GREECE: The first chef in the world to turn his dishes into cryptocurrencies

The market for NFT's cryptocurrencies and digital works has been flooding the world in recent years, with a significant audience, especially at a younger age. The first chef to enter this world dynamically is a Greek and in fact from Kalavrita. The award-winning Alexandros Sperchos, based in Dubai, innovates and leads the taste pleasure - and the cuisine in general - one step further, putting it in the world of crypto.

The 31-year-old chef was in his hometown for the celebrations of the Kalavrita Cooperative, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, from the first production of the famous FETAS PDO and spoke to APE-MPE.

Through the restaurants maintained by his family in the mountains of Kalavrita, he explains how he entered a highly competitive environment, turning his dishes into works of art. While, as the head of the restaurant EVZIN, which operates at the Greek kiosk at the world "EXPO 2020" in Dubai, (which was postponed for the previous two years and takes place this year), he points out that he has established a zero waste policy in his kitchen, applying completely friendly the environment cooking practices.

"Initially, I created four unique dishes, with a strong aroma of Greece, and two cocktails, which shine in the dark, marrying gastronomy with art. They were presented at a special event in the United Arab Emirates. That was the point at which the decision was made, these dishes of high gastronomy, to become 3D files and to enter the world of NFT's ", says Mr. Sperchos.

New art form

The inspiration and the unique creations of chef Sperchos, transform the haute cuisine cuisine into a new art form. Food is now becoming a work of art in an ongoing auction, which is constantly raising the price, turning it into an unprecedented investment. Also, according to the plan, in the near future, acquiring an NFT dish, the bidder will have the opportunity for a fine dining with its creator.

"When it comes to cooking, my philosophy is to always use the highest quality organic ingredients and present my dishes as works of art. "Like a painting in our plate, - using shapes, colors and textures that create a unique culinary experience", says Mr. Sperchos. And he points out that he constantly chooses products from Kalavrita, which he imports to Dubai, such as the famous trachanas, which frames many of his popular dishes, and as he says "foreigners love to eat".

What are these dishes? As he explains: "The first special NFT collection includes the following dishes: The Harvest - Burata salad with crispy tomato cover" lying "on olive powder, accompanied by aromatized basil olive oil and mountain tea from Kalavrita. The Ocean "AKTE" - Combs that "shine" through a veil of citrus foam and aroma of bright flowers. The HUNT Meet Vitamins - Wagyu meat "sitting" in purple carrot puree, grass puree "lying" in collagen sauce. Sweet of the Greek Gods - orange pie that emerges through a veil of dry ice smoke, as well as two mocktails (cocktail without alcohol) ".

As it became known, the bidders who were present at the event were lucky enough to meet the chef Sperchos up close and make their first offers for the acquisition of these unique NFT's. In fact, the offers have already very quickly exceeded 5 Etherium (YEARS), (approximately 20.000 euros).

What are NFT's?

These are unique digital files stored on a blockain network. NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token and is essentially a digital copyright certificate, which proves that the owner of an NFT holds the rights to an asset and proof of ownership.

ZERO WASTE
How did he get to zero waste practices in the kitchen, essentially minimizing the environmental footprint of his cooking? He explains to APE-MPE: "When we say 'zero waste', we do not mean that your mother refuses to let you leave the table until you have finished all your food, because" there are people out there who are hungry ". "No, we're referring to the habit of chefs trying to produce rich menus without producing waste by-products, which often leads to some very innovative dishes."

"For example," he continues, "we use our meat leftovers for burgers, and for crispy soups, for example."

All the beef we have from steaks, skewers, beef fillets and ribs is ground in a special burger mixture called a four star burger. 90% of the leftover bread is made, either toast or croutons for the market salad.

The buns of a day become chips, the cookies are cut into smaller pieces and turned into the crust for the cheesecake ".

"At the moment, all the restaurants I set up work with zero waste. A great example is the restaurant I currently operate in Dubai's largest event, "Expo2020". The Zero waste program clearly follows. "My goal is to promote, but also to support Greece to change in the field of catering, in the area of ​​food waste, in its minimization".

As Alexandros Sperchos states in APE-MPE: "As a chef who has been active in Dubai for several years, I have noticed that in many kitchens the" waste "of food that theoretically can not be used immediately, is great. Even if we make delicious dishes as chefs, we must embrace the effects on the environment and take the necessary measures to minimize this "waste of food". "Many chefs are now taking part in the 'Zero waste chef program' and I can say that this was the beginning of changing my outlook on how I use the ingredients I manage in each of my dishes."

As he states: "I try to pass the same to my team through clear instructions that I give them, on how to manage to maintain zero food waste. Something that I can say that we have achieved in both restaurants that I maintain ".

Originally from Kalavrita

Alexandros is an award-winning chef, originally from Kalavrita. He has dedicated his culinary career, intending to place Greek cuisine in the place it deserves on the world map. After a successful experience in Athens and the Greek islands, Alexander accepted a tempting offer to promote Greek culture in Dubai, which led him to a permanent position at the Royal Mirage, where he was in charge of three restaurants.

Three years later, he co-created the "Ena" restaurant in Dubai, bringing there more than 200 authentic Greek products, from Greek producers, coming from small villages in the territory.

In 2019, Alexander became the official ambassador of Greek gastronomy in the United Arab Emirates (Greek Taste beyond Borders).

Information from ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ, ERT