Pan-Greek and Local Identity of the Greeks of Salento and Calabria through the prism of food

Abstract (English)

This paper analyses the dietary habits and identity of an ethnic Greek community living in the regions of Apulia (peninsula Salento) and Calabria (Southern Italy).
The research presented in this paper draws on a wide range of data, including field observations, interviews with locals, and the analysis of cookbooks and documents.
The Greeks of these regions, also known as Grecanici, have a unique culinary tradition that has evolved as a result of centuries of coexistence between Greek and Italian cultures.
The culinary preferences of this population reflect their historical memory, demonstrating how Greek recipes have been adapted to the influence of local Italian ingredients (e.g. the use of cherry tomatoes and mozzarella in Χωριάτικη Σαλάτα “Greek salad”) and cooking techniques.
The study also examines the role of food during various holidays and family celebrations and the transformation of some holiday dishes under the influence of local Italian cuisine (for example, cases when the traditional Greek New Year's pie βασιλόπιτα or Greek Christmas bread χριστόψωμο can be replaced by other southern Italian pastries).
Particular attention is paid to the phenomenon when traditional Greek holiday dishes are used outside the festive context or during other holidays exclusively to represent the Greek identity of this ethnic minority in Southern Italy. Sometimes such dishes can be presented at local culinary fairs - sagre to demonstrate the cultural and ethnic diversity of the regions of Calabria or Apulia.
An interesting material for study are cases when, on the contrary, the local Greek tradition brings its "accent" to an originally Italian dish, resulting in the formation of a certain product of mixed identity, but ultimately perceived as Greek.