Κοινότητα Αναγνωστών Βιβλίων - readers.gr

Greece is a country in which dietary traditions have been formed more or less over millenia. Research has shown that the domestication and systematic utilisation of wild plant species, such as the lentil and types of grain, already began during the Mesolithic period. Gradually, and with the evolution of Neolithic societies, two commodities acquired a dominant position: olive oil in cooking and honey as a sweetener. For example, the clay tablets in Linear B script from Crete, dating from the second half of the 2nd millenium BC, contain the names of many plants, wild greens,...

The location of Greece at the meeting-point of three continents, together with the relief of its terrain which includes a multitude of high mountains and hundreds of Κilometres of coastline, has endowed it with a rich flora comprising almost 6,000 different species. This huge number, in relation to its area of only 132,000 square kilometers, places it in the first rank in Europe with respect to the density of flora. About 15% of these species are endemic and often find refuge in the safety of the gorges and mountains, where the presence of man is reduced or minimal. In part...

200 recipes from Greek cookery, the most characteristic and perhaps the most exemplary expression of the celebrated and well-known Mediterranean Diet. Traditional dishes based on the purest ingredients from the Greek countryside constitute and propound a system of nutrition which is ideal for the ensuring of good health and longevity. Fresh vegetables, wild greens, pulses, fish, local meat, pure dairy products and fruit predominate on the Greek table, in combinations which have remained invariable and unchanged over the centuries. The basic ingredient of these delicious d...

The myths of the twelve gods, the lesser gods, the heroes -both panhellenic and local- and the mythical campaigns, as they were recorded by the ancient Greeks and described by their poets, are brought alive in this book and transport the reader into an enchanted fantasy world. Gods "in the image and likeness" of man, with weaknesses and passions but at the same time all-powerful, radiant, immortal and ageless. Heroes who are human but have invincible physical strength and are fearless and self-sacrificing. Zoomorphic lesser divinities, one-eyed Cyclops, Centaurs with horses...

Kos, situated at the south-eastern edge of the Aegean, is the third largest island of the Dodecanese with an area of 290 square kilometres. As a part of the ancient landmass of Aegaea, and because of its very varied geomorphology, it already drew the attention of many researchers from the 19th century onwards, whose particular areas of interest were its geology, volcanic genesis, palaeontology, and fossils. However, Kos achieved fame as the birthplace of Hippocrates, who in the 5th century BC established medicine as a science based on systematically-acquired knowledge and t...

Handed down by word of mouth and from mother to daughter, the secrets of traditional Cretan cookery have been preserved intact to this day. These are recipes based on the purest Cretan products - olive oil, wild greens, fresh dairy products, meat, fish and pulses - and bear witness to the close relationship of Cretan cookery with the famous "Mediterranean Diet". The main constituent of the latter - olive oil -occupies the key position in Cretan cookery and contributes decisively towards the assurance of good health and the longevity of the Cretan people. It is not by chance...

They may not be the size of their tropical relatives but they have no reason to envy the latter in form, colour and...guile. This 240-page book presents the wonderful world of the orchid species of Crete and the Dodecanese in its entirety, i.e. 70 species and 23 sub-species, while a further 5 species are to be considered doubtful or unstable. For each plant there is a detailed description and reference to the biotopes in which it is found. In addition, the species with which hybridization can occur are mentioned. The possibility of confusion with other species is noted and...

The beginnings of the story of Athens are lost in the depths of prehistory. The summit of the hill of the Acropolis already acquired its fortress-like form during the Mycenaean period, becoming the seat of a supreme ruler. The names of many mythical kings, such as Cecrops and Aegeus, are connected with the early phase of this area, while the Athenians believed that King Theseus founded the city of Athens around 1300 BC. In 460, Pericles became "strategos" and began an ambitious programme of the beautification of the city and especially of the Acropolis, while at the same t...