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Honey, Olives, Octopus: Adventures at the Greek Table
Combining the best of memoir, travel literature, and food writing, Christopher Bakken delves into one of the most underappreciated cuisines in Europe in this rollicking celebration of the Greek table. He explores the traditions and history behind eight elements of Greek cuisine―olives, bread, fish, cheese, beans, wine, meat, and honey―and journeys through the country searching for the best examples of each. He picks olives on Thasos, bakes bread on Crete, eats thyme honey from Kythira with one of Greece’s greatest poets, and learns why Naxos is the best place for cheese in the Cyclades. Working with local cooks and artisans, he offers an intimate look at traditional village life, while honoring the conversations, friendships, and leisurely ceremonies of dining around which Hellenic culture has revolved for thousands of years. A hymn to slow food and to seasonal and sustainable cuisine, Honey, Olives, Octopus is a lyrical celebration of Greece, where such concepts have always been a simple part of living and eating well.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
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February 16, 2024
Rating: 4* of five
The Publisher Says: Combining the best of memoir, travel literature, and food writing, Christopher Bakken delves into one of the most underappreciated cuisines in Europe in this rollicking celebration of the Greek table. He explores the traditions and history behind eight elements of Greek cuisine―olives, bread, fish, cheese, beans, wine, meat, and honey―and journeys through the country searching for the best examples of each. He picks olives on Thasos, bakes bread on Crete, eats thyme honey from Kythira with one of Greece’s greatest poets, and learns why Naxos is the best place for cheese in the Cyclades. Working with local cooks and artisans, he offers an intimate look at traditional village life, while honoring the conversations, friendships, and leisurely ceremonies of dining around which Hellenic culture has revolved for thousands of years. A hymn to slow food and to seasonal and sustainable cuisine, Honey, Olives, Octopus is a lyrical celebration of Greece, where such concepts have always been a simple part of living and eating well.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Recipes galore...one per chapter...and lush descriptions of the author’s extensive travels around the foodie paradise that is Greece.
The entire read was a fever dream of drooling and craving and meal-planning, then scrapping the plans because no one else wants this cuisine where I am. The ways that food is entwined into Hellenic culture no matter where it finds itself rooted make me think that the whole Hellenic world is onto something all of us would do well to attend to: center the glorious gifts of food culture in your daily life, do not stop being aware of what and how you are eating, use food and its rituals to strengthen your ties to others with pleasant, ongoing memories.
Bakken bring us with him on a journey in space, as well as time, delineating the cultural origins of the food rituals he brings to us. He is careful to offer his gleaned knowledge as an eager amateur, not a native expert, which sensitivity made me trust his insights more than a more learnèd, academic approach would have. I was a little afraid I would find him more on the Subject Matter Expert side, seeing as this is a book from a university press, but that was never for a moment his authorial stance.
What else would you ask for? Inquiring mind eats his way around one of the West’s oldest cultures, brings us at home his findings, and shares a trained mind’s obervations. All the way around it is a win!
The Publisher Says: Combining the best of memoir, travel literature, and food writing, Christopher Bakken delves into one of the most underappreciated cuisines in Europe in this rollicking celebration of the Greek table. He explores the traditions and history behind eight elements of Greek cuisine―olives, bread, fish, cheese, beans, wine, meat, and honey―and journeys through the country searching for the best examples of each. He picks olives on Thasos, bakes bread on Crete, eats thyme honey from Kythira with one of Greece’s greatest poets, and learns why Naxos is the best place for cheese in the Cyclades. Working with local cooks and artisans, he offers an intimate look at traditional village life, while honoring the conversations, friendships, and leisurely ceremonies of dining around which Hellenic culture has revolved for thousands of years. A hymn to slow food and to seasonal and sustainable cuisine, Honey, Olives, Octopus is a lyrical celebration of Greece, where such concepts have always been a simple part of living and eating well.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Recipes galore...one per chapter...and lush descriptions of the author’s extensive travels around the foodie paradise that is Greece.
The entire read was a fever dream of drooling and craving and meal-planning, then scrapping the plans because no one else wants this cuisine where I am. The ways that food is entwined into Hellenic culture no matter where it finds itself rooted make me think that the whole Hellenic world is onto something all of us would do well to attend to: center the glorious gifts of food culture in your daily life, do not stop being aware of what and how you are eating, use food and its rituals to strengthen your ties to others with pleasant, ongoing memories.
Bakken bring us with him on a journey in space, as well as time, delineating the cultural origins of the food rituals he brings to us. He is careful to offer his gleaned knowledge as an eager amateur, not a native expert, which sensitivity made me trust his insights more than a more learnèd, academic approach would have. I was a little afraid I would find him more on the Subject Matter Expert side, seeing as this is a book from a university press, but that was never for a moment his authorial stance.
What else would you ask for? Inquiring mind eats his way around one of the West’s oldest cultures, brings us at home his findings, and shares a trained mind’s obervations. All the way around it is a win!
July 21, 2017
Препоръчително е да я четете в Гърция. При мен вървеше бавно и трудно, защото постоянно ми се искаше да правя това, което авторът прави в момента - например да бера маслини, да меся хляб, да релаксирам в бара, да се гмуркам и да обикалям островите... Голям дразнител! :) Шегата настрана, но има много интересни истории, факти и тънкости, които той е научил от местните. Наистина ми беше любопитно и приятно да ги прочета. И вече ми се ходи на море в Гърция! ;)
April 4, 2021
Christopher Bakken, across what seem to have been several trips to Greece (not to mention countless other, earlier trips to the country), delves deep into different elements of Greek cuisine. He goes fishing for red mullet, he learns how to hunt and prepare octopus. A cheesewright teaches him how to make cheese, and her husband, a bee-keeper, takes Bakken on a tour of his hives. He helps pick olives. He visits two village bakers and learns the intricacies of their local bread.
And in between, there is plenty more. There are impromptu picnics, parties, quick lunches, leisurely meals... a veritable procession of Greek food.
I enjoyed this book a lot. I learnt a lot of things I hadn't known, and the descriptions of food, even of the very simplest of dishes, made my mouth water. There were moments when, reading late into the night, I had to exercise a lot of will-power to stop myself going and getting a snack of bread, feta, olives and olive oil. Or something; anything even slightly Greek. And of the recipes that come after each chapter (one per chapter), there are several I am certainly going to try.
Along with the food, Bakken does a wonderful job of evoking Greece itself: not just the antiquity of it, but the spirit of it, the warmth and generosity, and also to some extent the ability to live in peace with the land. The people who inhabit this book (and whose photos crop up here and there) come across as inspiring people, people who live close to the land, who understand it and are able to utilise it to its most optimum.
Highly recommended, for an understanding of both Greek food and of the people who make it what it is. The ethos of the cuisine shines through very vividly here.
And in between, there is plenty more. There are impromptu picnics, parties, quick lunches, leisurely meals... a veritable procession of Greek food.
I enjoyed this book a lot. I learnt a lot of things I hadn't known, and the descriptions of food, even of the very simplest of dishes, made my mouth water. There were moments when, reading late into the night, I had to exercise a lot of will-power to stop myself going and getting a snack of bread, feta, olives and olive oil. Or something; anything even slightly Greek. And of the recipes that come after each chapter (one per chapter), there are several I am certainly going to try.
Along with the food, Bakken does a wonderful job of evoking Greece itself: not just the antiquity of it, but the spirit of it, the warmth and generosity, and also to some extent the ability to live in peace with the land. The people who inhabit this book (and whose photos crop up here and there) come across as inspiring people, people who live close to the land, who understand it and are able to utilise it to its most optimum.
Highly recommended, for an understanding of both Greek food and of the people who make it what it is. The ethos of the cuisine shines through very vividly here.
September 23, 2015
Когато прочетеш половината на рандъм гръцки плаж (без излишни пари за храна, и все пак) и после в рандъм бар разказваш на рандъм непознат за книгата и методите да обезвредиш рандъм октопод и той се сеща, че познава преводачката. ах.
January 3, 2017
Нужната доза Гърция през цялата есен и половината зима, с любезното съдействие на "чича ни" Кристофър, който ги разбира нещата. И освен това е поет, та в тая книга всичко е точно толкова поетично, колкото е в действителност за хората, които наистина усещат Гърция. Защото не, там няма само добро обслужване и хубави плажове.
October 14, 2022
Апотеоз на гръцката храна и свободолюбие.
May 24, 2024
Nice and tasty preparation for the Greek summer.
December 25, 2012
Not only will this book make you hungry for the flavors or Greece, you will also feel the need to pack a bag and catch the next flight to Greece. These chapters pack an immense amount of information from the chemistry of bread yeast to the caramelization of onions in revithia (and who doesn’t love a chickpea!) to the viscosity of thyme honey. Dispensed between the main chapters (which are enlightening and memoir-esque) are little recipe vignettes that are more narrative than how to guides (but are also very user friendly if you want to follow the recipes). But what is most wonderful about this book is the way that Bakken captures the people of Greece; his cast of characters not only teach him about the foods of Greece, but also unveil the essence of life in Greece . Reading this book gives you a sense of what it is like to be in a culture that centers “being” on the moment when everyone is communed together to break bread. As a very dear Greek friend told me once: Without the people, this place is just rocks. Bakken captures this sentiment without ever expressing it directly, because it’s just understood. This book is fabulous. Everyone should join the table, and come hungry.
July 10, 2019
Цяла зима отлагах тази книга, чаках знойно лято, море, плаж, Гърция... Разходих я до там и обратно, само я разгръщах, без един прочетен ред, оставих се на собствените си осезания и рецептори. Вече у дома я прочетох със задоволство, удължавайки удоволствието си от почивката и като че ли си мисля, това съвсем не е лятно четиво, "когато сняг забръска", дните станат едни такива малки, сиви, недружелюбни, защо да не поемеш тогава една доза Гърция със слънце, тюркоазено море, октопод, калмари, узо, ципуро , маслини...спокойствие и нега, която те отпуска и стопля, забравяйки студ и мрак.
January 21, 2021
If I could give this book a milion-star rating, I would! Definitely one of my most favourite books of all time.
Such a lovely, dreamy read and s writing style which immerses you in such a way that you feel immediately transported to Greece. I loved every word of every page and I wish Bakken would write a thousand more books of prose so that I can read them all.
I'm sad I finished it (evidently I stretched this as much as possible spreading the 200 pages across 3 weeks) and will definitely reread it in a few years, when the details have escaped my memory.
Such a lovely, dreamy read and s writing style which immerses you in such a way that you feel immediately transported to Greece. I loved every word of every page and I wish Bakken would write a thousand more books of prose so that I can read them all.
I'm sad I finished it (evidently I stretched this as much as possible spreading the 200 pages across 3 weeks) and will definitely reread it in a few years, when the details have escaped my memory.
November 19, 2013
Didn't finish this one... Felt I had to read it because of my personal ethnic Greek lineage, and love of olives, octopus and honey (I am now keeping bees). The book was an disorganized expose about food, history, culture, and all other things Greek. If you have something to identify with in this book, it may entertain you. But I have been to Greece fifteen times. I have to admit I feel guilty for not appreciating this book... But it was disjointed and a bit flat.
February 23, 2013
Should come with a warning label: you will now crave olives, Greek wine, ouzo, and Thyme honey.
July 9, 2015
Книгата със сигурност ще се хареса на хората, които обичат да четат за храна и кулинарни пътешествия. Много приятна и разпускаща.
October 18, 2025
Honey, Olives, Octopus by Christopher Bakken is a book that captivates not only for its gastronomic content but above all for the way it weaves food, landscapes, and Greek humanity into a story full of life and authenticity. The pages devoted to the olive harvest in Thasos are unforgettable: the work in the fields, the ancient gestures handed down through generations, the dialogues between men and nature. Here one feels the full symbolic power of the olive tree as root, nourishment, and identity.
I was deeply moved by the passages in which Bakken describes the simple and direct hospitality of the Greeks, that invitation which allows no refusal: “Sit, and eat something with me.” It is the very essence of a culture that places sharing above everything. The chapters on Cretan bread and on honey from the Dodecanese also convey the sense of an ancient knowledge that resists, despite the pressures of modernity and globalization.
The book has the rare ability to turn detail, a plate of grilled ortykia, a glass of tsipouro, the sound of bees among the heather, into a universal revelation. While reading it, I felt at home, drawn into that weave of flavors and memories that also belongs to my own personal story. And yet here lies the greatest surprise: my deep bond with the Greek land, which I believed to be unique and unrepeatable, was misleading. Bakken shows that this love and longing are not mine alone but universal. They belong to anyone who allows themselves to be touched by the Greek experience in its most intimate truth.
Ultimately, Honey, Olives, Octopus is far more than a travel or food book: it is a hymn to authentic Greece, an invitation to recognize that identity is not measured by personal boundaries but expands in concentric circles to include others. It is a book that both confirms and overturns my own vision, teaching me that Greece is never only “mine,” but belongs to all who live it with their hearts.
I was deeply moved by the passages in which Bakken describes the simple and direct hospitality of the Greeks, that invitation which allows no refusal: “Sit, and eat something with me.” It is the very essence of a culture that places sharing above everything. The chapters on Cretan bread and on honey from the Dodecanese also convey the sense of an ancient knowledge that resists, despite the pressures of modernity and globalization.
The book has the rare ability to turn detail, a plate of grilled ortykia, a glass of tsipouro, the sound of bees among the heather, into a universal revelation. While reading it, I felt at home, drawn into that weave of flavors and memories that also belongs to my own personal story. And yet here lies the greatest surprise: my deep bond with the Greek land, which I believed to be unique and unrepeatable, was misleading. Bakken shows that this love and longing are not mine alone but universal. They belong to anyone who allows themselves to be touched by the Greek experience in its most intimate truth.
Ultimately, Honey, Olives, Octopus is far more than a travel or food book: it is a hymn to authentic Greece, an invitation to recognize that identity is not measured by personal boundaries but expands in concentric circles to include others. It is a book that both confirms and overturns my own vision, teaching me that Greece is never only “mine,” but belongs to all who live it with their hearts.
February 8, 2023
Купих си книгата, защото отивах на почивка и имах нужда от нещо свежо, лесно за четене и което да ми достави удоволствие. Обичам Гърция, обичам храната и виното, обичам да чета - по всички критерии тази книга нямаше причина да не ми хареса. За съжаление, не се получи точно така.
От една страна, основна причина книгата да не ме грабне беше преводът - прекалено буквално използване на американски термини и изкази, което на български звучи, ако не спънато, то направо безсмислено. От друга страна, дори да превъзмогнем превода, то самият начин на писане на автора също е леко... тромав (което се потвърждава и от рецензиите тук). И доколкото обичам морска храна и октопод, то кръвожадността му в описанията за лова на окотоподи беше прекалена на места (да доубиеш уловения октопод като го захапеш между очите, за да не се мъчи - не). Съгласен съм, че ако ще ядем месо, то е редно поне веднъж да убием създанието, което ще сготвим след това, така че истински да разберем какво означава да отнемеш живот. Но при описанията на Кристофър Бекън в цялата книга има прекалена доза удоволствие от това, към което той не спира да се връща и да повтаря, което също ме отблъсна.
Да, Гърция е преркасна, да, храната там е великолепна, да, традициите им са живи и вълнуващи, но за мен тази книга не успя да ме грабне и пренесе по един увлекателен и приятен начин там.
От една страна, основна причина книгата да не ме грабне беше преводът - прекалено буквално използване на американски термини и изкази, което на български звучи, ако не спънато, то направо безсмислено. От друга страна, дори да превъзмогнем превода, то самият начин на писане на автора също е леко... тромав (което се потвърждава и от рецензиите тук). И доколкото обичам морска храна и октопод, то кръвожадността му в описанията за лова на окотоподи беше прекалена на места (да доубиеш уловения октопод като го захапеш между очите, за да не се мъчи - не). Съгласен съм, че ако ще ядем месо, то е редно поне веднъж да убием създанието, което ще сготвим след това, така че истински да разберем какво означава да отнемеш живот. Но при описанията на Кристофър Бекън в цялата книга има прекалена доза удоволствие от това, към което той не спира да се връща и да повтаря, което също ме отблъсна.
Да, Гърция е преркасна, да, храната там е великолепна, да, традициите им са живи и вълнуващи, но за мен тази книга не успя да ме грабне и пренесе по един увлекателен и приятен начин там.
November 16, 2022
🇬🇷“Мед, маслини, октопод” е едно кулинарно приключение, но на малко по-различно ниво, защото ставаме свидетели на бране на маслини и на грозде, ловуване на барбун и октопод, събиране на мед от мащерка и правене на ципуро, обикаляне по безброй таверни и винени изби.
🗺Историята не бих казала, че ме грабна и някак ми напомни на пътеписа “До Чикаго и назад”, който ненавиждах 😅
⛵️Хубавото тук е че читателят се пренася в Гърция и обикаляйки всички градове, села и островчета, докосвайки се до бита, традициите и живота на местното население всъщност се влюбва в тази страна, а за любовта към Гърция може да се говори много.. Гърция несъмнено те пленява със своята кухня, безкрайните плажове, скритите заливчета, невероятно красивите залези и остава в сърцето ти завинаги 💙💙💙
🌊“..слушам вълните, разбиващи се в скалите долу, след което потъвам в сънища, в които се търкалят милиард маслини”
“Дай ми вино да отмия всичките петна от грижи”
“Никое същество няма силата на пчелата да хвърля мост между царствата отвъд границитена възприятията: напада планинските цветове, за да напълни пити с шестоъгълни килийки, донася нектар на земята, за да му се наслаждават смъртните.”
🗺Историята не бих казала, че ме грабна и някак ми напомни на пътеписа “До Чикаго и назад”, който ненавиждах 😅
⛵️Хубавото тук е че читателят се пренася в Гърция и обикаляйки всички градове, села и островчета, докосвайки се до бита, традициите и живота на местното население всъщност се влюбва в тази страна, а за любовта към Гърция може да се говори много.. Гърция несъмнено те пленява със своята кухня, безкрайните плажове, скритите заливчета, невероятно красивите залези и остава в сърцето ти завинаги 💙💙💙
🌊“..слушам вълните, разбиващи се в скалите долу, след което потъвам в сънища, в които се търкалят милиард маслини”
“Дай ми вино да отмия всичките петна от грижи”
“Никое същество няма силата на пчелата да хвърля мост между царствата отвъд границитена възприятията: напада планинските цветове, за да напълни пити с шестоъгълни килийки, донася нектар на земята, за да му се наслаждават смъртните.”
April 11, 2025
This book is a wonderful intimate look into Greek food and life. Bakken takes the reader along for the ride as he immerses himself into Greek culture, eating wonderful food while making friends and discussing the rise of modernity and subsequent loss of traditional culture throughout the country. Although it is a difficult task to blend the genres of travel writing, memoir, food literature and history, Bakken does so in a poetic and cohesive way that leaves the reader feeling like they were with him every step of the way as he expressed his love (near obsession) for the people and culture of Greece. I recommend giving this a read if you are interested in learning about how Greece is changing, just want to leisurely travel there, or want a batch of refreshingly simple and distinctly Greek recipes.
April 29, 2020
Автобиографична история или по-скоро пътепис и то не толкова за път, колкото за няколко отделни посетени места из Гърция в търсене на гастрономически удоволствия "от кухнята" или даже от дървото - авторът, както пише и в анонсите "бере маслини на Тасос, пече хляб на Крит, яде мед от мащерка на Китира и научава защо Наксос е най-хубавото място за производство на сирене на Цикладите.".
Като човек, който обожава да пътува/морето/сиренето/маслините/меда/Гърция/да чете... книгата ми даде идеи за места, където да отида, за да изям нещо покрай плуването и печенето и разходките.
Но не очаквайте история. Няма такава. Има храна и Гърция. :)
(Октопод няма да ям, обаче. Може да са вкусни, ама са толкова интелигентни животни, че съм ги изключила от менюто)
Като човек, който обожава да пътува/морето/сиренето/маслините/меда/Гърция/да чете... книгата ми даде идеи за места, където да отида, за да изям нещо покрай плуването и печенето и разходките.
Но не очаквайте история. Няма такава. Има храна и Гърция. :)
(Октопод няма да ям, обаче. Може да са вкусни, ама са толкова интелигентни животни, че съм ги изключила от менюто)
January 21, 2022
This book is almost impossible for me to rate. If nothing else, it reconnected me with Greece, which I find myself missing more and more the longer I’m away.
Things I liked:
•Bakken’s poetry showed through. The man is a lyricist!
•Sometimes he comes across as so heartfelt, genuine, and passionate.
Things I didn’t like:
•He comes across as SOOOO arrogant sometimes!!
•That’s really it. It made this book difficult to read for me. I know this was his way of showing appreciation for Greece, but it often came across as boring, fetishized, or caricatured.
I’m glad I read it once, but I definitely won’t be reading it again.
Things I liked:
•Bakken’s poetry showed through. The man is a lyricist!
•Sometimes he comes across as so heartfelt, genuine, and passionate.
Things I didn’t like:
•He comes across as SOOOO arrogant sometimes!!
•That’s really it. It made this book difficult to read for me. I know this was his way of showing appreciation for Greece, but it often came across as boring, fetishized, or caricatured.
I’m glad I read it once, but I definitely won’t be reading it again.
September 16, 2026
Купих си я специално за почивката ни на Тасос и тази книга със сигурност беше един от факторите, които направиха почивката незабравима. Чете се с лекота, прекрасно улавя духа и вкуса на Гърция и най-вече носи тази любов към страната, храната, климата и хората на Гърция, която самата аз изпитвам. Планирам да си я препрочета през зимата, за да си припомня поне отчасти топлината на гръцкото слънце и море.
May 18, 2022
A great culinary primer before a trip to Greece. I appreciated the author's passion for Greece and his respect for the people who preserve the nation's "slow food" traditions. This travelogue focuses on food, but weaves in other adventures.
June 6, 2018
I absolutely loved this book. If you want to be utterly transported to Greece every time you crack open a book, you should pick this one up 😊
July 22, 2021
An engaging travel/food memoir written with tremendous love for the people, land, and food of Greece
March 27, 2022
Makes me want to cook
June 10, 2022
Не успя да задържи интереса ми, въпреки обещаващото начало.
September 20, 2025
Read it before an upcoming trip to Greece. Stories were cute but the characters didn’t excite me.
July 3, 2026
What a treat 🩵
October 31, 2023
I was surprised by how much I liked this.
March 29, 2020
A love letter to Greece through its food. Bakken's explorer's spirit shows the central role that food plays in Greece, both as a connection to the land (each chapter highlights a signature ingredient linked to a specific place in Greece) but also as the glue between people. Bakken's adventures through Greece, his deep love of the country, and his encyclopedic knowledge of Greek cuisine are on virtuosic display. Can't wait to try out some of his thoroughly researched and hard-won recipes!
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