At the table of a Greek king of the heroic age, the meal is organized around the sitos — the cereal base (barley cake or porridge) that truly nourishes — accompanied by the opson, the "that-which-goes-with-it": roasted meat from sacrificial days, cheese, olives, figs. Little is drunk while eating; the wine mixed with water comes afterward, during the symposion, a time of words, offerings to the gods, and libations. Nothing is eaten without first offering a portion to the Immortals.

Aegean cuisine is not about spices: it rests on the four Greek pillars — ground barley (alphita), honey from Mount Hymettus, olive oil, and wine from the vine. Toasted sesame and honey form the sweet note of feast days and offerings.