Greece

Angela May's culinary journey through Greece takes her from the bustling capital of Athens, to historic Thessaloniki, and to the islands of Lesvos and Crete, on an exploration of this beautiful country's delicious and healthy Mediterranean cuisine. The classical civilisation of the Ancient Greeks still influences modern Greece, and in Athens, a melting pot of tastes and traditions, Angela is treated to a feast served in the elegant style that Athenians would have been accustomed to 2000 years ago. Sampling the street food Souvlaki in the busy streets beneath the Acropolis, Angela visits the central food market, before going on to learn how best to prepare and cook the Greek favourite, Moussaka. Travelling on to the island of Lesvos, Angela discovers how the aniseed-based Greek tipple of Ouzo came to be created here when all the local vines were wiped out by the phylloxera plague in the 19th century. Angela then heads out to sea with a local fisherman to catch octopus for dinner, before finding out from a local cooking expert the secret of making the finest "spoon sweets". In Greece's second largest city Thessaloniki, Angela meets Greek TV cook and singer songwriter F.T. Bletsas, who explains how the city's historic position on the major trade and travel routes between East and West has influenced the regional cuisine here, with spicy foods popular. He demonstrates one of his favourite recipes, learned from his grandmother, using spicy stuffed peppers and other vegetables. Heading on to the island of Crete, Angela discovers how the local people have one of the healthiest diets in the world, with a high consumption of olive oil among the most important factors - with a flourishing agricultural economy, Crete exports vegetables across Europe, and is one of the few Greek islands that could support itself without tourism. Angela joins a shepherd tending a flock of sheep in the mountains, before ending her trip learning how to make the delicious traditional r