The Gastronomic Community of Amorgos is a fact!
The 10.000 forms of the printed guide (in Greek and English) of Amorgos that were distributed to the members of the Gastronomic Community of Amorgos and the Municipality for its needs, as well as the digital guide of Amorgos that is fully operational, are two effective promotion tools, so that with the beginning of the tourist season the visitors of the island can be informed and get to know better its gastronomic wealth.
Ο Municipality of Amorgos is a pioneer in support of the project and the first twenty enthusiastic professionals committed to defending and disseminating Amorgian gastronomy by signing the relevant Manifesto of self-commitment of the Gastronomic Community of Amorgos
On Friday morning, 18-6-2021 at City Hall of Amorgos Amorgos gastronomy professionals gathered to be informed about the progress of the Program “Gastronomy Communities - Gastronomy and Wine” in which they participate and support.
The professionals of Amorgos, from the wider field of gastronomy (production-catering-hospitality) for about two years collaborated, organized under the guidance of George Pittas and with support of the Municipality of Amorgos created the Gastronomic Community of Amorgos with the aim of recording the quality gastronomic offer of the island and the established connection of Tourism with the Gastronomic Culture of the region. The ultimate goal is the promotion of the gastronomy of the island, the integration of the gastronomic wealth in its comparative advantages tourist identity of Amorgos and in the long run the emergence of the island in Gastronomic Destination.
This action is an initiative of the Gastronomic Communities of Greece that organized and implemented the program Gastronomy and Wine Tourism. Tools of the program are the printed guide Gastronomy and Wine Tourism of Amorgos, which is the concentration of material and information that exists in a large extent and in depth in the digital guide greekgastronomyguide.gr and especially in greekgastronomyguide.gr/amorgos
The creator of the program George Pittas, in the presence of the deputy mayor Popis Despotidis and the president of the Amorgos Gastronomy Club Eleni Kountouroupi-Giannakopoulou first made a brief review of the actions of the community of Amorgos where among other things was mentioned the beginning of the cooperation two years ago when the Gastronomic community of Amorgos was first presented at the exhibition Expotrof 2020 presenting to the public the dishes of local cuisine.
Then were presented the tools for promoting the gastronomy of Amorgos and all the work done during the preparation of the project. On the digital platform greekgastronomyguide.gr/amorgos 40 items (articles) of gastronomic content were recorded, each of 300-500 words and 10 photos that refer to restaurants, producers, hospitality professionals with emphasis on gastronomy, products and delicacies of the island, while there are various articles such as eg for the cafes of Amorgos and the festivals.
These articles, in total, have appeared over 100.000 times and are currently at the top of Google search on the popular website of greekgastronomyguide.gr, which took the gold award in the Tourism Awards 2o18 competition in the category of Digital Destination Guides. Great emphasis was placed on the description of the catering centers, where in addition to the display of dishes and specialties, an attempt was made to highlight the personality and philosophy of each professional so that the visitor-reader acquires a more human-centered image.
The placement of the selected shops, taverns, producers and attractions on the digital gastronomic map of Amorgos facilitates the visitor-user to find the destinations he is looking for. And from what is shown on the map, all the villages and settlements of the island are represented, Kolofana, Arkesini, Vroutsi from Kato Meria and Katapola, Xerokeratidi from the central Amorgos and Asfondylitis, Potamos, Aegiali, Tholaria and Lagada from Oxo.
The traditional dishes of Amorgos were recorded after research and in collaboration with Community professionals and are presented to both guides (printed, digital) in the indicative way of their preparation:
Chickpeas with mountain greens, lambriatis (stuffed goat, Lambri's food), cooked goat, pies, chickpeas, fried cheese pies, kavourma omelette, monk (baked eggplant with pork), potato, but xerotigana and pastelia and the local drink, baked raki.
The material of the digital map (15.000 words 400 photos) was summarized in the 28-page printed guide Amorgos - Gastronomy & Wine Tourism and which will be distributed free of charge in exhibitions, to journalists and to those visitors who have gastronomic interests and mainly want to know in a concise way, the products, the delicacies and the life of the people and the island itself.
The two gastronomic guides (print and digital) of Amorgos communicate with each other. When you have the printed guide on the last page there is the url that leads you to the digital guide and on the contrary when you are in the digital, at the beginning of the articles there is the printed guide that reads page by page!
The photo was chosen without much hesitation for the cover of the printed gastronomic guide of Amorgos of a goat to define the gastronomic identity of the island. This is because the number of goats per inhabitant exceeds 1:10 (1.800 inhabitants and 18.000 goats) and their presence on the streets is obvious, most of the island's delicacies contain a goat but also to document the disobedient character of the Amorgians and the "musical agreement" of the wild nature of the island with the peaceful "Infinite blue" of its sea.
The chapters of the publication include the following topics: 1. A place rich in history, 2. Crops-products, 3. The gastronomic tradition of Amorgos, 4. Traditional cuisine - typical dishes, 5. Restaurants and taverns, 6. Festivals and celebrations , 7. Gastronomic souvenirs, 8. Traveling 9. Panagia Hozoviotissa.
At the end of the presentation the first 20 members were honored with a diploma not only for their quality professional activity, but mainly for their participation in the Gastronomic Community of Naoussa. And as George Pittas mentioned in this regard: " Important organizations, successful companies, successful brands, successful ideas are based on a philosophy that is associated with specific values, specific benefits for the user and which is expressed through a story which the world believes in and becomes one with. The history of the Gastronomic Communities is their Manifesto. The diploma awarded to the members of each community, is a praise for the participation in the work of the community, but also a reminder of the values and obligations that they are committed to adhere to.».
At the end of the presentation the members signed and received their honorary diplomas and the forms that corresponded to them and wanted to convey their joy and excitement in souvenir photos.
The mayor of Amorgos Lefteris Karaiskos stated about it.
«George Pittas' love for Amorgos and its promotion through his texts is unquestionable. The Municipality of Amorgos supported from the beginning its idea for the Gastronomic Communities. I am sure that the number of members from the professionals of the island will increase. We have a duty to defend and spread Amorgian gastronomy and this will be accomplished through tools such as printed and digital guides that will help visitors discover and enjoy our gastronomic treasures.»
The Deputy Mayor of Tourism & Cultural Promotion of the Municipality of Amorgos, Popi Despotidi, who from the beginning of the effort coordinated the project on the part of the Municipality, stated: ” It is time to highlight the gastronomic wealth of the island of Amorgos! In a coordinated effort, the Municipality of Amorgos and the professionals are moving forward to make Amorgos a gastronomic destination! ”
What happened in Amorgos, in contrast to the previous Gastronomic Communities of other areas is that for the first time Municipality took over the ethical and financial support of the project, and so the project was implemented in all its phases and delivered complete. The example of the Municipality of Amorgos is now followed by other areas such as Skiathos, Kefalonia, Arta and so little by little important steps are taken to realize the value of the gastronomic wealth of each region, but at the same time to realize the wealth of cooperation. It will obviously take a long time to change logics and mentalities, to design and implement things.
But the door of hope has opened!
Small communities, bold visions, high expectations!
Υ.Γ. THE printed Gastronomy Guide of Amorgos was made with the participation of the members of the Gastronomic Community of Amorgos and represents in the best way the image and the content of the Gastronomy of Amorgos. The printed and digital guide will be an excellent tool for highlighting and promoting the gastronomic identity of the island.
Η Gastronomic Community of Amorgos is an open system and includes professionals, who every year will expand if they are interested and wish to be gastronomic representatives of Amorgos and of course to meet the necessary quality and local standards required by the program.
GASTRONOMIC COMMUNITY OF AMORGOS
The Gastronomic Community of Amorgos is an open system in which those who are interested and meet the conditions arising from the regulations of the Gastronomy and Wine Tourism program can join. The ultimate goal of the action is to highlight Amorgos as a tourist destination, where gastronomy will play a leading role in shaping the identity and cultural identity of the place.
The Gastronomic Communities program has the honor of being under the auspices of the Hellenic Tourism Organization.
PRINTED GUIDE TO AMORGOS GASTRONOMY
PLACE & HISTORY - TRADITIONAL KITCHEN
TAVERNS - RESTAURANTS - CAFES
PRODUCERS - WINERY
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