From the Editors
Posted by estiator at 10 October, at 04 : 55 AM Print
Remembering Where We Came From
Ιn the October issue of Estiator, we look at our common roots to help us forge a direction for the future.
As Greek-Americans, we all have our attachment to our homeland (or the land of our fathers and mothers) and the foods and ingredients that are a part of that homeland. And while it’s true that there’s always been a way to get foodstuffs from Greece, it hasn’t always been easy. In previous decades you had to make your way to the nearest Greektown, whether it was in Detroit, Chicago, Astoria, or smaller pockets in places like Norwalk, Connecticut. If you were too far from one of those places, you probably waited for a relative to come visit — a relative loaded like a pack mule with hard cheeses, homemade tsipouro, jars of spoon sweets, and, of course, gallons of olive oil.
Thankfully, the American public has awoken to the amazing quality of foods produced in Greece, and we are beginning to find a host of offerings in boutique markets and food chains across the country.
In this issue, we look to a handful of olive oil importers, most of whom began bringing “liquid gold” from their villages for themselves before turning it into a business. For these people and the companies they’ve created, it’s a labor of love, as you’ll read in our cover story, “Have You Tasted My Village’s Olive Oil?” by contributors Constantine Kolitsas and Michael Kaminer.
Our article “From Roots to Branches” tells the story of Roots, a distiller of fine traditional Greek spirits that include Rakomelo, Mastiha, Kanela (a true cinnamon liqueur), and Diktamo (a Greek amaro). Executive editor Constantine Kolitsas sat down with Roots founders Nikos and Manos Smyrlakis (via Zoom, of course) for an engaging and exciting look at how their line of exceptional liqueurs are redefining the space that Greek spirits have in the pantheon of great booze.
Of course, these stories are just the tip of the iceberg, and a great indication of how we can look to our origins to chart a path built on quality toward a destination that holds tremendous promise. Happy voyage!
The Editorial & Publishing Staff
