The inspiration

It all began with a vision…

To introduce the art of Greek home baking

and pastry- making to the world at large…

Starting from age-old recipes, and with the

help of renowned Greek chefs, we set off on

a sweet journey through time, determined to

come up with recipes of our own the tastiest

and most nutritious of them all.

So, too, every Greek housewife creates sweet

or savory treats in her own special way and

serves them with pride.

ALMYRA,

KOURABIES,

BISKOTA,

KOULOURAKI,

TOU KOUTALIOU,

ROSEDES…

Little Greek treats.

And so, our name was born: Petits Grecs

Petits Grecs. Finest Greek Treats.

Welcome to their own sweet world.

Kourabies

The word kourabies has its roots in the

words Kuru, which means dry, and biye,

which means biscuit.

It is most likely that the word originated

from Turkey and made its way into the

Greek language during the period of

Ottoman rule.

Kourabies is a Greek treat that has always

sweetened and adorned every festive

table, taking up a special place at the

Christmas table. As a symbol of Greek

hospitality, it is also customary to welcome

guests into your home by offering them a

kourabies.

Its presence on every happy occasion

makes it synonymous with joy.

It is a classic treat served in every Greek

home, and an important part of Greek

home baking.

Ιn the past, women would often take part in a

silent, unspoken competition in an effort to

present the tastiest recipe. This explains the

countless number of different versions that can

be found today.

Many regions in Greece claim the origin of the

“authentic” recipe. Every place and every

homemaker boasts their own recipe, which

they proudly pass on from generation to

generation.

Petits Grecs follows a family recipe which is based on the most famous and widespread recipe, that of Kavala. That city’s fascinating and unique gastronomy is enriched with elements from the cuisine of Greeks from Pontus (the Black Sea), Cappadocia and other parts of Asia Minor.

Built at the foot of Mount Symvolo in

northeastern Greece, Kavala is a city with a

long and multicultural history; a bustling harbor

that unites the East with the West, Asia with

Europe.

This recipe is considered to be the tastiest and our aim was to make it even more nutritious by altering some

ingredients combined with pure, fresh butter that provides a sweet aroma and a rich, full flavor.

Staying true to tradition, we have added our very own touch; apart from the classic vanilla “kourabies,” we have

come up with three more flavors: Greek coffee, cinnamon and anise. Kourabies can be enjoyed as an after-

dinner sweet or as an accompaniment to coffee and tea.

Tou koutaliou

“Tou koutaliou” stands for “spoon sweets”

in Greece. The traditional local sweet

preserve is among the most widespread

treats.

The picturesque, mythical mountain of

Pelion could easily claim the title of “tou

koutaliou” best sweets.

Pelion is a mountainous peninsula surrounded by sea, in the centre of Greece. It is a place of exquisite natural beauty. According to the Greek mythology, Mount Pelion was the homeland of Chiron the Centaur, tutor of many ancient Greek heroes, such as Jason, Achilles, Theseus and Heracles.

It was in Mount Pelion, that the dispute of who is “The Fairest” among the Greek goddesses, that arose the events leading to the Trojan War. The traditional home made spoon sweets and jams of Pelion are famous and the recipes are passed on from generation to generation. They consist of a wide variety of fresh fruits or vegetables taken directly from the rich land of Pelion.

In Greece we offer them “straight” served in a small, delicate, glass plate with a teaspoon.

Our range includes three delicious fruits: sour cherries, quince and fig. You can enjoy them as an accompaniment to yoghurt, cheese, ice cream, tarts or as spread.

Almyrά

“Almyrά” is how we Greeks call our savory

treats. They come in many different

shapes and each housewife has her own

little “secret” recipe to present.

For our almyrά biscuits we have been

inspired by the praised pies (pita in

Greek) of Epirus, which is located in the

north-west part of Greece, between the

mountain range of Pindos and the Ionian

Sea.

In the past, pita was the dominant element in the nutrition of the native nomad breeders, who had to survive on a little flour and what the surrounding nature provided them. Thus, they have become very imaginative with their pies and today there are endless alternative recipes. Feta, the famous Greek PDO soft, white cheese, was an important ingredient and it was

usually not missing from their pies. Staying loyal to this tradition, all our almyrά biscuits contain Feta, enriched with various Greek herbs, spices and vegetables. The Petits Grecs almyrά range includes 4 different flavors: spinach & pumpkin seeds, paprika & chili pepper, maratho seeds & turmeric and olives & coriander seeds.

Melomakarona

The first compound of the word [meli]

means honey in Greek. It is not by chance

that melomakarona are considered the

ultimate sweet Greek treat for Christmas

and New Year wishes. Τhey symbolize

welfare and creativity.

Melomakarona are honey cakes,

which are baked and served all over

Greece with slight variations. In some

areas they add nuts on top, in others

they use walnuts inside, as stuffing.

Either way they are definitely one of

the most traditional Greek treats.

The roots of our recipe can be traced to the Greeks of Smyrna, in Asia Minor, whose inspired cuisine became an integral part of the Greek mainland tradition when they resettled back in the early 20th century. In 1920, the picturesque harbor of Smyrna was considered one of the liveliest internationally.

The city itself had a sophisticated multicultural character and the Greeks who lived there, were literally citizens of the world. When they were forced to return to the mainland of Greece, they brought with them their culture of food, music, trade, art and literature. The Greek cuisine, especially the one of Northern Greece, is highly influenced by the cooking habits of the area.

Served to guests at home or offered as a gift, melomakarona [or finikia as they use to call them] was an integral

of the Christmas preparations and festivity.

We have chosen the most characteristic recipe, the one that enhances the characteristic taste of cinnamon,

nutmeg and wildflower honey, which we add after baking the cakes. It is melting in the mouth, leaving a lasting,

sweet aromatic flavor. You simply can’t resist to a second one!

Biskota

“Biskota” is the Greek word for biscuits. The southern big island of Crete has a long tradition in recipes

with ingredients rich in nutritional value. Based on this philosophy we created a snack series high in

nutrients of unique character.

The traditional Cretan nutrition is considered worldwide a model for healthy diet, with research proving

that its inhabitants live longer compared to other developed countries.

The local cuisine is based on the consumption of cereals, vegetables and herbs, dairy, fruits, legumes,

nuts, wine, honey, olive oil and limited quantity of meat.

The history of the Cretan cuisine is lost in the mists of time. Even when the island encountered successive

conquerors, such as Arabs, Venetians and Turks, the agricultural production of the island helped Cretans

to survive them all.

Inspired by the highly nutritional cuisine of Crete, we have come up with three different tastes of Biskota,

all based in nourishing ingredients; a stick with black raisin, almonds and dark chocolate, a second one

with tahini and one with almonds.

Our recipe for the black raisin, almonds and dark

chocolate stick was inspired by the fragrant,

delicious character of this distinctive fruit, which

we decided to add to the original recipe.

Although the origin of the word tahini - also known

as super food - is arabic, it is commonly used in

Greek recipes. It was a great challenge for us to

come up with an inspired idea using this unique

nutrient.

The delicacy and the multiple nutritional value of

almonds have established them as one of the

most favorite nuts of Greek pastry making. How

could we not dedicate a recipe to this beloved

ingredient?

Enjoy our Biskota as a nutritious in-between meal

snack.

Koulouraki

The “koulouraki” is an archetype of Greek light, flavorful and nutritious treat. In Greece we name

“Koulouraki” all the baked treats that we would call a cookie. They are created in many different shapes

and sizes and the variety of the ingredients used is boundless. The braided version, though, is considered

a classic. We have selected three examples which we believe best represent this wide and important

category of sweet treats, all from recipes which originate from the Peloponnese.

The beautiful Peloponnese peninsula has a mountainous interior and deeply indented coasts. Rich in

mythological stories and homeland of the ancient Olympic Games, Peloponnese is definitely a land of

mystery and interest.

It is blessed with climatic conditions that favor agricultural production and its culinary history has been

formed by the various occupants that inhabited the area: franks, ottomans and venetians.

Oranges, grapes and olives are the most common fruits of the area, while cinnamon is Peloponnesian

cuisine’s favorite spice.

Locals often “sweeten” their savory dishes by adding some cinnamon and raisins, giving them a hot,

spicy flavor. In the Sparta region of the Peloponnese, village women consider the orange to be a key

ingredient in their recipe, surely because of the beautiful fragrance arising from the orange groves in

blossom throughout the area. Last but not least, mahleb is widely used in their Eastern home bakery.

The foremost classic is the Greek

handmade braided cookie treat with orange.

Our recipe is based on the treasured local

one.

And this traditional, sweet - smelling orange

cookie inspired us to offer another two

versions:

one with cinnamon

and another one with mahleb.

Rosedes

Almond paste sweets are another classic Greek

treat.

Variations in the recipe can be found all over the

country. The islands, however, are famous for

making the tastiest “Amygdalota” (Greek for

almond paste treats).

On some Greek islands, the local people call

their Amygdalota by the name “Rosedes.”

Made by women in their homes throughout the

Aegean Archipelago, they are the confectionary

treats par excellence to serve to guests

gathered at weddings and baptisms.

Our recipe comes from Kythera in southern

Greece, island of heavenly Aphrodite and her

consort, Eros.

Kythera is a blessed place, with unexplored

aspects and richly varied landscapes; a place

you are eager to experience.

The island’s culinary tradition is reason enough

to love the island. It is a magical coexistence of

the modern Greek kitchen with the old ways,

which often borrows elements from the historic

Venetian presence on this island.

The Rosedes, made famous by Kythera,

ignited our imagination.

We proudly present a version based on the

original recipe that features cinnamon,

together with an innovative creation of our own,

using cocoa.

In our effort to create our own recipes, we were blessed

with the help of inspired Greek chefs and pastry chefs.

Their philosophy of using top quality raw materials,

cleverly combined with simplicity and respect for the

original flavors, gives a fresh breath of air to our vision.

Thank you Andreas, Marinos and Alexis.

We are grateful!

ANDREAS LAGOS

Andreas Lagos stood by us during our Kourabies and almyra

preparations.

He calls himself a nomad, in the sense that he enjoys blending

elements and ingredients to present an harmonious result.

Originally from Samos, he has been travelling a lot and has

worked in many 5 stars hotels and famous restaurants during

his long career.

He has been awarded with the Gold Medal in the European contest of Mediterranean cuisine.

MARINOS COSMAS

His open minded pastry talent has boosted our

Rosedes recipe.

Marinos has a rich experience as pastry chef and

has been honored by the collaboration with world

renowned restaurants:

Planet Hollywood and Matsushisa next to chef

Nobuyuki - better known as Nobu- in Athens,

Grecotel Mykonos Blue, Belvedere hotel in

Mykonos, Badrutt’s Palace Hotel in St. Moritz,

Nobu Park Lane, Nobu Berkley St & Ubon,

Sushisamba, Duck & Waffle in London and Canary

Wharf, Costa Navarino in Peloponnese and

Novikov restaurant in Dubai.

ALEXIS ALEXIOU

For our koulouraki and biskota treats we wanted to come up with “pure and simple” recipes.

We have chosen Alexis to be our guide, since he is “Mr. Simplicity”.

Alexis Alexiou is renowned for creating pastry menus based on the pureness of their ingredients. At the same time he enjoys surprising us and being subversive.

His love for simplicity derives from his respect to nature and his strong believe in the rational use of all materials.

Alexis is currently pastry chef at the Hyatt

Regency Hotel Thessaloniki.

Petits Grecs Products are:

100% Natural

Traditional

Homemade

Delicious

Nutritious

Different

Nutty

Exclusive

5-7 Vosporou str,

54454, Thessaloniki, Greece

T +30 2310 904.579 info@petitsgrecs.gr

www.petitsgrecs.com