Kalymnos gastronomy meets ViΩMA by Michalis Marthas, where Aegean memories and culinary techniques shape contemporary Greek cuisine.
From Kalymnos and the Aegean to contemporary Greek gastronomy, Chef Michalis Marthas’ ViΩMA SEA • TIME • TRANSFORMATION traces a journey through personal memories, techniques, ingredients and flavours rooted in island life.
In Kalymnos, flavour is inseparable from the sea. From its saltiness, its ingredients, the aromas and traditions of the Aegean. From a way of life that follows the rhythm of the sea and finds its place at the table.
It is from this deep connection with Kalymnos that ViΩMA SEA • TIME • TRANSFORMATION emerged. The bilingual book by Chef Michalis Marthas was released in Greece and Cyprus in September 2026 by Gastronomy Essentials.
Across almost 290 pages, personal memory meets gastronomic knowledge and contemporary Greek cuisine. The sea as a source of inspiration and ingredients, time expressed through ageing and fermentation, and the transformation of ingredients through the creative process form the philosophy behind ViΩMA.
Kalymnos as the starting point of ViΩMA
For Michalis Marthas, the sea is about ingredients, people, traditions, aromas and images. It is a world that continues to find expression through flavour.
Kalymnos runs through the pages of ViΩMA in personal stories and experiences, in the relationship with what the sea provides and in knowledge acquired over time.
This connection between place and food is part of the experience of travelling through the Greek islands. A catch of the day, a meal on board, a local product or the aromas of a kitchen can become memories associated with a particular destination.
Kalymnos remains the starting point of this gastronomic journey.
From the Aegean to contemporary Greek gastronomy
Sea, Time, Transformation. Three ideas run throughout the book.
The sea becomes place, culture, memory and a source of ingredients. Time takes on a gastronomic dimension through ageing, fermentation, preservation and processes that require knowledge and patience. Transformation gives ingredients a new creative expression.
Traditional references and personal memories of Kalymnos meet the practices of a contemporary professional kitchen. Technique and a creative approach connect the flavours of the island with contemporary Greek gastronomy.
The flavours of an island can find new expression in a professional kitchen or at home, carrying with them the memory and experience of the destination.
Fish ageing, fermentation and the techniques behind ViΩMA
The book unfolds across six thematic sections, following a journey from memory to creation, from ingredient to transformation and from tradition to contemporary Greek gastronomy.
ViΩMA features 46 complete recipes and more than 100 professional base preparations. Its pages explore fish ageing and preservation techniques, garums, fermentation, extractions and contemporary fine dining applications.
Technical knowledge is combined with personal narrative and applications designed for the demands of the professional kitchen.
The book is intended for chefs and hospitality professionals seeking technical knowledge, new applications and different approaches to ingredients. It also speaks to those who love Greece, its culture and gastronomy, to travellers drawn to the flavours of an island and to readers who connect food with travel, yachting and the Greek way of life.
The flavours of Kalymnos through a contemporary lens
The names of some of the recipes offer a first glimpse into the gastronomic world of ViΩMA.
Flying Squid with Artichoke, Sardelomana with a Pork Crackling Crust, Chickpea Stew with Aged Bonito, Monkfish Liver Pate, Beetroot Panna Cotta, Nduja Tuna, Wild Mushroom Graviera, Smoked Cod Roe Tarama and Amberjack Coppa are among the recipes featured in the book.
Greek ingredients take on a contemporary expression, while time becomes part of flavour through techniques that call for knowledge and patience. Tradition remains closely tied to Kalymnos and the gastronomy of the sea, finding its place within a contemporary culinary language.
ViΩMA was conceived as a bilingual Greek and English edition, allowing the story of Greek seafood gastronomy and Kalymnos to reach a wider international audience and Greece’s gastronomic narrative to travel beyond its borders.
ViΩMA Standard edition and Collector’s luxury box
ViΩMA Standard edition is the main edition of the book, bringing together practical gastronomic knowledge, professional techniques and the personal narrative of Michalis Marthas.
ViΩMA Collector’s luxury box is limited to 100 numbered pieces and brings elements from the world of the book into a collectible edition.
The box includes a numbered edition of ViΩMA together with selected objects inspired by Kalymnos and the world of the book. These include a natural sea sponge, afrina sea salt, professional tweezers, an apron, the Chef’s handwritten notes and additional collectible items.
The Standard edition and the ViΩMA Collector’s luxury box are available through selected bookstores and online from Gastronomy Essentials.
Flavour is often one of the most vivid memories of a journey. In ViΩMA SEA • TIME • TRANSFORMATION, that memory begins in Kalymnos, with the sea and the flavours of the Aegean.
ViΩMA, the edition
Title
ViΩMA SEA • TIME • TRANSFORMATION
Author
Chef Michalis Marthas
Publisher
Gastronomy Essentials
Release
September 2026 in Greece and Cyprus
Languages
Greek and English
Length
Approximately 290 pages
Contents
46 complete recipes and more than 100 professional base preparations
Themes and techniques
Greek seafood gastronomy, fish ageing, preservation, garums, fermentation, extractions and contemporary fine dining applications
Available editions
ViΩMA Standard edition and ViΩMA Collector’s luxury box, limited to 100 numbered pieces
Availability
Selected bookstores and online through Gastronomy Essentials
Explore the Standard Edition and ViΩMA Collector’s Luxury Box
https://www.eventora.com/el/Events/epaggelmatikes-ekdoseis-Vioma
More information about ViΩMA
http://www.cucina.gr/books.php?id=20260607668&lan=1
