in the boisterous history of the Arab world. Even the name stems from the Arab language, as hummus is the word for chickpeas. It is difficult to tell which culture first created this delicacy, but there is definite proof of the recipe presence in a 13th century cookbook, discovered in Cairo. Since then, this food has become one of the most consumed dishes, not only in the Middle East, but around the world as well. 

A little poll among my group of peers revealed that Greeks do not clearly know what hummus is or which cuisine features it, fortifying the fact that this particular dish is not part of our cooking tradition. In a later conversation with my friend Maria, from the idyllic island of Zakynthos, I learned that hummus is actually served as an appetizer in tourist restaurants, as there is a popular demand for it. 

Yellow split peas

Then I remembered what one of my university professors, the late Nikos Margaris, wrote in one of his books, regarding Greek environment*. According to him, cooking tradition and practices in Greece are related to environmental factors. In older times, when electricity was not part of the cooking equation, ingredients that take a long time to cook, thus require a considerable amount of fuel, were part of the diet in areas where a lot of wood was available. Garbanzo beans need a lot of time to cook, thus they are commonly found in dishes of large islands, like Lesvos, where vast forests grew, providing adequate fuel material. Smaller islands though, had limited fuel resources, thus they had to choose a legume that is equally nutritious, but cooks faster. One such legume is split peas, which is commonly cultivated in smaller islands, like Santorini and Mykonos. As a matter of fact, Santorini split peas, or fava, is one of the most famous POD products of Greece.

Split pea puree served the Greek way

So, if you are planning a vacation in Greece, with the goal to taste Greek food, like Cari and her family, instead of hummus order fava. That is the split pea puree. Both Cari and I can assure you that it tastes deliciously!







* Μάργαρης, Ν.Σ. (2001), Οδοιπορικό στο ελληνικό περιβάλλον, Ελληνικά Γράμματα, Αθήνα

Fabulous legumes, part 1: the hole in the fava

A month ago, I was pleased to have my good friend Cari over for a mini vacation in Greece. We agreed to meet in Athens and I was delighted not only to see my friend again, but to meet her mother Sandy and their family friend Christy. 

Since Cari was fully aware of my food passion, I thought that a culinary tour of Athens, besides the expected sightseeing, would be a good idea. So, I invited the lovely ladies to a true Greek gyro place, where I was taken by surprise when Christy ordered with much enthusiasm the bubbly lemonade, a typical refreshment in Greece, but an uncommon choice in the US. They all yearned to try the mousaka, the Greek version of lasagna with layers of aubergine and zucchini instead of pasta sheets and a rich creamy bechamel top. Images of succulent pieces of mousaka were portrayed everywhere in downtown Athenian restaurants, as this particular dish has been foreign visitors' favorite and has become the cornerstone of Greek gastronomic tourism.

And then an unusual request came from the happy visitors, as they expressed the wish to try fava beans. That woke gruesome memories from my childhood, when I was strictly forbidden to eat that oddly looking relative of legumes. Doctors explained my condition as G6PD deficiency or favism, a lack of an enzyme, which can cause severe hemolysis in case of fava bean consumption, a condition very common in Greece. Put in motherly care jargon: eat a single bean and you will turn blue!

The fear of turning into an ungraceful Smurf followed me all the way to the US. Fully unaware of the market name of this bean, I refused to eat anything resembling it. All I knew was its scientific name, but I found it ridiculous to go around asking producers or waiters if their product contained any Vicia faba. However, in a trip to Seattle's Pike Place Market, I was lucky enough to encounter my culinary enemy under a distinguishable sign saying "Fava beans". My relief for knowing the bean's name was enhanced by realizing that fava beans were not a common delicacy, even in an area famous for its legume production, such as the Palouse. 

Fava bean though is one of the oldest plant species that were domesticated for mass production in Northen Africa and the surrounding areas and it has been part of the Mediterranean diet for over 6,000 years. It is also known as broad bean for its big and flat shape, compared to other kinds of beans. For certain civilizations the fava bean had symbolic value as well. Given its dark brown color, Ancient Greeks used it as a voting chip, declaring a negative vote, as opposed to a white bean for positive support. In other cultures, fava bean symbolizes good luck, and it is hidden in pies for the fortunate to find. In the Italian-American cultural beliefs, fava bean crops saved the population from starvation in a Middle Ages drought in Sicily, with the blessing of St. Joseph. Thus, Italian-Americans give grace to St. Joseph by distributing food, including fava beans, to the needy, a practice very common in Catholic communities of New Orleans. 

As I was explaining to my visiting friends, old and newly acquired, how to find fava beans in Greek restaurants, I had to clarify a common language misconception. Fava comes from the latin word faba, which means bean and explains perfectly the given name of this peculiar legume. However, if you order fava in a Greek restaurant you will find yourself in the surprising position of receiving a healthy serving of split pea puree, yellow or green, depending on the variety of the seed.

Wierd... or as Greeks like to say "there's a hole in the fava"! The expression refers to the way split pea puree is served, in a deep bowl with a big hole in the middle, which hosts a generous serving of olive oil. The linguistic misconception about the name fava probably stems from the fact that both grains belong to relative botanical families, as well as their similar culinary uses. Fava bean puree, made of cracked beans, slow cooked until they melt and served with the same hole in the middle, is also a common dish in Greece. But isn't any other legume puree, like hummus?

The answer follows in a few days! 

*A big thank-you to Costas Pigadas for enthusiastically contributing to this blog post, with cooking and food styling ideas.