Pontian diet, an online presentation gives background into Pontian food culture

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Professor Thomas Savvidis will present his book, “Pontian Diet”, in an online event by the Australian Federation of Pontian Associations at 6pm on Thursday, 14 January.

The work, recently published by Kyriakidis Publications, is filled with information about Pontian food culture which has been gathered and presented from a number of perspectives: gastronomic, historic, folkloric, etymological, biochemical and culinary.

With rich authentic photographic material and excellent publishing quality, this book will be a must-have acquisition and will surely be a go-to book for all.

Mr Savvidis was born in Klimataki, Grevena, to parents from Ak Dag Maten, Pontos. He graduated from the six-grade High School of Tsotyli, Kozani. He studied Biology and Chemistry at the University of Thessaloniki.

He is a professor at the Department of Biology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and worked as a researcher at the Universities of Graz, Salzburg (Austria), Heidelberg, Göttingen and the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Center (Germany). He also worked as a researcher at the University of Istanbul, where he was able to systematically study matters concerning Pontos. As a teacher at the School of the Holy Trinity of Halki monastery, he collaborated with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople to give lectures at the Phanar Greek Orthodox College (Μεγάλη του Γένους Σχολή) and at the Zografyon Lyceum in Istanbul

He is the president of the Organization for the Internationalization of the Greek Language, a founding member of the Association of Pontian Students of Thessaloniki and continues to play an active role in many organisations within the Pontian and national arena.

He has contributed considerably in the study and promotion of the Pontian diet and the adoption of traditional nutritional values in today’s society. He has also scientifically recorded the flora of Pontos with edible and medicinal plants. He has published more than 100 original scientific papers in international scientific journals and through conferences. Among his recent books available to the general public there are: “The Diet in Pontos”, “Encyclopedia of Pontian Hellenism”, “The Mastic Tree of Chios”, “Homer the Vine”, “Homer the Botanical”, “The Herbs of the Pontos” and “Pontian Diet”.

There will be a number of speakers at the presentation, including:

• Simela Eleftheriadis-Stamatopoulos, President of the Australian Federation of Pontian Associations,
• Message from His Eminence Archbishop of Australia Makarios,
• George Pavlidis, Professor of Psychology & Learning Disabilities,
• Despina Adelfidou-Georgiadou, Performer-Chorister,
• Vasiliki Tsanaktsidou, Educator, Playwright in Pontian dialect,
• Author Dr. Thomas Savvidis, Biologist-Chemist, Professor at AUTh.

The event will be coordinated by Roma Siachos, Secretary of Pontian Community of Melbourne.

For more information about the book “Pontian Diet” (Greek) visit https://www.gastronomos.gr/gr/προϊόντα/pontiakh-diatrofh and https://diastixo.gr/kritikes/meletesdokimia/14711-pontiaki-diatrofi.

The event will be broadcast live on the Federation’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pontian.org.au