Icaria, also spelled Ikaria (Greek: Ικαρία), is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, 10 nautical miles (19 km) southwest of Samos. It derived its name from Icarus, the son of Daedalus in Greek mythology, who fell into the sea nearby.
The main story told about Icarus is his attempt to escape from Crete by means of wings that his father constructed from feathers and wax. He ignored instructions not to fly too close to the sun, and the melting wax caused him to fall into the sea where he drowned. As Icarus tried to defeat the laws of the time and was lead by high ambition, and ascensionism, the people of today’s Ikaria seem to follow into his footsteps without even knowing it.
Inhabitants of Ikaria reach the age of 90 years 2.5 times more than Americans did.
Dan Buettner reporter and explorer interested in longevity around the globe discovered this place in the Greek peninsula where people with the simplest lifestyle defeat the laws of aging of today’s world. But what is fascinating about these people is not only what they eat, but their entire lifestyle.
"Here the world is waking up late; they always wake up late and rest during the day. They bear no clock at hand and no clock on the island is working properly. When you invite someone to lunch they can come at ten in the morning or at six at night. We simply do not care what time it is. Here we do not care about money and wealth. When you celebrate religious or cultural events, people use money to buy wine and food. If money remains after that they give them to the poor. Ikaria is not a place to use the word "I". Ikaria is an island that uses only the word "we" (Ilias Leriadis doctor, one of the few doctors on the island of Ikaria.)
In just a few words a local synthesis the amazing lifestyle of this population. They take everything as it comes, simply with no stress, they do nothing more than doing what they like disregarding money and time. They probably have nothing more than the basic things to live, but they have the warmth of their community and the power of nature.
To read more about this universe here – one article on New York Times, one on Business Insider or Dan Buettner Speaking
What fascinates me about this community is their simplicity compared to all the material things that embellish our lives…and then it come to a simple thing…What if…?
“For people to adopt a healthy lifestyle they have to live in an ecosystem."
For example, Americans are trying to eat healthy, but "processed food industry spends over $ 4 billion per year to tempt us to consume their products. How can we combat this?" (Dan Buettner reporter and explorer)
So, after all is not about fighting the gravitation of living, is about fighting an entire life style. Good luck with that, especially if you are living in the modern world!
Below are a few Ikarian recipes that may help in improving your lifestyle…
“Longevity” Black Eyed Pea Stew from Ikaria
Serves 2 as a main course and 4 – 6 as a meze
½ pound black eyed peas
½ cup extra virgin Greek olive oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large, firm ripe tomato, grated or finely chopped
2 teaspoons tomato paste, diluted in ¼ cup water
2 bay leaves
Salt to taste
1 bunch wild fennel or 1 fennel bulb, finely chopped and 1 bunch dill, finely chopped
1. Rinse the black eyed peas in a colander.
2. Heat half the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic, stirring, until soft, about 12 minutes. Add the black eyed peas and toss to coat in the oil.
3. Add the tomato, tomato paste and enough water to cover the beans by about an inch. Add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the black eyed peas are about half way cooked. Season with salt. Add the wild fennel. (Note: if wild fennel is unavailable, cook the chopped fennel bulb with the onion and garlic and add the dill in place of the wild fennel.) Continue cooking until the black eyed peas are tender. Remove, pour in remaining raw olive oil and serve.
Below are a few Ikarian recipes that may help in improving your lifestyle…
“Longevity” Black Eyed Pea Stew from Ikaria
Serves 2 as a main course and 4 – 6 as a meze
½ pound black eyed peas
½ cup extra virgin Greek olive oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large, firm ripe tomato, grated or finely chopped
2 teaspoons tomato paste, diluted in ¼ cup water
2 bay leaves
Salt to taste
1 bunch wild fennel or 1 fennel bulb, finely chopped and 1 bunch dill, finely chopped
1. Rinse the black eyed peas in a colander.
2. Heat half the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic, stirring, until soft, about 12 minutes. Add the black eyed peas and toss to coat in the oil.
3. Add the tomato, tomato paste and enough water to cover the beans by about an inch. Add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the black eyed peas are about half way cooked. Season with salt. Add the wild fennel. (Note: if wild fennel is unavailable, cook the chopped fennel bulb with the onion and garlic and add the dill in place of the wild fennel.) Continue cooking until the black eyed peas are tender. Remove, pour in remaining raw olive oil and serve.
Taro and Kidney Bean Stew
This dish is an old winter specialty from Ikaria. The recipe is adapted from a small book on Ikarian cooking, published (in Greek) by the community of Kavos Papas, on the south side of the island.
Serves 6
Ingredients
½ pound kidney or mottled beans, soaked overnight
1 bay leaf, cracked
½ cup extra virgin Greek olive oil
2 large red onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large taro root, peeled (use a chef’s knife to remove the tough skin) and cut into ½-inch thick half moons. Cut it down the middle lengthwise then slice.
½ cup chopped canned tomatoes or 1 tablespoon of good quality, preferably sun-dried, tomato paste
½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt and pepper
Lemon juice, verjuice, or a little red wine vinegar to taste
Directions
Drain the beans and place in a large pot with enough water to cover by two inches. Bring to a boil, skim any foam off the top, add the bay leaf, lower the heat and continue cooking for about 35 minutes.
While the beans are cooking, heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy nonstick skillet and sauté the onions and garlic until soft and lightly colored, about 8 minutes over medium heat.
Add the taro root slices and sauté for a few minutes, stirring. Local cooks do this to rid the taro of its mucousy texture. Set aside.
Add the taro, onions and garlic to the simmering beans.
Pour in another 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil, the tomatoes, salt, and pepper, and simmer for about 1 hour until the stew is densely textured and the taro and beans soft.
Stir in the parsley and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper and either lemon juice, verjuice, or red wine vinegar.
Taro Root Salad with Skordalia
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
1 large taro root, peeled
1 red onion, halved and chopped
1 celery stalk, trimmed and chopped
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or dill
½ cup olive or more, as needed
3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice or red wine vinegar, to taste
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Peel the taro root and place in a pot with ample cold water (to cover by 2 inches). Salt the water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer the taro for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until fork tender.
Remove with a slotted spoon and stand upright on a cutting board. Cut away the muddy remains of the taro’s peel and discard. Cut the taro in half lengthwise and then into chunks about 1½ inches in size. Place in a large serving bowl.
Add the onion, celery, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss carefully.
Serve warm or at room temperature, with classic Greek skordalia (recipe follows).
Skordalia (Garlicky Bread Dip)
Ingredients
4 to 5 2-inch thick slices of sourdough country-style bread,
crusts removed
5 to 7 garlic cloves, peeled
½ to 1 cup extra virgin Greek olive oil
¼ to ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
Salt to taste
Directions
Dampen the bread under the tap and squeeze out the excess moisture.
Place half the garlic and half the bread in a large mortar. Using the pestle, start pounding the mixture, adding salt and olive oil in small amounts, then more bread and garlic, and, again, salt, then olive oil and vinegar, alternating between each in slow, steady streams, until the mixture emulsifies and is a textured paste.