Ο George Troumouchis was born in Rhodes, and literally grew up in the kitchens. With a passionate chef father, he did not have many options for the profession he would follow. So starting with him on summer vacation as a child for all jobs and in all positions, he learned that cooking means energy, dexterity and craftsmanship.

In the years that followed he worked in hotels as general chef at the Hilton in Rhodes for 6 years, as executive Sous Chef at Hilton Trafalgar London, on Intercontinental of Athens and has participated in various gastronomic festivals abroad.

He has published three cookbooks 'Metamorphosis' and 'Noble' which include modern cooking techniques.

Also, after 4 years of research and touring all the villages of Rhodes together with Kostas Kapsanakis, they recorded the Rhodesian cuisine. The result was the publication of the book 'Far Smell - The culinary heritage of Rhodes'. A shocking book. Local cuisine recording template for each place.

Since 2008 he is the Executive Chef of the Elysium Resort & Spa hotel in Rhodes.

You were born:
I was born and raised in Rhodes in a family of cooks. Everyone cooked, either professionally or as an amateur, with passion.

Childhood memories:
In the 80's whoever lived then understands. From smells my mother cooks cod with leeks and shredded greens quenched with vinegar.

Children's favorite food:
Even today Spaghetti with soutzoukaki and plenty of cumin. Of course she will never be like mom.

Studies:
I graduated from the fast-paced cooking school at the age of 18 and then I went to IEK Dietetics - Nutrition in Athens.

When did you feel that you would dedicate yourself to cooking:
From the first day I entered a professional kitchen in the summers of Lyceum at the age of 16 and slowly I saw how creative it is.

Cooks who influenced your cooking:
I think I was influenced by all the chefs I worked with in the past, keeping only those details that I considered important. Of course, my father, who was also a chef, played a decisive role in my culinary development and he is the man who passed on to me the discipline, passion and culinary education that should exist in a kitchen. Later through my collaboration with him Andreas Scheuregger at the Hilton in Rhodes and London, I discovered the cuisine of minimalism, surprises and upheavals.

Images or events that inspired you:
I typically remember when we made the book 'Long Smell' Mrs. Maria from the village of Eleousa to make balls with oatmeal and hare. After he put the hare with his sauce in the wood oven, we waited for him to make the balls. Time passed, we drank sums and we thought he forgot them. When the hare was almost cooked, he took some of the juice that the hare was cooking and put it in the mixture with the oatmeal for the balls. He shaped them and threw them into the pan with the rest of the hare. It was something that at least I had not seen anywhere, it was not written in any book I had read and it was not taught to me by any seminar I have attended in Greece and abroad. That's when I realized what the phrase "high gastronomy" can come from anywhere.

Where did you work:
In the kitchens I started the summers of Lyceum with my father chef at Olympic Palace in Rhodes.    Then I went to Grecotel Rhodes Imperial with chef him Adamos DotsiosAt Inercontinental in Athens with chef him Nico Sarando, back to the Grecotel Rhodos Imperial with the late chef Costa Ralli, sous chef at Palladium with chef him Chinzo Nonda, sous chef at the Hilton in Rhodes and London with Andreas Scheuregger. I took over as general chef at the Hilton in Rhodes in 2003 and sat until 2007. From 2008 until today I am a chef at Elysium Resort & Spa. 

Materials you love:
As a native of Rodos, I like the material we use almost everywhere and this is the 'long smell' of cumin as they say in the southern villages of Rhodes. Another favorite material to eat in any form but also to work on it is the eggplant.

Philosophy of your kitchen:
There are no rules but at the same time respect for tradition. For me, looking at tradition means trying to understand today.
A difficult combination that in order to succeed you must be able to find the balance between the two.

Dishes you created, loved and left traces:
Formerly:

- Kalkani with smoked cumin foam

- Simmered pork pancetta with Turkish delight (Rhodes pasta) and cumin (again cumin)

- Tuna with beef tail sauce and yuzu

- Scallops with soy risotto and chorizo

- 'Kapari' a dish with various textures of Rhodesian caper, gruyere and Kotiko tomato.

Another dish that we have for several years on the menu of the various restaurants of the hotel is the 'Easter ', lamb simmered with aromas of mint and dill, served with oatmeal, which we develop every year. In recent years at Noble mtogether with him Misomike Stamati tAs the Head Chef of the restaurant, we have created a menu based only on Rhodesian cuisine. One of the most characteristic dishes of Noble for 5 years that we started to offer Rhodesian cuisine is Supriorizo, rice cooked with cuttlefish ink and cheese skin Border, This makes it a perfect choice for people with diabetes and for those who want to lose weight or follow a balanced diet. Magical set half-bake under a napkin with salt and serve with small tomatoes, amaranth and walnut milk, the 'pies', Rhodesian pita bread with mushrooms and of course 'Baking' for starters which are baked goatskin skins.

The role of locality in food:
I think each place has its own unique products. The cooks must be the custodians and promoters of the culture of their place.

Greek cuisine today:
Everyone travels, is informed about everything new, is influenced and has an appetite for creation. Greek cuisine is definitely at its best and I think it will continue at this upward pace.

Greek gastronomy in the face of the crisis:
The crisis highlighted the Greek countryside more, it turned many people to deal with unique products that our place produces. It made us look at it differently and appreciate more what we have gastronomically as a country.

How would you like to be considered:
A cook who also tried to contribute to the promotion of Rhodesian cuisine.

An unforgettable moment:
When we did the recording and research on the Rhodesian cuisine to create a book, 4 years had passed, there was one last village left and we still had not found the title we would give to our book. We were a little nervous about this. In the last village in Kalathos after the cooking we sat as usual to talk with the grandparents. Then, during the conversation, Mr. Loukas said the phrase “… .We made our own charcoal on the stove, the meat that we cooked in large pieces, we called it kiapapi, we cooked it with its peppers, its salts, we added oregano and my mom put and long smell… ”. Where long smell cumin. Then without even talking to each other we all understood that he will be the one title of the book. 

Dreams of gastronomic content:
Always be creative and active. To see traditional recipes of Rhodes with its unique products entering restaurants all over Greece.

Life dreams:
Health and happiness in my family. Let my children realize what they dream of.

Farewell:
Have asphalts and do good deeds.