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Chios: The Mastiha Island with Katherine Whittaker

Chios: The Mastiha Island with Katherine Whittaker


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Can't make this time? A video recording will be sent to all participants after the seminar.

Chios is Greece’s fifth-largest island, and anyone who has been there will tell you that there’s something just a little different about this place. It’s the only place where you’ll find mastic trees, which produce a resin with healing properties that can range from a cancer cure to a toothpaste, depending on who you ask, so this seminar will introduce you to this magical island and the product that has directed its history.
In this tour from north to south, journalist Katherine Whittaker will cover the history of the island - its proximity to Turkey means it was subject to many takeovers and exchanges of power, as well as a number of massacres that nearly decimated the island’s population - and the importance mastiha has always played in the island’s economic activity. Katherine will also cover how it is trying to move forward, modernizing the production of the country’s most historically significant products.
Led by an expert on Greek food and culture, Katherine Whittaker, this interactive seminar will explore the magic and mystery of Chios. Designed to inform curiosity as well as future travels, participants will come away with an increased appreciation for a Greek island that doesn’t follow any of the Mamma Mia island tropes, with a history and culture all its own.

Katherine Whittaker is a freelance food writer, photographer, videographer, and social media manager based in Athens, Greece, for the past three years. She has worked at Saveur Magazine writing about Greek food and culture, and acted as a one-woman digital team during her time there. Before that, she worked in Athens at Reuters, and her other experiences range from political reporting for Gothamist in New York to fact-checking at ArtForum. She holds a dual masters degree in European Studies and Journalism from NYU.

This conversation is suitable for all ages.

90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.

Customer Reviews

Based on 2 reviews
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Linda Whittaker (Coopersburg, US)
Chios mastiha

It was very thorough, well researched and presented

A
Anonymous (San Jose, US)

Katherine told what there was to tell and told it well, however Chios doesn't seem as interesting as many of the other Greek Islands.

Customer Reviews

Based on 2 reviews
50%
(1)
50%
(1)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
L
Linda Whittaker (Coopersburg, US)
Chios mastiha

It was very thorough, well researched and presented

A
Anonymous (San Jose, US)

Katherine told what there was to tell and told it well, however Chios doesn't seem as interesting as many of the other Greek Islands.