Flavors of Pieria reveal authentic Greek cuisine, Platamonas shrimp and local ingredients through chef Dimitris Tziovaras’ culinary journey.
There are places you do not discover only with your eyes. You experience them with all your senses. Through the sight of mountains meeting the sea, the aromas of fresh local produce, and a table that becomes the starting point for stories and meaningful moments.
In Pieria, gastronomy and local cuisine are an essential part of the region’s identity. From Palaios Panteleimonas (Old Panteleimon), with its traditional cobbled streets and views towards the Thermaic Gulf, to Platamonas and the fresh catch of the day, the flavors of the region are shaped by a unique harmony between mountain and sea.
Chef Dimitris Tziovaras takes us on a journey through the local ingredients, memories and flavors of Pieria, sharing his connection with a place that, as he says, cannot truly be discovered only by walking through it. It is discovered when you sit at its table.
“You do not get to know Palaios Panteleimonas only by walking through its cobbled streets. You truly discover it around a table.”
In the interview that follows, Dimitris Tziovaras talks about the memories he carries from the region, the local ingredients that define its culinary identity, and the connection between people, place and food.
Palaios Panteleimonas through the memories of a place
Dimitris, when you hear “Palaios Panteleimonas”, what is the first image that comes to mind?
The first image is of the mountain embracing the sea. It is a place with a unique balance. On one side, Mount Olympus; on the other, the Thermaic Gulf. Every time I am there, I feel as though I am returning to my roots. It is not simply a beautiful destination. It is part of my life.
What was the region like when you were growing up?
The stories of older generations, as well as the images I experienced myself, are completely different from today. The area was quieter, more authentic. Tourism existed, but at a different pace. People lived more simply, and almost every family had its own vegetable garden. They picked tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and herbs from their own yards, and these became part of their everyday meals.
Summer was filled with aromas. From charcoal fires, from fish being grilled, from freshly picked tomatoes. These are still the first scents that come to mind whenever I think of the region.
What has changed in the area today?
Today, the region has developed significantly. There are beautiful hotels, guesthouses, campsites, restaurants, cafés and bars welcoming visitors from all over Greece and abroad.
What makes me happy, however, is that despite this growth, the area has not lost its character. Hospitality, simplicity and the love for good food remain unchanged.
What would you suggest someone do when visiting the area for the first time?
I would suggest walking through the cobbled streets of Palaios Panteleimonas, enjoying the view towards the Thermaic Gulf, heading down to Platamonas and the beach, watching fishermen return early in the morning with their boats, and then sitting at a local taverna without rushing.
Because I believe that you do not truly get to know a place only by seeing it. You discover it when you taste its flavors.
Pieria’s gastronomy and the local ingredients that define it
As a chef, what makes the gastronomy of the region so special?
The ingredients.
The region has the privilege of combining mountain and sea. It offers excellent olive oil, fresh vegetables, aromatic herbs from Mount Olympus, seasonal fruit and exceptional seafood.
I particularly appreciate Platamonas shrimp, a product that has become closely connected with the area. Early in the morning, you can see the fishing boats returning to the harbor with the day’s fresh catch, and this image has been part of everyday life here for many decades.
When you have such quality ingredients, cooking becomes simple. There is no need to impress with techniques. You only need to respect the product.
Flavors that bring Greek summer to life
What should a visitor try during the summer?
A good grilled fish, Platamonas shrimp, octopus cooked over charcoal, calamari, mussels, anchovies, sardines and, of course, a Greek salad made with tomatoes that truly taste like tomatoes.
Some bread, extra virgin olive oil, feta produced by people, who work every day to care for their livestock and create quality dairy products, along with a glass of wine or tsipouro, are enough to understand what Greek summer really means.
True luxury lies in quality, not complexity.
What summer means in Pieria
What does summer in Pieria mean to you?
For me, summer means carefree moments filled with life.
Families from all over Greece arriving with their caravans, children playing until late, groups of friends preparing charcoal grills after a swim, and the aromas of grilled fish, meat and freshly picked vegetables everywhere around them.
I remember almost every family having its own small vegetable garden. The salad would come straight from the soil to the table. After a day by the sea, everyone would sit outside, on a veranda or in a courtyard, and share a meal together. There was no rush. There was only companionship, good food and the feeling that summer would never end.
These are the images I carry with me to this day, and I believe they represent the true culinary identity of the region.
Do you believe these images start fading?
No. They are simply evolving.
Today, there are more choices, more contemporary cuisines and greater culinary development. What should never be lost, however, is the love for local ingredients and the respect for the people who produce them.
The gastronomy of a region begins with the fisherman, the farmer and the producer. The chef simply continues their story through the dish.
If you had to suggest one dish for someone to truly experience the region, what would it be?
I would not choose something complicated.
I would tell them to sit at a seaside taverna, order fresh Platamonas shrimp, a fish of the day grilled over charcoal, a Greek salad with local tomatoes, some good bread, extra virgin olive oil and a glass of tsipouro or wine.
If they do this on a summer afternoon, listening to the sea and watching the sun set behind Mount Olympus, they will have experienced Pieria in the way it truly deserves.
If you had to describe your homeland in one sentence?
I would say that Palaios Panteleimonas and Platamonas are not simply beautiful summer destinations.
They are places that invite you to sit at their table. And when you leave, you do not remember only the view. You remember the flavors, the aromas and the people who shared them with you.
Because, in the end, the most beautiful memory of a place is not always a photograph. It is a flavor that stays with you forever.
Palaios Panteleimonas, Platamonas and the wider region of Pieria prove that a destination does not remain in your memory only through its landscapes. It stays with you through its people, its flavors and the stories that accompany every authentic experience of the place.
