Pennyroyalmint,Cretandittanyflowers,smokedchilliflakesfrom
Almopia.TheDaphnisandChloerangeofultra-localGreekherbs
andspicesreadslikecharactersfromanancientfable.“Whether
we’retalkingabouttheislandsorthemountains,it’ssopureandfull
ofpotential.It’saboutterroir,”saysownerEvangeliaKoutsovoulou,
speakingfromherAthensworkshop.“Thesehigh-qualityexamples
ofthymeorbayleavesrarelyendupinthepantriesofcitycooks–
youhavetoknowsomebodywholivesin theplaceswheretheygrow.”
Workingwithsmall-scalefarmerswhoharvestanddrytheir
plantson-site,Koutsovoulousaysverylimitedamountsofher
productsaregrownduetoagriculturalpoliciesintroducedinthe
’80s that encouraged mass-market crops. “Nowadays, you onlyhavea handfuloffamilieswhoarestillcultivatingtheseheirloom
varietiesaccordingtotraditionalprocesses.There’sa longheritage
aroundtheseMediterraneanproducts,soit’sourjobtospreadthe
word,togivea secondlifetotheseingredients.”
Boastinghighlevelsofessentialoilsthatmakeforintenseflavour
andfragrance,DaphnisandChloeevenoffersthreedifferentvarieties
oforeganoandtwotypesofmint.“We’retotallyprodiversity.You
cannotpretendthatit’sokaytohavefivetypesoftomatoesorthree
typesoforeganoproduceduniversally,becausetheseareplants
withgreatvariation.”Theirbiggestchallenge?Inspiringcuriosityin
cookswithtried-and-testedspiceracks.“Butoncetheytrywhatwe
do, they never go back.”daphnisandchloe.com; @missgoodherbsDAPHNIS AND CHLOE
Clockwisefromleft:Turmericand
marigoldflowers;DiasporaCo.
workswithsmall-scalegrowers
acrossIndia,includingVijayalaksmi
whogrowschilliesonherfarmin
Karnataka; Freshly picked chillies.66 GOURMET TRAVELLER