The world’s leading travel guide publishing company – The Lonely Planet – has named Greece as the top destination in the world for sustainable food on their ‘Best in Travel 2021‘ list.
Increasing demands for eco-friendly tourism has driven the publishing company to adapt its site’s list for 2021 to “recognize places and people demonstrating a genuine commitment to sustainability, community, and diversity,” explained Luis Cabrera, Lonely Planet’s President, and CEO.
Greece was ranked #1 for sustainable food worldwide primarily due to its “organic produce markets, prolific wild herbs, and island seafood hauls.”
While the world is just starting to adopt sustainable food practices, traditional Greek food choices and preparations, which stem back ages, are inherently sustainable. Today, Greeks still hold on to that sustainable wisdom. They adapt their meals to the earth’s natural ways, using produce, meats, and seafood in season and available locally.
Instead of preparing a meal with ingredients that aren’t in season, such as imported or frozen foods, Greeks would prefer to wait it out. This way, the meal is more delicious. Many towns or regions have their own special meal or its own version of a traditional Greek dish, which includes the various meat, dairy, or produce that the area is known for.
Tavernas (small Greek restaurants) also adapt their menus according to what’s seasonally and locally available. Rather than having a menu of the same dishes year-round, the taverns serve fresh produce, meat, and seafood acquired from the market that same day. Sounds wonderful!
According to experts at the Lonely Planet, these ancient cultural and traditional approaches to food make Greece “an unintentional leader of the world’s most sustainable food locales.”
