Traditional Food Tour & Olive Oil Tasting with Lunch in Kalamata Messinia

Discover the richness and inventiveness of Greek cuisine!

Lock all the flavours of Greece deep in your heart through a one-of-a-kind 4-hour food tour experience in Kalamata. Learn how to prepare traditional local recipes just like a Greek mama and taste more than 20 delicious Messinian homemade products. We assure you won't have to worry about dinner by the end of this experience! 

A memorable, private and personalized experience exclusively for you and your beloved ones, because,

once booked for the day no other guests are added in the experience!

Where

You will visit the historic centre of one of the most beautiful coastal cities of the Peloponnese: Kalamata, in Messinia region.

The place is known for its exquisite extra virgin olive oil and its world-famous black Kalamata table olives. However, the city has so much more to offer and this tour will help you uncover its hidden gems.

When

The Food tour experience is available Monday to Saturday all year round either in the mornings or in the afternoons. Sundays and Greek official holidays are excluded.

The Experience

Visit local family-owned food shops and a workshop, learn old stories and feel the authenticity of the locals.

Part 1: Meeting Point

After a warm welcome, you’ll set off on your gastronomic experience with a leisurely stroll around the streets of this magnificent coastal city.

Ascending towards the historic centre of Kalamata, you’ll marvel at the two-storey neo-Classical buildings and discover this city’s rich past, the long history of Greece as well as the ancient and more contemporary Greek gastronomy.

Part 2: Visit to Traditional Workshop and tasting of Local Home-made products

Many times, you can find the tastiest local products in the most unlikely places of a town you visit, where you’d never think to look. Together we’ll discover a traditional Workshop, literally hidden in the tiny alleys of the city.

With a reputation that precedes it, not just in Messinia, but also in delis around Greece for its quality home-made Messinian products, it stays true to its authentic ancestral recipes, preparing two of the most iconic local treats daily.

The local women working at the Workshop will show how to make one of the oldest delicacies of Messinia and Mani, using the simplest of ingredients, flour and olive oil. Then you’ll get to see how the second delectable local recipe is made, full of aromas, flavour and lots of honey!

Part 3: Tasting of Spoon Sweets, Corinthian Raisins and other Greek super food 

You’ll get to taste homemade glyka tou koutaliou (spoon sweets), black Korinthian raisins and other products of the Messinian and Greek land, discovering their nutritional value and their importance in a well-balanced diet.

The last Greek delicacy that you will taste, it is a really unique one and you will discover it only with us!

Part 4: Greek Coffee Tasting at Local Coffee Micro Roastery 

Have you ever heard about the most popular Greek coffee custom? Don’t worry, you’ll find out soon and you’ll be delightfully surprised.

Part 5: Visit to a Shop with Local Wines & Traditional Spirits - Short wine tasting

Did you know that in antiquity, Messinia was one of the largest wine-producing areas in the Peloponnese? Or that its wines carry the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and the Protected Designation of Origin Indication (PDO), due to their excellent quality and features?

Find out all the local varieties, including Fokiano, Roditis, Malaguzia and Moschofilero, as well as how they are combined with foreign varieties to produce excellent white, rose and red wines through a short wine tasting along with Mr. Giannis, our oenologist and owner of the shop.

While enjoying the friendly atmosphere and drinking some of his exceptional wine, you will get the feeling that you have made a friend of a lifetime!

Part 6: Visit to an Olive Oil Shop & short Olive oil tasting

Whether this is the first or umpteenth time visiting Messinia, olive-oil tasting is a must, given this is the birthplace of olives and olive oil. You’ll take part in a quick yet fulfilling olive-oil tasting with a professional and certified olive-oil connoisseur.

You’ll find out all about the Koroneiki variety and its unique features, and will taste different varieties of extra virgin olive oils. This tasting will be enough for you to realise just how superior this extra virgin olive oil is from the common olive oils in the market.

This is also the ideal place to buy authentic Kalamata table olives in different packages, as well as Greek honey and selected products made by small producers across Greece.

Part 7: Light Lunch with Mediterranean & Messinian Dishes with Local Wines and drinks

A light yet filling lunch will conclude your gastronomic experience and spoil your senses, in one of the cosiest family ouzo taverns in the heart of the city. It is the ideal way to feel like a local is to visit a traditional Greek ouzo tavern, especially when paired with ouzo, tsipouro (strong local spirit) or local wine and the good company of locals, the experience becomes even more authentic!

The menu is mainly based on traditional and lesser-known recipes from Messinia and Mani, which are hard to find anywhere else.

The Mediterranean diet unfolds in all its glory: healthy, seasonal comfort food prepared with passion and an extra dash of artistry, made with ingredients from local farms and small Greek producers, slowly cooked in herbs and olive oil. 

Local, flavoursome, fresh seasonal food and mezedes is waiting for you to discover like, kolokithokeftedes (courgette patties), anchovies, eggplant dip with fresh basil, table olives, or local meat and cheeses and so much more are waiting to take you through a mouth-watering journey filled with Mama’s flavours!

You’ll also get to taste a classic Messinian dish and find out its interesting history, but we won’t spoil the surprise. Join us to discover it first-hand! We can guarantee that you don’t have to worry about dinner, as there’ll be no room left for anything else!

Visit to the Municipal Open Air Farmers’ Market (every Wednesday & Saturday mornings - 45') 

At the crack of dawn every Wednesday and Saturday mornings, Messinian producers set up shop at the Municipal Open Air Farmers’ Market.

Just a hop, skip and a jump away from the historic centre, you’ll find yourself in front of a wide selection of fresh produce from local farmers: tomatoes, cauliflowers, broccoli, potatoes, artichokes, eggplants, onions, leaks and all kinds of seasonal veggies, as well as freshly-picked fruit in all the colours of the rainbow, such as pomegranates, apricots, cherries, mandarins, apples and grapes, all stacked up beautifully and begging for you to taste them!

This is the place where you’ll find wild greens, picked by hand by Greek farmers, fresh village eggs, aromatic herbs from Mt. Taygetos, almonds, chestnuts and walnuts from Arcadia, honey to die for from Mt. Mainalo, homemade local pasta, fresh fish and meat, local cheeses, legumes and the list goes on.

Extra Gastronomic Experiences

Haven’t had enough? Why not add one or two extra gastronomic experiences to your tour?

Private Dining with Cooking class in Kalamata with Head Chef (3 hours)

If you’re looking for a more gourmet and special experience, look no further. You can enjoy a private dining experience complete with cooking class, to satisfy even the most demanding palates.

A renowned Greek Head chef prepares and cooks with you a surprise three-course Mediterranean feast in his restaurant, in the heart of Kalamata, using the freshest of ingredients.

Upon request and depending on the season, you may enjoy the meal either in the Chef's restaurant or at the outdoor area right next to it.

Olive oil tour & Full Olive Oil Tasting (2½ hours)

Along with our professional and certified expert, you’ll learn about the queen of Greek olive-oil varieties, Koroneiki, as well as other just as superb Greek olive oils. You’ll discover their key aromas, flavours and tastes, and will learn which olive-oil variety to pair with your favourite food.

Your olive oil tasting experience is enriched with a visit and tour to an organic olive grove and a certified and open to the public Olive oil mill which is located just 10' from Kalamata's city centre .

Tasting of Kalamata Table Olives (45')

Did you know that there are over 90 Greek varieties of olives? Find out how to distinguish the authentic Kalamata table olives, and their quality features, and gain useful knowledge about this blessed fruit of Mother Earth.

The seminar caters for both gastronomy lovers and professionals.

Honey Tasting (45')

Have you ever wondered how many honey varieties are out there or what their main differences are? Can you distinguish quality honey or have you ever heard about its therapeutic effects on the human body?

These are just some of the things you’ll discover once you dive deep into the wonderful world of honey bees and get to know the oldest sweetener known to man by our expert associate, who’ll be more than happy to uncover all its secrets.

Wine Tasting with full lunch (2 hours)

This wine tasting seminar will surely satisfy your nose and palate, with our expert sommelier explaining the history of wine, and the local varieties and features, eager to answer all your wine-related questions.

The only thing you need to do to enjoy this gastronomic experience is to taste the exquisite wines and combine them with a feast fit for a king!

Marmalade workshop (2 hours)

In two hours you can make a delicious marmalade or piquant chutney from seasonal fresh fruits or vegetables available.

While enjoying the whole process, you may taste tasteful local products such, cheese and olives with chutney or local paximadi (rusk) and learn stories and traditions from Elena and Maria.

At the end of the workshop, you will get with you your delicacy you made from scratch to enjoy it with your family and friends!

Max. of guests: 4.

Visit to the Folklore Museum of Kalamata (1 hour)

This is the city where the Greek War of Independence commenced, on 23 March 1821, by the brave Greek heroes of the revolution, who became a perennial symbol of freedom for all.

At this magnificent and imposing two-storey mansion in the historic centre of Kalamata, you will travel back in time, marvelling at the artefacts and rich archival material of that era. You’ll get a taste of what life was like in Messinia before the industrial revolution, revolving around agriculture, pottery and textiles, and you’ll experience first-hand the everyday lives of the locals. 

The first printing house of liberated Greece was established in Kalamata, which is where the “Proclamation of the Rebellious Greeks to the European Courts” was printed. It is a mesmerising text that illustrates the relentless Greek soul and the ideal of Freedom.

On the same floor, you’ll also be impressed by two simulations: one depicting a traditional Greek home and one a local coffee shop.

The tour concludes with a presentation of traditional costumes from the area, and works of ecclesiastical and Byzantine art.

Are you a travel agency or company and are looking for a trusted local partner?

Do you wish to build a mutual, fruitful collaboration and would like to provide one of a kind gastronomic experiences

or team building events to your travelers?

You can contact us and organize it for you in the best way possible!

Tips

To make your visit even more memorable, here are some tips:

• Wear comfortable shoes and a hat, as you’ll spend quite a bit of time outdoors.
• Notify us of any special dietary needs (e.g. vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, flexitarian, etc.)
• Notify us of any allergies (e.g. food allergies, allergies to bees, etc.)

Pricing

• Small, only private experiences of 5-8 guests: 80,00€ / person
• Min. of guests: 2 - Max.: 8.

Contact us to request a price:

• For more than 8 guests.
• For transfer services or organize your transfer from Athens city or any other place in Peloponnese and join the Food tour experience.

We can also design and provide tailor-made and multi-day experiences in the region of Peloponnese upon request.

Drop us a line at mamasflavours@gmail.com and together we’ll come up with a personalized gastronomic experience

just for you!

Included in the price

• Tasting of Greek mezedes, sweet and savory local delicacies (more than 20!)
• Short Olive oil tasting of 4 Greek olive oil varieties
• Short wine tasting of 2-3 wine labels
• Greek Coffee tasting
• Light lunch & local drinks
• Local host throughout the experience
• All taxes

Excluded from the price

• The Extra experiences may be provided upon request, depending on availability and at an extra charge
• Full lunch (upon request and at an extra small charge)
• Personal purchases from local shops (optional)
• Tips & gratuities (optional)
• Transfer services may be provided upon request and at an extra charge

Additional info

• The traditional workshop in Part 2 is open only in the mornings and closed in the afternoons. Therefore, when the Food tour takes place in the afternoons, the two local products are given at the end of the experience and the tour starts with the visit in the local shop in Part 3.
• Availability: The food tour experience is available in the mornings from Monday to Saturday, excluding Sundays, Holy Friday - Easter Tuesday and Greek official holidays.
• On Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays afternoons the Food tour is offered at 17:30 p.m. when the local shops are open and it concludes with a light dinner. 
• In the afternoons, the wine shop closes at 20:45 p.m. so the wine tasting of the local wines, takes place during the light dinner.
• On Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays afternoon, most of the local shops are closed, among them, the Coffee Micro Roastery. Therefore, we visit another Coffee shop and we enjoy our Greek coffee while walking in the historical centre.  
• The duration of the Food tour experience can be tailored to individual needs of each guest. 
• You can choose and participate to any of our extra gastronomic activities individually or combine them with the Traditional Food Tour.
• Meeting point and time: At the beautiful central square of Kalamata, Vasileos Geogiou Square,  in front of the Statues (agalmata) of the Messinian war heroes of 1821 at 09:00 a.m. 
• In case you have your own transportation, here is a suggestion of the Municipality's parking place: Google maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Fpni31gxUVjjAUDk9 (Nethondos 87). This parking place is very close to the meeting point and it has a small fee / hour.
• Languages: English & Greek. Other languages can be provided upon request and at an extra charge.
• Family friendly.
• Wheelchair accessible: 80%.

Bookings & payment

• Bookings: In order to organize your experience in the best way, ideally the booking and the full payment should be made the latest 1 day before.
• For less than 1 day or last minute requests, please contact us via email to check availability.
• When the booking and the transaction are completed the experience is officially confirmed by Mama's flavours through email.
• All payments can be made through our booking engine, bank transfer (you can contact us via email for this option) or Paypal.
• Cash is not accepted.

Cancellation policy

• Mama’s flavours reserves the right to postpone the Food tour experience due to bad weather. If it is postponed, no refund is given but, the experience is conducted the next available date and after coordination. 
• For cancellations from our guests, there is no refund regardless of cancellation status but, you may choose a next available date.
• All sales final.

Mama’s flavours Philosophy 

Our scope is to provide to our guests - travelers a high quality personalized and authentic local experience that goes above and beyond their expectations. That is why we always prefer to organize only private experiences to couples, friends and families. This applies also for larger groups for e.g. a group of friends or a team building event. 

When you, our guest, book one or more of our gastronomic experiences, the day is dedicated to you, your friends and your beloved ones. Once booked for the day no other guests are added. With this way, we enjoy an amazing day together and at the end we say until next time as friends!

Organic Olive Grove Tour & Olive oil Tasting with Lunch in Kalamata Messinia