The true Cretan diet

The Cretans beat all world records for good health and longevity. It has been said that they owe this to their high consumption of olive oil, vegetables and goat's cheese. Yet this famous and certainly healthy diet differs little from that of most Mediterranean people. So what is the secret of the Cretans? Renowned ethnobotanist François Couplan has observed, during his many trips to Crete, that the island's inhabitants gather an astonishing variety of spontaneous plants for food. He chose to look at the Cretan diet from a new angle: that of wild plants. His studies have shown that they are far more nutritious than most cultivated vegetables. He is thus certain to have discovered the "true Cretan diet", as well as his secret to long life. The good news is that Cretans aren't the only ones who can benefit from the exceptional virtues of wild plants. We too can easily put the "true Cretan diet" to good use in our own regions, where numerous wild plants of astonishing nutritional quality grow. François Couplan teaches us how to recognize them, pick them and cook them. In each case, his recipes offer an alternative to traditional vegetables for those days when picking is difficult...

282 pages.