Hello! I am Smaragda, but you can call me Esmeralda, I find it easier when I introduce myself to my foreign friends.
The EatandWalk adventure began in 2010, when a friend came to my cooking lab, Marmita, and proposed the marvelous idea to organize culinary walks for travellers who would like to further explore our rich Northern Greek tastes and cuisine. That is how everything started.
I am a passionate cook, I studied at École Ritz Escoffier, and as far as I remember myself, food has always determined my memories, ever since my childhood. I am a wine connoisseur and own a wine L3 Hestia diploma from Wspc , recently I became a honey sensory analyst and love to taste and explore the unique Greek honeys with my travellers.
My grandfather ‘Kostas’ had a fish farm where he prepared his own bottarga, which he then sold in the historical markets of Thessaloniki.
My grandmother ‘Stavroula’ was an amazing cook who taught me my first Greek recipes. My preferred ingredient is fish in all forms, raw, slowly cooked, marinated, grilled e.t.c.
My mother ‘Morfoula’ taught me how to make the wonderful Greek pies and it was from her that I inherited all the Greek traditions and customs, as well as the gift of sensing the love hidden in every meal.
Since 2006, I own a cooking lab for amateurs, Marmita, in the center of the Thessaloniki, where I have conducted hundreds of cooking classes for both locals and foreigners.
I am a traveller, just like you, and wherever I go, Ι search for the history behind the food, the origins of the ingredients and the satisfaction of a dish prepared with love and caring.
As a mother, I want to give the best not only to my son but also to the people I love, my companion in life ‘Giorgos’, my friends and, of course, my new friends from around the globe!
Come and explore with me and my team my Thessaloniki, the tastes of my childhood and of my everyday life.
Collaborators
