Article by Nikki Rose, What is the Mediterranean Diet...and who is on it anyway?

Crete's Culinary Sanctuaries

What's the Mediterranean Diet and who is on it anyway? Break out the map and take
a look that the region -- the sea touches the shores of many distinctly different countries.
Wow, does everybody eat the same thing everywhere? I’ve noticed that some countries
have been excluded from the Mediterranean Diet Club and are not even featured in those
coffee-table cookbooks – membership may have required a stable government and luxury
hotel accommodations for the research teams. How about the cultural, agricultural, climatic,
religious, economic influences of The Club members – are they all the same? Are we
missing some great stories behind traditional dishes by deeming the entire region one
generic Oliveland?

Sure, “fusion cuisine” is the creative incorporation of flavors from other lands, but when you
see a dish on a California menu like “moussaka-canneloni” (two distinctly traditional dishes
from two different countries all rolled into one) is it fusion or confusion? Cuisine and culture
go hand in hand and the more global we get the less homogeneous we should be. The
window into the culture of a nation is through the kitchen -- you can learn so much about
people when you know what they eat and why. What would New Englanders do if their
beloved clam chowder was renamed “North American Clam Stew”? Even America has
diverse and interesting regional cuisine – more than the rap it gets overseas as a burgers &
fries nation, right?

The History of The Diet

Recap on the history of The Diet phenomenon. Back in the late 1950’s an American
physiologist, Dr. Ancel Keys, discovered that many Cretan men living in the mountain
villages had a very low rate of heart disease and cancer and lived to a very ripe old age. He
noted that they consumed lots of olive oil, but also looked at the bigger picture (which is
blurry now) of traditional Cretan cuisine and lifestyle as a whole. Dr. Keys conducted a 15-
year comparative study of the cardiac disease and cancer rate in Greece (Crete and Corfu),
Finland, Japan, Italy, The Netherlands, The United States, and Yugoslavia (known as the
“Seven-Country Study,” although the demographics seem odd). The results of the study
proved his hunch with low instances of either disease in Crete and high instances in all other
countries compared, except Japan, which did not fare too badly. Hence, The Diet was born.

When a story is passed on through the years, it tends to vary (even to a level of
sensationalism, as is the case here). Olive oil was cited as a piece of the puzzle but the
remaining pieces were lost along the way. The Diet has taken many marketing twists and
turns since – everyone wants to be a Club Member, whether they’ve paid their dues or not.
Ironically, Italy and France have managed to become Club Members, yet the cardiovascular
disease rates in both countries have never coincided with The Diet’s premise. Granted, both
countries eat some of the same foods as the people of Crete and produce and consume
their own olive oil -- Italy even buys olive oil in bulk from Greece for their own labels.
However, Italy was a losing country in the comparative study and just last year in France, a
group of cardiovascular disease patients were placed on the traditional diet of Crete (not
Provence) with very positive results.

None of this matters because the French and Italians are very good at marketing -- so why
bring up some old story about Crete and risk competition? I don’t think the competition
would be too fierce because Cretans seem perfectly content with the way things are. I
imagine there are many reasons why they haven’t flooded international markets with their
precious goods. The Diet’s premise was based on principals of traditional Cretan cooking
and lifestyle, but the interpretations we see today change the rules of the game.

So olive oil is good for us. That can’t be the end of the story because I’m almost sure we
cannot survive on olive oil alone. Those healthy olive oil fanatics must be eating something
else to balance out this picture of gastronomic utopia. Just within the isle of Crete the
cuisine differs from region to region and there are many great stories -- often dating back
thousands of years -- behind every traditional dish. That’s what makes the food and culture
so special.

Geography, Climate and Lifestyle Shape Local Cuisine

As these studies emerged from Crete thirty years ago, a bit has changed since then. So
what hasn’t changed? First, there’s the geography and climate factor. Crete is a
mountainous, rocky island with only a few big cities and all that goes with them -- like
pollution. Aside from seasonal tourist spots, this is farming and fishing country, not a
metropolis. Olive and nut groves, fruit orchards, grape vines and greenhouses cover nearly
every inch of available land. The summers are long, hot and dry and winters are relatively
mild with snowfall only in the mountains. The produce is plentiful with intense concentrated
flavor and color. The down side (for farmers, not holiday makers) is this seasonal drought –
making life more difficult than it already is. Olive trees grow miraculously out of dry, rocky
earth, that’s why there’s more olives here than anything else. Cow’s milk butter is a luxury
item, as this arid, mountainous land is not fit for cows.

Deep green, pungent extra virgin olive oil is produced in nearly every tiny village, usually
only by and for the community (the private reserve of gold). Throughout Greece, many
people would not dream of purchasing olive oil in a supermarket – they either make it
themselves or know someone who does. Everyone is partial to their own village oil and even
if they’ve moved away, they often return home to help during harvest season or have a
supply sent to them – it is that important. There are several large cooperatives in Crete that
share their olive oil with the rest of the world and most still follow traditional production
methods – some have won top quality awards in International competitions. Why not? The
Greeks have had thousands of years of experience in olive oil production – the ancient
Minoans traded it for precious metals and gems.

As for exercise, farming is hard, physical labor so there’s no need to drive to the gym after
work (haven’t seen one yet). People are too busy tending to their land or animals to sit at a
computer and surf the net --even if they could justify the need for a computer (the “net” is
quite useful in the collection of fish). Even if they’re not farmers by trade, many people have
a small patch of land for fruit and nut trees, a vegetable garden and enough chickens for
the family – and maybe a few sheep or goats. Mostly for practical and financial reasons,
they also make a lot all their own foods like bread, cheese, yogurt, vinegar, wine, etc., and
pesticides are not even an option.

There’s plenty of seafood – more frequently consumed by the locals who live near the sea,
often because it’s their own catch or that of another family member. Recent scientific
studies have proven that fish is very good for us – so dash out and get some! There are
many villages tucked so far into the mountains that I’m amazed that people manage to
survive there – but they have for this very reason. Throughout history the unwelcome visitor
(aka invader) to these parts has been met with Homeric resistance. Hence, many traditional
dishes (with great stories to match the flavor) from mountain villages are based on survival
tactics and the art of foraging for food in the wild – now it’s posh.

So, depending on where they live, some people eat more fresh fish than others -- cured fish
being the norm in the mountains. Many villages were inhabited long before the automobile,
refrigeration (stable or mobile) was invented, some originally dating back nearly 4000
years. Even with today’s modern roadways and vehicles providing faster access to the
shore, there’s traditional regional cuisine – which is not budging any time soon. Most
traditional dishes center around religious holidays – and eating certain foods like meat and
dairy products is prohibited for long periods of time each year. In essence, Greeks who
follow their traditional religious calendar are part-time vegetarians. Times are changing, but
we still have a chance to discover what’s cooking here and why this little pocket of the world
is so important to modern scientists, nutritionists – and us.

   Scientific Application in Action: Eating

Well, that’s all very nice, you say. We’re still standing at the open fridge waiting for cooking
advice – ready to devour a bag of chips fried in some deadly oil just to take the edge off.
Wait! The common denominator is those dreaded fresh fruits and vegetables – tons of
them. Every day on the average Cretan dinner table, there may be a selection of five or six
simply prepared vegetables – not just a dollop of spinach fighting for recognition on the
edge of a plate of prime rib. Simple salads with tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, onion
and olives are the norm for lunch AND dinner. Roasted and marinated green and red
peppers, beets, wild or cultivated greens, artichokes, zucchini and eggplant are also hot
ticket items.

Cretans eat lots of dried beans like yellow split peas (called fava), broad beans, chickpeas
and lentils. Some beans are just cooked until tender, mashed a little bit and mixed with olive
oil, onion and salt. There are many different types of freshly baked bread, which is always
on the table. The finale is usually seasonal fruit (not baklava, etc.) like cherries, honeydew
and watermelon, grapes, figs, pomegranate, apples and oranges. We should be very
jealous because a lot of this stuff is also organic – a very expensive option for us – it’s too
late, they’ve paved our paradise.

Aside from the popular grilled or skewered chicken, pork or lamb (souvlaki), there are a few
things that Cretans eat on a regular basis but are rarely mentioned in fancy food
publications – maybe because of the shock factor – like snails from the mountains, octopus,
sardines, smelts and other small, whole fish (crispy heads, bones, fins and all are
consumed), rabbit and other wild game, and some meats from head to foot on occasion.
Most people from industrialized (or paved) nations prefer not to know if and when they’re
eating animal meat or innards – that’s why we have hot dogs, sausages or fancy paté – to
cover up the evidence. There’s plenty of pigs’ head served in upscale Parisian restaurants
– and some may find it more acceptable when presented on silver trays in a sauce with
other delicacies they can’t pronounce.

As for starches and things, potatoes, pasta, barley, and rice are prepared in many different
ways – with a pretty even percentage of weekly consumption. Potatoes are often just baked
or fried in a little olive oil, or steamed with other vegetables for hot or cold combinations.
Rice seasoned with onions and spices, is frequently used as a stuffing for many different
vegetables and the infamous grape leaves – which are great when made fresh.

Then there’s yogurt – eaten straight, used in savory sauces, topped with fresh fruit, walnuts
or a generous portion of aromatic Cretan honey – another precious commodity in the
ancient (and modern) world. Traditional Greek yogurt is made from sheep’s or goat’s milk,
and it’s thick like ricotta cheese. The natural milk fat (also known as the flavor) is not
extracted. I wish we had stuff like this in the States – why they extract all the fat from yogurt
is beyond me – it’s tasteless gelatin. People always seem to read the nutritional information
on the back of a yogurt carton – something obviously nutritious, but don’t dare glance at the
info on a bag of potato chips. Yogurt is pretty easy to make at home with cow’s milk – that
is, if you’re not too busy. I have yet to hear of a case where someone gained weight from
eating too much yogurt with 10% fat.

Cheese is another favorite here and there are many different types (mostly sheep or goats’
milk, but some made from cows’ milk). The list is long and requires a separate chapter but
homemade variations of feta, mizithra (a soft fresh cheese, sometimes similar in texture to
New York style cheesecake or ricotta depending on the cheese maker), kasseri and
kefalotiri (hard cheeses similar to Romano) still rule as part of the meal. Snacks may include
fresh or dried fruits like figs, apricots, raisins and nuts like peanuts, walnuts, almonds and
delicious roasted chestnuts. Last but not least are the beloved olives – large or small,
green, purple or black, preserved in brine or not – take your pick, they’re everywhere.

Wine is a given – but generally consumed in moderation and always with food – not as
heavily as we’ve witnessed in the plate-breaking tourist spots or Hollywood productions. If
everyone here lived like Alexis Zorbas, we’d be in trouble. Some men drink quite a bit of
raki, the local firewater distilled from grape must, which can be hit or miss depending on the
producers. Quite a few raki fans around here are well over 80 years of age – I’m not sure
how healthy they are but they’re certainly living long!   It’s OK to drink a little too much and
dance a little bit, but to get a rip-roaring sloppy drunk is not acceptable behavior (this
observation is based on local rules of conduct, tourists noticeably exempt). Also, Greek
women drink very little alcoholic beverages, if at all, and smoking is a new, scarcely tolerable
vice of the younger generation. Good guess to say the women are healthier here.

Foraging For Food: Make A “Fresh” Start

So, how do we put this all together on the dinner table and live to be 100? Think of a time
when there was no section in your supermarket with food crammed into boxes, bags or cans
– YOUR DINNER made in a big building on the edge of town -- preparation conditions
unknown without submitting a Freedom of Information Act Request. This is the price we pay
for convenience in our hectic, industrialized world.

Now picture the farmers’ market with produce harvested at peak ripeness that day, fresh fish
straight off the boat, fresh meats straight from the hills (the chickens and sheep share the
olive groves – roaming not to Hoboken, New Jersey) and fresh breads still warm from the
oven. Picture a nice trip to the country to pick up your wild greens (and snails if you like),
wine, olives, olive oil and cheese from local producers. This is rural Crete. This way of life
is not enticing to the younger generation – I can understand why – farming is a tough life.

There are supermarkets where you can buy many good-quality items – and even imports if
you want them, but everyone here knows the difference between manufactured and home-
grown quality and they’d rather be sure of the source. Besides, the price is often better
without the middleman. I’m sure people live like this in many regions of the world, but I’m in
Crete and will not speculate or make comparisons of places I’ve never been. It’s not
Manhattan and if everyone moves here – it will soon resemble Manhattan – making the point
moot. We are not doomed to live short, unhealthy lives just because we can’t live here. We
have a choice – to wean ourselves off the manufactured stuff to control the content of the
foods we eat. In short, to make a “fresh start” and shift back to raw ingredients. How do
farmers the world over plan their meals? The conversation goes something like this:
“Honey, what’s ready to pick today?”

Cooking Techniques

The Cretan diet is based more on technique than recipes. Grilling is the number one choice
here – we’re back to some ancient basics. When considering the nutritional benefits, picture
this: meat set above fire, fat dripping to the ground (or to the bottom of your fancy gas
grill). In the case of grilled fish – it’s brushed with olive oil and grilled whole – tastes great.
Grilling is easy and requires minimal attention or pots and pans, that’s why I like it. For
those of us who don’t enjoy grilling during a winter blizzard, there’s roasting. Mastering
these two cooking techniques can make life much easier. All you need to know is when the
food is done. No fancy recipes or sauces are required -- olive oil, lemon and your favorite
herbs are great on anything that’s prepared well – fish, chicken, steaks, burgers, lamb
chops, vegetables, whatever. Keep it simple.

During the cooler season, Cretans braise meats along with a variety of vegetables, starches
or beans. Braising does require a bit of time and attention, but stews taste better made in
advance and often freeze well, so it’s good for snowed-in days. Cretans also make a
number of fish soups – which are very subtle and delectable – just a variety of bite-sized
morsels simmered in fish stock with onions, potatoes, carrots and a bit of parsley –
sometimes with tomatoes. That’s it, nothing to it.

As for the preparation of vegetables, there are a few standards here and most are
seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar and salt (sometimes pepper, herbs and
spices on certain vegetables). I don’t know what Greeks did without tomatoes – a rather
recent addition from the new world -- because you see them with almost everything. Aside
from eating them fresh with nearly every meal during the long growing season, they make a
basic tomato sauce (personal preference) and combine it with dried beans and vegetables
like string beans, zucchini and potatoes, artichoke hearts or broad beans. It’s a thin sauce,
which acts as a flavorful cooking liquid – retaining all the vitamins – and great for dipping
your bread. If you just boil vegetables and drain the juice – guess where the vitamins are
going.

Another common way to cook vegetables like cauliflower, artichoke hearts, stuffed cabbage
or vine leaves is to simmer them in a little stock or water and make a frothy egg-lemon sauce
(avgolemono) with the vegetable liquid. For greens like spinach or beet shoots, they are
often simmered in a little water until tender, served in a bowl with their cooking juices and
seasoned at the table with, you guessed it, lemon, olive oil and salt. Greens are also
sautéed in olive oil (what else?), sometimes with garlic, leeks or onions and served with a
splash of lemon juice or used as the base for a variety of delectable vegetable pies
(chortapitas). Try any combination of greens commonly available at the supermarket like
kale, collards, beet greens or spinach using the same technique – bearing in mind that
some greens are more delicate and require less cooking time, so add them later on in the
process.

Tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini and eggplant are often stuffed with seasoned rice with or
without ground meats and baked or layered in casseroles with meat sauce and bechamél
sauce on top (i.e., moussakas). These complicated dishes are usually reserved for special
occasions. Learning cooking techniques as opposed to following recipes opens up a whole
new world of experimentation and makes cooking more fun when you know there’s a basic
formula to which you then add your imagination. Enough ideas for now? Great, let’s eat!

Copyright © Nikki Rose.
All rights reserved.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Fourni, Crete -- an integral part of the Mediterranean Diet

What's the Mediterranean Diet
and who is on it anyway?

by Nikki Rose

Published in Stigmes Magazine (Crete), January 2000;
Culinary Institute of America, Mise En Place Magazine, 2006