Liquid Gold: Varieties of Greek Wild Honey

“Meli”, Greek for honey, has had an ancient history of antiseptic and nutritional benefits. What do you think kept the gods of Olympus immortal—they were sipping on “ambrosia” a honeyed fermented drink. The Nordic gods picked this up from the Greek gods and called it “mead,” otherwise known as “honey beer.”  English words that stem from the Greek root for honey, “mel” mean something sweet (e.g. mellifluous, mellifluence, melliferous).  

My yiayia from the Cyclades made it a point of stuffing her grandkids with a huge slab of wood-oven baked bread slathered with butter and thyme-flavored meli. It was magic in a jar! I believe I got my sweet tooth from my parent’s constantly dipping my pacifier (the “pipila”) into a huge jar of thymisgio meli. This is because the bees on our island of Ios gathered up nectar from the wild thyme shrubs that sprouted in the spring all at once; then came the oregano and the bees that gathered that nectar. She would use honey to make her signature sesame-honey bars that she would melt in a huge frying pan.

The difference in quality in the sesame bars is the honey, yup, totally the honey. 

 

Hippocrates, the great doctor of all doctors, praised the stuff and used it as a food and medicine. In fact, he used honey as the base for making his syrups, pills and jams. Honey has been used as an antibiotic ointment as it destroys bacteria and in South America they plop it and spread it on the skin for burns, infections, and wounds; it is a pretty good sore throat lozenge and cough and respiratory cleanser, especially in small children under 2 who are not prescribed heavy cough syrups. (But it should not be given to infants under one because it can lead to botulism due to the natural yeast it harbors).   According to popular lore, it decreases diarrheal bacteria in the intestinal tract and reduces yeast infections. Because honey has a much greater percent of naturally occurring fructose and glucose over sucrose, (roughly 38% of the sugar in honey is fructose and 31% is glucose), it makes for a more organic sweetener.

While the medicinal uses of honey are well-regarded, what many don’t know is that it holds many beauty boosts. For one, it has a property known scientifically as hygroscopy. In other words it has the ability to absorb moisture directly from the air. If you can apply it directly to your skin, if you can stand its stickiness, it acts as a natural moisture trapper. This is why many facial creams touting to add suppleness and moisture to skin have it as a main ingredient. 

 

Although China keeps first place for the world’s top honey producer (47% of world honey production), and Ukraine and Russia dominate the world stage for their products, it is Greece and perhaps New Zealand that offer boutique quality eclectic honey reserves. Commercial honey, the type you find on the shelves of supermarkets, is blended from a mix-n-match of variable grades of honey from different geographies and different flora. In Greece, honey is either polyfloral (deriving from a mix of wild flower sources) or monofloral (deriving from the nectar of one specific flower.).  The best and most popular honey strains of Greek honey come from blossoms of thyme, lavender, rosemary, linden flower, and orange. However, 65% of its annual honey production comes from pine honey. Pine honey is not collected by bees going from pine flowers (there is no such thing) but from honeydew, the sweet secretions of aphids or other plant sap-sucking insects. Honeydew honey is very dark brown in color, with a rich fragrance of stewed fruit or fig jam, and is not as sweet as nectar honeys.

Greek bees are picky when it comes to making their honey. Some gather pollen from thyme, some from orange blossoms, and still others from a hodge-podge of wild flowers, all which produce a variable flavor. Unless a beekeeper has the patience to train the little buggers, there is no telling what the flavor will be year after year. In this regard, honey as a natural product resembles wine. Every season, depending on factors such as rainfall, brings a different batch. In general terms, it is a safe bet that the best honey you can get from Greece is locally grown (just keep a look out for the blue or white wooden boxes on the hills as you drive on the main roads).  In fact, certain types of honey like thyme honey you can ONLY find in Greece; it doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world. Only 10% of all the honey in Greece is thyme honey.

While the USDA makes it voluntary for honey growers to register their products, there are some general variables that you can use to rate honey. Ripe, freshly collected, high-quality honey at 20 °C (68 °F) should flow from a knife in a straight stream, without breaking into separate drops.  After falling down, the honey should form a bead. The honey, when poured, should form small, temporary layers that disappear fairly quickly, indicating high viscosity. If not, it indicates excessive water content (over 20%) of the product. Honey with excessive water content is not suitable for long-term preservation.

So, short of buying a round-trip ticket to Greece and bringing back bottles of meli, where can you get your sweet fix? Several companies market their product in North America

including Attiki, some Cretan companies such as Monastiri, and Melliaston. The Olive Table markets “Reiki Honey” made from wild heather that is something beautifully Grecian to come out of a jar.

Not bad for stuff that is just nectar spit up and regurgitated over and over.

 

 

 

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Koukles with Boukles: Greek Girls with Curls: Tips and…

For as long as I can remember I have had a bad hair day. Almost every spontaneous photo of myself from grade school on up has been ruined due to my frizzy curly out if control hair. I hate it. I was the Greek girl with the Afro in all my class pictures.  My life’s obsession became looking for a way to make my boukles straight once and for all.  I tried everything.  What is a Greek girl born with a lot if curl to do?   Here’s are a list of options for dealing with the thick curly locks your Hellenic genes gave you.

Why me?

If you look around you and a bit behind you, you will soon realize that curly- hairedness is quite common for Greek people. I swear it must be from the time of the Greek gods when nymphs and mortals mated with goats and horses to produce fantastic hybrids.  (I’m convinced those stubborn black stubs that grow in week after week under my chin date back to the time Greeks mated with goats in ancient days.  I mean some hair is not human! It has to be animal!)  All the Greek gods were curly haired. Look at the ancients. Practically all the statues of  prominent matricians in the museums and on fresco walls wore their hair curly. Look at your family tree; honestly without counting those you know straighten their hair, how many people in your family have naturally curly hair? More than half maybe?   Curly hairiness like everything else is genetically passed down. I inherited mine from my Giagia Eirini. So like your traditions and your joke making ability you should be proud of it. But we have a problem here–

 

The Conflict of Curls

The problem is that curly is pase. No one wears their hair curly anymore. 20 years ago it was all the rage to run and perm your hair; everyone wanted luxurious curly hair. “You are so lucky,” every Greek hair dresser would tell me.”You don’t have to spend hours and a fortune to have your hair curly.”  But nowadays,  no one I mean no one, not even the cardio guy Richard Simmons wears her hair curly. Who is the last Hollywood actress you remember sporting curly locks–Geena Davis? Bette Midler? Oprah, maybe.  They’re has beens.  No current LA queen would be caught dead having nothing less than pin straight hair. Especially not the Kardashians who I swear have crazy curly hair as their genes are Armenian and come close to being Greek.  So if you want to kick the curl, what are the options? Here’s a list:

The Curly Que

Get a reverse perm aka a Japanese straightening

Advantages

• Gets your unruly locks to be tamed into a smooth silky straightness. You can have the hair of a Japanese geisha.
• Easy to maintain. Just a touch up with a straightener and you’re good to go
  Lasts 3 – 6 months for some

Disadvantages

• Expensive and time consuming. Expect to dish out from $150 low end to $ 600 high end for a good treatment. You’ll be in the salon from 4 to 6 hours so make plans ahead of time
• Good for you?  I’m no scientist but how healthy can it be to soak your skull in harsh chemicals for six hours.  The keratin straightening treatment is the more gentle approach where only proteins and keratin get hot ironed into strands but it does not last as  long
• Curly overgrowth starts appearing as your hair grows leaving you with a mushroom top head

The straightening routine (AKA ) DIY blow job
If you are not going to go full out professional, then you have to do it yourself every morning  for half an hour.

Advantages

• Cheaper alternative just watch the electric bill as blow dryers burn a lot of energy
• No harsh chemicals

                                         Disadvantages

• Lasts only as long as your next hop into the shower,  rain or workout
• Time consuming can take from 15 minutes to 45 minutes depending how much hair you got not to mention the aching arm muscles from balancing  brush, blow dryer, towels and other hair products
• You have to know how to do it.

Hair straighteners: If you lack time or skill to straighten hair with the blow dryer, some women opt to go straight to the straightener. I recommend one of the professional type straighteners for the Greek curls as the pharmacy store ceramic plated straighteners only make it frizzier and not as pin straight as you are expecting. I recommend the  Babybliss Pro, but my favorite is the Izunami lithium- plated professional straightener that reaches to 450 degrees F and is what hair stylists use to heat keratin directly into hair.

• Advantages

• These things actually work. You just part your hair into sections an inch and a half wide and press for 8 to 10 seconds (sometimes longer for extra stubborn hair) and pull through to the end of the strand

Easy to do. Even I, a complete dummy when it comes to hair care can manage to use a hair straightener and look semi-presentable.

• a cheap alternative to chemically straightening hair

              

                             Disadvantages

• tendency to dry out hair quickly with this method (as well as your blow dryer)
• danger of frying hair beyond repair if you calibrate the straightening iron too high (believe me I’ve done it–my hair felt like burnt fur and fell out like shattered pieces of glass)

Going curly

 If you’ve resigned yourself to the fact that you will never tame your curls, that you will forever carry your head like a Brillo pad or for those days when you want to give your hair a break from the dryers and the treatments, here are some tricks and products to use especially designed with curly in mind:

Ouidad: this salonist has made a name for himself styling women with tight curls (Arabic women take that prize).  His line of shampoos, conditioners, leave-in sprays, mousse and other product are especially formulated to tackle the problem of curly hair.  His salon on the West Side is a mecca for curly hair dos.  He knows how to “dry cut” curly heads because he understands the science behind curls; each curl has its own personality.  I recommend a trip just to see if his team can help you keep your curls and still feel good about it.

Conditioning:  If you put your curly hair through all sorts of straightening torture chambers, it is essential that you take the time to moisturize and deep condition it.  It is recommended you use a hot oil treatment at least every two weeks and use a daily leave-in conditioner (John Freida has plenty of these on the market.)  Moussing it up also helps define and refine curls keeping them from frizz.  Argan oil, tea tree oil, even good old olive oil or coconut oils are good for deep conditioning.  This involves saturating the hair with warm oil and covering it with a plastic shower cap and sleeping on it till morning.  I usually mix a blend of argan, olive oil and almond oils which I purchase directly from the health food store and cover my hair with it.  Another Dominican friend, also prone to frizz and dried out curly hair, swore by this trick: she washes her hair only twice a week (curly hair needs only occasional washing because of its tendency to dry out) and she applies the hair conditioner once, rinses, and then applies it again and half rinses it off.

There you have it koukles with boukles.  Either live with your curly hair and be happy, or get rid of them and go straight.  Either way you are beautiful.

Christmas Gift Ideas for Greek American women and the…

With the madness of the Christmas season upon is, you might be in a fix about what to get the special women in your life. Our friends at cafepress.com have designed a series of witty Greek- inspired tees and shirts for proud and gorgeous Greeks (and those who want to be like them).  Check them out!

Donkey Milk: An Ancient Greek Secret

Girls, the Greek skin care secret is not a secret if it’s been around since ancient times. Milk does a body good both inside and out. We’ve heard of goat’s milk helping skin be supple, soft and smooth. But donkey milk? Ssshh don’t talk too loudly but donkey’s milk is the next best thing for the Greek girl’s complexion. Remember the sex goddess Cleopatra? She was notorious for soaking in whole tubs of donkey’s milk.

Greece has not yet cornered the market on this beauty product. (Korea is in the lead with this and there is a Belgian company named Anes an Sens that has made a name for donkey’s milk products in Europe). It does, however, have a few good brands that feature it in their ingredients label. Donkey milk is known to be gentle and soothing for those with sensitive skin and eczema, and has four to five times more vitamin C than cow’s milk and is rich in proteins. (But those allergic to milk should be careful.)

 

OLIVOLIO BOTANICS: 

Part of the larger Phenomenon conglomerate, Olivolio Botanics is an authentic Greek company that uses natural native ingredients, such as olive oil, lavender, and of course, donkey’s milk. They have at least seven different products with the secret ingredient, all affordably priced, and easy to order through their e-shop.

Go to http://www.phenomenon.com.gr/eshop/olivolio/olivolio-botanics/donkey-milk3.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MIRRINI:

According to the Mirrini site, “Donkey milk is considered one of the most extravagant and timeless beauty secrets worldwide. The benefits of this ingredient include moisturizing, cleansing and nutritive properties. Elementally donkey milk offers a rich composition and excellent compatibility with human skin. It is also excellent for anti-aging and wrinkle treatment. Has 60 times the vitamin C from the milk of cows. Also vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, D & E. It is a rich source of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, iron, zinc, immunoglobulins and glycerols. The donkey milk is beneficial for consumption and skin care.” OK, not bad copy for a Greek-based site. And not bad as a company. They even feature a Men’s Facial Cream, why not? What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

Go check out http://mirrini.com/product-category/proionta-omorfias-en/

SOSTAR:

One of our editors had the chance to try the skin care cream Sostar while on holiday this summer in Evia and was thrilled with the results.  This small company headquartered in Thessaloniki creates affordable but quality-line of skin products that include donkey’s milk. While a bit hard to find, it is available in the more central pharmaceutical chains such as Hondos Center.   Sostar cream is the type of product we would like the world to associate Greece with: quality, faithfulness to tradition, genuine purity of ingredients, and value.  It has made our “Editor’s Pick” as authentic Greek beauty product.

Check out http://www.sostar.gr/C7253EC5.el.aspx

ONOIAMATA:

This is a new line of donkey milk only products that’s slowly gaining traction in the market. All their products, hand cream, body cream, hand soap, lip balm, feature donkey’s milk as the main ingredient. As a relatively new start up, they do not have wide distribution except at select pharmacies and outlets, but you can get a hand on them by ordering via their webshop.

Go to http://onoiamata.blogspot.gr/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Balayage hightlights vs traditional highlights: Which should you choose…

Let’s be honest, every. Greek girl and her mother, even her grandmother, loves highlights.  Highlights have been the rage for decades now.  Some like the blonde streaks, some like the mahogany. Everybody likes the way the strong Greek sun shimmers through the streaks to create a radiant, head-turning hue that dazzles.  Highlights, in fact, get better as they get sun bleached.

For the last several years, there has been one way to create highlights.  You know the deal—go to the salon, get slivers of hair separated, brush on chemical and cover with strips of aluminum foil.   But a relatively new coloring technique is making its way to America from France. It’s known as Balayage (pronounced Bali-aj).  If you keep up with the Kardashians, this is the bona fide method for highlights chosen by Kim, but our own Greek-American princess Jennifer Aniston has made balayage highlights her signature head piece.

Greekamericangirl.com interviewed Angela Calisti, a long-time Queens resident and celebrity stylist, who recently opened a salon in Astoria, to talk about the differences.

First, some background.  “Balayage” is a French word meaning “to sweep” or “to paint.” Balayage involves literally painting hair, much like an Impressionist painter like Cezanne or Monet. As a result, highlights are soft and natural, similar to what nature gives us as children. “The grow out process is more gradual,” Calisti states,”and you do not see so much of a growth line.” The principal idea being less is more when creating soft, natural looks, says Marie Claire UK.

While this method is nothing new in France where it originated, it is now just becoming popular on this side of the Atlantic. “Balayage highlighting,” Calisti says, “is a carefree way of creating highlights.”  She recommends it to clients who tend to be low-maintenance, as it gradually fades. Those with less time and endurance for the salon should go for Balayage highlights, Angela advises.
However, if you insist on being the high-maintenance beauty queen who loves to spend hours in the salon, then stick to the traditional highlight method.  Regular highlights are good for those who want their roots to be super, super light, or for those who like the chunky, dramatic highlights, advises Calisti.  Balayage would be ideal for those with really over-processed hair or those who want strict control of the tinting process.

With Angela Calisti salon conveniently located a short walk from the Ditmars subway stop, now you don’t have to take the N/Q train into Manhattan to get Balayage highlights. It’s all here in Astoria.  In fact, you can consider Calisti a Manhattan import that has grounded in Astoria.

Angela Calisti has been trained by some of the top stylists in New York City, such as John Barrett and Oscar Blandi. She has beautified a train of models during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and major fashion, TV production and advertise campaigns such as Bethenny Frankle’s “Shape Ups.”  She has worked with red-carpet celebrity clients such as Sofia Richie (Lionel Richie’s daughter), actress/author Bella Thorn, singer/songwriter Kate Pierson (the red-headed lead of the B52’s) and Willow Shields of “Hunger Games” fame. Yes, even the Jonas Brothers and hosts of “Huffington Post Live.”

Some of the hair and makeup celebrity shots done by Angela Calisti.

Mention you read about her from greekamericangirl.com and get a 10% discount.

More info at Angela Calisti salon.

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Hellenic inspired tattoos to show off on the beach

It’s summer!  If you are on the beach and want to show off some skin, or better yet your tattoo, here are some Greek-inspired designs to spike some interest in your curves.

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The Perfect Swim Suits for your (Greek Girl) Body

 

The Perfect Swim Suits For Your (Greek) Body

By: Toni Gasparis[author ]Toni Gasparis is a student at Loyola University Maryland who aspires to become an editor. Two of her favorite things? Her Yiayia’s koulourakia and Greek dancing in heels until her feet hurt. [/author]

Summer is in full swing and that means one thing—the beach. Most girls love the beach: the sand, the waves, the boardwalk, French fries and the hot guys. However, most girls dread beach season because that means they have to wear bathing suits.

Starting in January, our New Years resolutions are always to go on a diet to start working towards an “ideal” beach bod for the summer. But you don’t need to lose ridiculous amounts of weight in order to look and feel good on the beach, you just need to know how to dress for your body type.

 

Here’s the guide to help you do just that!

     Koulourgia  

Consider yourself lucky because you have the figure that every man thinks is attractive. Also known as the hourglass figure, which means you’ve got it going on in all the right places—a well-endowed chest, a nice-sized bum, and a slender waist creates a perfect silhouette.   Because of your proportional figure, pretty much any bathing suit, bikini or one piece, can flatter you. However, there are some styles that can highlight your assets perfectly.

 

-If you choose to wear a one piece, then get one with ruching in order to highlight your waste line.
-For a bikini-wearer it would be wise to chose a bandeau or  halter top for support…those skimpy triangle cups will not  give your boobs the support they need and will make them  look saggy.
-For either type of swimsuit, a halter is a good idea to show off your fabulous bust.
-Speaking of busts, if you’re on the bigger side, wider straps with a plunging V-neck give you the support you need but still make you look sexy in your suit.

Loukouma

You’re a little rounder and your fat congregates in  your stomach area. An apple is what your body is commonly referred to—smaller hips and shoulders, slender legs and  butt, but a circular stomach. Even though you can do nothing to change the pound package by your tummy, never fear!

There are plenty of bathing suit options that can flatter your  figure! Because your stomach is your problem area, a one piece is the way to go: you can hide your tummy and feel more  confident in your bathing suit.
-If you can, look for a bathing suit with a control top to  help suck in, smooth, and flatten your stomach.
-Buy a suit with a plunging V-neck to draw eyes to your  boobs and away from your stomach.
-An empire waist suit can definitely take the attention away from your stomach.
-A ruched, tiered or layered suit can easily conceal your  stomach.

                       

Ouzo Bottle

The most common body form for us Greek women. Known to everyone as the pear body shape, you were blessed with those big hips and a big butt to match. Usually accompanied by a slender waist, a smaller chest, you are definitely a bottom heavy gal. But there are bathing suits that take the attention away from and simultaneously  flatter your lower area to make you look instantly fabulous on the beach—large hips and all!
First rule is that everything you wear must have full bottom coverage! This is super important—you want to conceal your problem areas, not wear a bottom with your cheeks poking out to draw attention to those areas.
-Fold-over bikini bottoms add extra fabric and therefore flatter your butt.
-A tankini could be an option for you: with the shorts or skirts  as bottoms they provide full coverage…if you’re not a fan of  your stomach,  it covers that too, which is a big bonus!
-If bikinis aren’t your thing and you’re not a tankini fan, then a one piece with full bottom coverage (of course) and a bandeau  top could create a slimming and flattering silhouette for your beach bod.
-Always remember to wear monochromatic or two-toned solid suits. Absolutely no patterns on your bottom to make your butt look larger than it actually is. If possible, wear dark colors on your bottom to make your pisino not large but confident and in charge.

                                     

                                       Kyria Koutala (Kokalou) 

 

 Probably the most uncommon form for a Greek woman but still  possible to have. You are completely straight and narrow, commonly called a ruler or stick body shape—no curves, except maybe a little in  the hips, and a smaller bust and butt. You have a typical model figure; with your small form, anything and everything looks good on you! But there are still some things that can enhance your figure.

 

 

-You should definitely wear a bikini to show off your silhouette.

-Triangle bikini tops are recommended in order to accentuate the tiny amount of cleavage that you do have.

-String bikini bottoms to show off those slim lines.

Whether you have no curves, too many curves, or curves in all the right places; whether you wear an A cup or DD cup, there is a suit for you. So what are you waiting for? Go out, shop, try on, take this advice and get a suit that makes you feel hot and in gear for those gorgeous Greek beaches this summer.