Today, many people associate the Greek kitchen with moussaka’s delicious, golden-brown béchamel topping. Beneath that golden layer are layers of eggplant, potatoes, and ground meat. Yet the dish in this familiar form is not as old as you might think. The chef Nikolaos Tselementes was […]
The Greek kitchen and chef Tselementes, the controversial father of moussaka Read more »
The Hellas Herald – part of Greek Expedition In our new series, Hellas Herald, we are delving into travelogues, art, poetry, and contemporary newspaper archives, we are piecing together a mosaic of voices to approach the questions surrounding Greece in the 19th century. We begin
Greece in the 19th Century – Hellas Herald No. 1: The Fearless Woman Read more »
When speaking of Greek customs and traditions, Anastenaria is one of the most peculiar examples. It is a traditional, ecstatic ritual in northern Greece that takes place on May 21st each year, the day the Orthodox Church celebrates the saints Constantine and Helen. Sustained by
Greek customs and traditions: Anastenaria – firewalking in 2026 Read more »
Greek mythology is most often associated with the gods of Olympus, heroic warriors, and the great stories that survived through antiquity. But behind the best-known myths lies another landscape – one filled with strange beings, local legends, forgotten symbols, and fragments of myths that have
Greek mythology: strange beings and forgotten legends, part 1 Read more »
Welcome aboard the Greek Expedition, ready to sail again! Sunlight on the deck, a soft breeze moving through the rigging. The ship is back at sea. Sails begin to fill, and the course is set. Across the captain’s table, the charts remain open, lines extending
Greek Expedition, ready to sail, March 2026 [newsletter] Read more »
Today, we’ll take a closer look at some of the women of rebetiko who helped shape and spread the music far beyond Greece’s borders. The history of rebetiko is often told through its great male figures. But the genre was also shaped by women who
Women of Rebetiko – 8 Voices that shaped the genre Read more »
In recent weeks, photographs from the Kaisariani mass execution on May 1, 1944, have circulated in Greek media and social media feeds on a scale few have been able to miss. The images show moments from an event that, in Greece, has long been part
Photos from the 1944 Kaisariani mass execution – powerful memories revived in Greece Read more »
Greek words such as filótimo (philótimo), φιλότιμο, often prompt the question: what does it actually mean? For someone encountering the word for the first time, it is not immediately clear. Literally, it can be translated as “love of honor,” but as soon as one tries
Greek words difficult to translate, part 1 Filótimo. Read more »
The Kallikantzaroi, according to Greek folklore, are malevolent creatures that emerge from the underworld during the Greek Christmas period and cause trouble for humans. During the winter solstice, when the movement of the sun seems to halt, they creep out: the malicious, mischievous, ugly, and
Kallikatzaroi, the malevolent creatures of Greek Christmas [updated 2025] Read more »
The Antikythera mechanism is one of the most remarkable objects ever recovered from the sea. It was discovered in 1901 by sponge divers off the island of Antikythera, among the remains of an ancient cargo ship filled with bronze statues, glassware, and ceramics. What first
The Antikythera mechanism: one of antiquity’s most enigmatic wonders Read more »
