Melbourne is known for its huge Greek community and a wide range of Hellenic eateries, and now a couple of Greek Australian girls with a huge passion for Greek cuisine are offering a guided walking tour around Melbourne’s most popular and energetic Greek precinct, Oakleigh!

*Melbourne’s Oakleigh precinct

Get ready to bite into a delicious galaktoboureko, an iconic sweet of creamy custard between filo pastry and drizzled with syrup. Crunch into the best koulouri outside of Athens. And savour the taste of Greek olives, dips, feta cheese and much more all from the passionate traders in this bustling neighbourhood. With each bite, you will learn about Greece’s enticing food culture, its history, and its healthy essence. A delicious lunch at a gorgeous traditional restaurant is included, and you will leave having experienced many flavours, taking recipes away with you to create at home.

You can join Kelly from The Hellenic Odyssey and Mary from Mary’s kitchen for an introduction to Melbourne’s most vibrant Greek precinct, its food, and its culture, you can also taste the most popular Greek cakes, sample a koulouri and hear about the art of Greek baking, plus learn about the health benefits of Greek products.

*Mary from Mary’s Kitchen

Born to Greek parents, Mary grew up surrounded by tradition and a love of food.  Mary’s love of travel, a rich Greek heritage and great skill in the kitchen has seen Melbourne-based cook Mary Valle become one of Australia’s most-respected authorities on Mediterranean cuisine.

Mary often spends time in her family’s home in Greece and nearby Mediterranean countries where she learns new techniques and recipes to add to her kitchen.  She teaches Mediterranean style cooking in Melbourne, sharing her passion and love for food with others. She is the author of the best-selling cookery books “My Greek Kitchen”, “My Mediterranean Kitchen” and “Everyday Mediterranean” and contributes to magazines regularly.  In addition to this Mary is running culinary tours around Greece.

*Kelly from The Hellenic Odyssey

Kelly also adds, “I want to produce Greek projects that are created from the heart, driven by a passion for food and inspired by a love for travel. With a proud Greek heritage, I am driven by philotimo (a Greek word translating to “filos” meaning friend and “timi” meaning honour). For me, it simply means to do the right thing and to give to others. My aim is to expose you to Greece; with its authentic food, hospitable locals and rich culture. I see it as my duty to add value, meaning and connection to the events and experiences that we offer you and a duty to myself to keep my heritage alive for future generations. Whether it is through our online content, our Melbourne events or our Crete travel tours, I want you to experience a truly extraordinary Odyssey.”

The tour will take place on Saturday the 9th of March and will include:

-Guided walking tour and commentary throughout

-Morning tea at a Greek café

-Bakery and deli visits

-Lunch at a traditional Greek restaurant

-Visit various Greek shops to learn about the most commonly used ingredients and products in Greek cuisine, including some samples to taste