location and prevailing climatic conditions, while cultural environment refers to history, religion (Μοίρα, 2019) identity, local traditions and ethnic diversity. The environment influences the production of agricultural products, but also harvesting, processing, preservation and consumption of food. It affects food ingredients, cooking methods, recipes, food etiquette and food and drink preparation techniques. The time and the process involved in the preparation of food as well as the sharing of it around a table have fostered human relationships throughout human history. In the Greek language there is an expression “μεταξύ τυρού και αχλαδίου” [between cheese and pear] (Μπαμπινιώτης, 2005: 1085), which means the topics discussed and confessions made towards the end of a rich meal, which is the time when waistbands and tongues are set free. A similar expression exists in French (“entre la poire et le fromage”), which has been included in the Dictionary of Académie française since 1694. II. FROM FOOD CONSUMPTION TO ‘GASTRONOMY’ The term gastronomy has been used in the Greek language since antiquity. The term consists of the words gastir (belly) and nomos (knowledge or law). The term is defined in the Modern Greek Language Dictionary (Μπαμπινιώτης, 2005: 401) as: “[…] the art of haute cuisine, the set of rules for the selection of suitable ingredients and the preparation of dishes aiming at tasty and visual enjoyment. It also means, in general, any activity related to cooking and the pleasure of food”. The word gastronomy is often confusing, as it is considered that it refers to the provision of expensive and unusual food. In reality, the term refers to the art of preparing good and tasty food. According to the Greek Tourism Confederation (ΣETE, 2009: 11), delicious and quality food is not only offered in expensive and luxurious restaurants but in every catering establishment, from a tavern to a restaurant of a five-star hotel. Thus, in practice, gastronomy involves the combination of good food with wine or other beverages and it is not limited to cooking alone but extends to a range of products and services (Moira et al, 2012). In addition to the term gastronomy the term culinarian is also used. However, this term refers to the local cuisine and the food of a country or a place, the food and cooking techniques, which also characterise the local cuisine of a region 490 DIMITRIOS MYLONOPOULOS | POLYXENI MOIRA
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