Chef Spyros Voulismas is such a kind and approachable man that you can hardly believe that he carries such heavy titles as the President of the Corfu Chefs Club, but also the Executive Chef of Voulgaris Hospitality Group, a company that owns some of its best hotels. of the island, while maintaining its simplicity and authenticity.
Born in Agios Mattheos of Central Corfu, Spyros Voulismas grew up having as a model his grandfather and a village cook, a fact that in combination with the traditional Corfiot flavors by his mother and his direct contact with nature and the primary sector, resulted in his love, not to mention his passion for simple and seasonal land and sea products and minimal dishes.
The rustic… somewhat different!
Scallops with notes of Pavlosykos - a type of prickly pear - and Corfu strawberry vinegar.
Rooster pastitsado with "caviar" kefalograviera.
Sauteed squid with rosemary
Cremeux with kumquat in pastel crumble.
Artichokes "kanjiofoles" pastrokio with bergamot and salad foam (local traditional salami).
After completing his studies at the School of Tourism of Parnitha and a long journey to hotels and restaurants in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and of course of Athens, returned about 17 years ago to his beloved Corfu, where he lives with his family, creates and dreams. Read his very interesting interview.
1. Where were you born and what are the first "tasty" memories of your childhood?
I was born and raised in Corfu, in a beautiful village, Agios Mattheos. From my childhood memories I single out those of the 70s and 80s, in the narrow streets of the village, with the smells and aromas from my mother's wood oven, which alternated from Sunday to Sunday between pastitsado, sofrito, bianco and the brothel.
2. When did you realize that the art of cooking is one way in your life and what were your studies?
I realized this early, from the age of 14 to about 15, at the same time as I started in hotels and watching the whole process, I slowly wanted to dedicate myself to cooking. As for my studies, I am a graduate of the School of Tourism Professions in Parnitha, where I studied in the period 1982-1984.
3. Do you have an "idol" in the field of cooking or a person who helped or inspired you in your first steps?
My idol and at the same time the person who defined my gastronomic identity, was my grandfather. The cook of weddings, engagements and parties of our village. And why he was so decisive, you may wonder. Growing up and studying the raw material he used, I realized what the quintessence of cooking is! The pure raw material, the seasonal, as well as the minimal in the amount of ingredients, which he used for the recipe. Few ingredients and fresh, a lot of love, with seasonality and locality to define gastronomy.
4. Describe to us the most important milestones in your career so far.
My introduction and graduation from the School of Tourism Professions and the beautiful meetings with dear colleagues, mark my cooking course over time. Of course, the first memories of taking up my duties as a chef in the brigade of a 5-star hotel can not be forgotten.
5. What is your position on the philosophy of Greek cuisine and how could you become a "player" of international renown in the field of world gastronomy?
I believe that Greek cuisine is already a very strong "player" in the field of world gastronomy. Perhaps this is not yet visible, because other cuisines, such as French, Italian, etc., have already taken many more steps than us, in terms of promoting and marketing their identity, but the character of Greek gastronomy, its raw material and the Greek philosophy that runs through it, are very high and this will be seen in the near future.
6. The focus in our country has developed both quantitatively and qualitatively. What is your opinion on the subject?
I have the feeling that, in terms of quantitative growth, it is disproportionate in relation to our needs, in relation to what we produce, in relation to the requirements of Greek society in general. We have reached the point where anyone who can afford it simply invests in catering. But beyond the financial possibility, the gastronomic culture, the knowledge and the love are also necessary.
7. Do you think that Greek cuisine should have a unified identity or be composed of small local kitchen tiles?
I am convinced that the small cooking mosaics that Greece has are its great advantage. Due to historical circumstances, many conquerors passed through our country, leaving indelible their gastronomic tradition. In every place in Greece you will find different flavors. In the Ionian Islands and the Cyclades, where the Venetians and the Franks passed, we will find flavors and aromas from Italian and French cuisine. In Epirus and Macedonia there is a strong oriental cuisine.
Thessaloniki and the islands of the North Aegean are dominated by the element of political cuisine, due to the populations that welcomed these areas after the Asia Minor Catastrophe. Crete and the Peloponnese, for their part, have their own perception of food, with Mediterranean cuisine dominating. That is, we see the difference in relation to other countries, e.g. France, Germany or Italy, which were not influenced by conquerors and their culinary culture is purely national, while we Greeks have this dynamic and the ability to choose different flavors, because of the reasons I mentioned above.
8. Where would you define yourself and your position as a chef in the landscape of Greek gastronomy and what are your plans for the future?
My role and position is always to add a little stone to the evolution of gastronomy and especially the gastronomy of my place, Corfu, while giving added value to the raw material, due to the locality of the products. As for my plans for the future, they focus on the spread and continuation of the traditional Ionian cuisine, but also on its connection with today, with tomorrow, with evolution.
9. Could you tell us a few words about the space you work in today and your sources of inspiration? What does Corfiot gastronomy mean to you?
Today I work at Voulgaris Hospitality Group (VHG), as Executive Chef in all three hotels of the company, Kontokali Bay Resort and Spa, Aeolos Beach Hotel and Olivar Suites. My sources of inspiration are the fauna and flora of our place, nature, my colleagues and my children.
Closing this interesting discussion, we would like you to comment on the difficulty of your profession in relation to the oversupply of cooks, who are constantly "coming out" in the market, from the many relevant Schools and realities. After all, are chefs stars?
Personally, I do not find any difficulty. The question for all these children who enter our space, in the field of cooking, is to do it because they love this art and of course not for some stariliki or for some minutes of publicity. Because the kitchen itself, our work itself, is our relentless judge!
Thank you very much, chef, for our very interesting conversation.
