Food, History, Pots And People

How Minoan Tastes has become more than just a history project…

In 2016, Politismos Museum featured three cultural exhibits (with still one series to come in 2017!). Minoan Tastes, founded by Jerolyn E. Morrison, curated the exhibits and is a social enterprise that promotes the culinary history of ancient Crete by working with a network of food experts, historians, and archaeologists. It was developed out of the desire to present scientific knowledge in a more tangible way for modern people so that they can better understand how the ancients performed daily activities.

Jerolyn E. Morrison is a potter and anthropologist with a PhD in archaeology. She has worked on Crete since 1997. We had the opportunity to chat with Jerolyn about the phenomenon which is Minoan Tastes…

Q. How did the Minoan Tastes project come about?

The Minoan Tastes project grew out of my PhD work. In late 2011 and early 2012, my friends (who are also archaeologists, conservators and cooks) and I organized a winter Minoan-style party at a local meze/raki place. I wanted to give a “Thank you!” to those that helped me so much during my studies. It was a hit! We cooked and ate the entire day and late into the evening. People even started bringing their own foods for cooking! The local internet news channels and radio shows loved it! In the spring our team became better organized and we started creating the program using a more professional platform. Since 2012, the team members and focus as grown and changed, but we continue to use food and cooking as a vehicle for teaching.

Q. What has been the most rewarding aspect of the project?