The preparation of charcuterie is as old as the cooking. Throughout Europe, this art has enjoyed a rich history and tradition. From the northern Balkan regions of the Mediterranean to the mountain peaks of Crete and the Alps, to the areas of the north of Central Europe, the butcher or the shepherd not only provided the necessary pieces of meat but also developed a great tradition that provides an almost unlimited variety of recipes that use whole, cut or minced meat.
The professionals of this art are among the most respected professionals in the world of food. They use mainly salt and depending on the recipe spices. Elements that were always very expensive in the trade, so expensive that from the salt we named the salaries. Salt in Greece gave its name to the products that come from the process of preservation and maturation since antiquity and to this day you preserve the same word.
The ability of sodium chloride to preserve food was a fundamental contribution to the evolution of cooking.
It helped to eliminate the dependence on seasonal food availability and allowed the transport of certain foods over long distances. Many roads that served the precious salt trade, such as the Via Salaria in Italy, date back to the Bronze Age.
The art of preserving and maturing meat was established when humans began hunting and domesticating animals, especially pigs. Intestines full of blood, salted fat and aromatic herbs cooked at a high temperature by Aftonitos It is probably the oldest information about the preparation of cold cuts, as described in the Homeric Odyssey, it is a sausage that today we call boudin noir.
Salt, temperature, humidity and patience are the necessary tools for creating cold cuts for the summer menu of our restaurant Philia In Kokkari at Samos Island. Although the restaurant only operates during the summer, food preparation starts earlier or better never stops. We are looking for the most authentic gastronomic ways with the smallest footprint in nature to please our visitors more. A charcuterie board completed by a good wine by the sea is the best start for dinner or just an excellent aperitif.
The meat comes from organic farms in the region of Thessaly. In this area, 350 aromatic plants grown in the open field together with bulbs and oak trees contribute meat's taste decisively. The salt is extracted from the lagoon of Messolonghi and is not subject to any further processing. Those two materials create the absolute gastronomic reference to the concept less is more, this form of culinary art that focuses on taste with the least possible intervention brings out a complex deep, rich, nutty, aromatic flavour that resonates in the mouth.
