Feta is one of those things many of us just take for granted. For so granted that we don’t even think about it. A cheese nobody could possibly object to, readily available and affordable, to use in a salad, to crumble over roasted veggies… HeinzelCheese was no exception in this – until last fall at the Salone del Gusto in Turin I met a group of Feta producers from Thessaly. Five producers meant five cheeses that each tasted very different, in spite of being produced more or less the same way and in the same region. Oha. And with that came some gorgeous wines…
Imagine my delight to see a new stand appearing at about the same time at Markthalle Neun in Berlin (my favored word in English is serendipity), called Grinbox. Benis and Aliki are brother and sister who grew up in Thessaly, in central Greece. Like so many of us they started their professional lives in very different areas, and decided quite recently and with great enthusiasm to introduce Berliners to the cheeses, olives, yoghurt, capers, wines (and and and) that for them form the taste of home.
We are all aware that a lot of things are happening right now in Greece. Not all is for the worse, many find their way back to the land, to their roots. This is what the Big Fat Greek Weekend at Markthalle Neun July 16th till 19th was be all about, my contribution being a HeinzelCheeseTalk Special in cooperation with Benis and Aliki. We invited you to explore five very different Feta cheeses, learn more about where it comes from, and how it’s made. We also tasted our way through a delicious selection of Greek wines, with Christos Tziolis throwing in a few bottles and his immense knowledge (his shop Cava is THE address for Greek wines in Berlin). I think we all went away much enriched. Thank you, my Greek friends! (And thanks Carla for the pic below.)
HeinzelCheeseTalks take place regularly, usually on a Friday at 6pm at Markthalle Neun in Berlin-Kreuzberg. I bring some interesting cheese, open a few bottles of wine, and we sit around the large table opposite the Suff wine stall, tasting, drinking, talking, discussing (mostly in German – but we usually manage to cater to English speakers too). However, this being a special edition, we will meet on a Saturday at 5pm, next to Sironi’s bakery. You need to book by sending me a message. Reservations need to be confirmed and are strictly by first come first serve – so be quick! And please do let me know if you can’t make it – there is always a waiting list. A donation of ten euros per person (or one or two euros more if you really had a lot of fun…) is much appreciated. Cheesio!