Thousands of Greek and foreign visitors were offered the opportunity to take a journey into the amazing world of Greek gastronomy and unique Greek traditional food products this weekend in Athens.

Two festivals of Greek gastronomic culture held at the Municipality of Athens cultural complex Technopolis Gazi and at Benaki Museum unfolded the world of pure Greek flavors to visitors who enjoyed cooking demonstrations and special workshops.

More than 120 producers from around the country showcased a large range of products in the "Festival of Greek Flavors" at Technopolis, from pastries, cheeses, cold cuts, pasta, olives and olive oil, sauces and dips, vegetables, microbrewery beers, spirits and wines, breads, vinegars and herbs, nuts, coffee, salt, spices and jams.

There were also tastings, including blind sessions to cooking courses, a photographic exhibition as well as a string of music events.

"We were very surprised to see and taste such a wide variety of traditional Greek products. Greek nature has to offer best quality products. It is no wonder that our cuisine is so popular abroad with the benefits that has for our health," Lina Vardakou told Xinhua as she visited Technopolis festival on Saturday evening with her family.

"Days of Gastronomy" inspired by the fascinating pluralism of the Greek gastronomy and its international impact, demonstrated a panorama of local kitchen activity at the Benaki Museum.

The festival featured a special section dedicated to the gastronomic traditions of the Cycladic islands, with a focus on wine, cheese, herbs and honey, among other delicacies.

Nikos Hatziandreou, owner of Organic Islands, a family firm which cultivates organic aromatic plants at Naxos explained the vital role of climate and soil conditions for growing organic herbs.

"The climate of the region is a very significant factor in producing herbs of the finest quality. The combination of long dry periods that can last up to six months, full sun, small variations in temperature and the cooling effect of the Aegean Sea winds have been proven to improve the scent and taste of herbs and the overall quality," he told Xinhua.

At the Benaki festival, the first Greek film festival dedicated to taste, gastronomy and cuisine also took place. Under the slogan "A Spoonful of Inspiration", Athens International Culinary Film Festival presented a representative menu of delicious stories from around the world (Greece, China, USA, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, France and Britain). Endi

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