Anyone interested in eating well and living a long, happy life will know that the Mediterranean diet is the best place to start.
There is also a small but world-renowned Greek island, Ikaria, where the Mediterranean diet and a strong sense of community and hospitality have created one of the world’s famous Blue Zones.
We are fortunate to have a large Ikarian community in Adelaide who have had a big influence on our restaurant scene and cultural life in general. Irini Germanos was a much-loved restaurateur in Adelaide for many years and her daughter, Tina Germanos has also made food and hospitality her life.
After 30 years running her own company, Eatwell, Tina is starting a relaxed interactive cooking experience, Filoxenia Cooking. Classes consist of small groups of 8-10. It is like preparing a lunch with a group of friends under the guidance of an expert and then sitting down to enjoy what has been created. The class on May 30 will include a shopping excursion and tastings at some of Tina’s favourite retailers whom she has known for decades. Think of it as a culinary Odyssey.
Maeve O’Meara of the popular SBS cooking series, Food Safari launched Tina’s new venture at the Adelaide Central Market in March 2026. Maeve, based in Sydney, runs her Gourmet Safari Tours in Australia and internationally. Her South Australian Safari Tour includes and in-home lunch experience with Tina and the Greek Gourmet Safari Tour starts with a visit to Ikaria where Tina organises in-home dining with locals and visits to local food suppliers, including bee keepers, cheesemakers and bakers.
The Ikarian duo
Tina and her business partner, Lily Maras (left) have both grown up in households where family, good food and Ikarian traditions are celebrated around the table and they want to share this through the Filoxenia cooking classes.
Maeve’s Greek Food Safari
Maeve O’Meara’s international Food Safaris include a Greek islands tour which starts at Ikaria. Her Australian tours are very popular, with the South Australian jaunt always selling out.
Irini Germanos’ legacy
Irini Germanos was a trailblazer. She was a restaurateur, a media personality and cultural ambassador for Greece and her beloved island home of Ikaria. Her cookbook, A Taste of Greek Life and Cooking was her love letter to the people and traditions of Ikaria. Anyone who knew Irini will remember her charismatic personality, generosity and love of people gathering around food. In the case of her daughter, Tina, the fig did not fall far from the tree!
Theo Maras, Market leader
Theo Maras is one of the most prominent of Adelaideans with an Ikarian heritage. He is known as a property developer, philanthropist, and founder of the Maras Group, renowned for transforming Adelaide’s East End. Importantly, for South Australia’s food culture, he has been a key figure in preserving and improving the Central Market. (Image courtesy the Greek Herald)
Xenia and Homer’s Odyssey
The ancient concept of filoxenia is a fundamental Greek cultural value which has its origins in Homer’s The Odyssey. Filo meaning love or friend and xenos, stranger or guest. Together they describe something much greater than two words but loosely translates as, ‘love of strangers’. It also means kindness, respect between host and guest, building community through sharing and ‘eating with your heart open’. Ancient Greeks believed any traveller could be a god in disguise who would test the generosity of a human.
Ikaria’s super agers in Blue Zone
Tina Germanos brings a food heritage from the Greek island island of Ikaria, one of the world’s five famed blue zones, The blue zones – the others: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica;; Loma Linda, California.– have been identified for having the highest proportion of centenarians. On average, they also have lower rates of chronic diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and dementia. Their diet is the first and most obvious reasons for this extraordinary health.
Dan Buettner wrote The Blue Zones: Secrets for Living Longer: Lessons From the Healthiest Places on Earth and is creator of the National Geographic documentary on Netflix.
(Image courtesy Harvard Health)