The classic Athenian meal revolves around sitos, the staple food (barley flatbread maza or bread), accompanied by opson, the 'what-you-eat-with-it': olives, fish, legumes, cheese. People eat sitting or reclining, frugally. Then, in the evening, comes the symposion: the table is cleared, guests recline on couches (klinai), crown their heads, and drink wine mixed with water to the sound of the aulos, reciting verses — the favorite moment of poets like Aristophanes.

Harvested on the fragrant slopes above Athens, this amber honey with wild thyme flavor was the pride of Attica. It was used to sweeten wine, bind cakes, and honor the gods — an affordable luxury that defined Athenian cuisine.