Editor’s Note: Ask Katehi is a weekly column where students get a chance to ask the UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi questions.
What is your favorite Greek food and why?
There are so many wonderful Greek dishes to choose from and, although I do not eat meat and tend to be a light eater, I do eat dairy products and seafood. With that said, my favorite Greek food is charbroiled octopus. This might surprise many of you because this dish is not commonly served in the U.S. Even in Greek restaurants here where they do serve it, it differs greatly from what you get in Greece, both because of the quality of the cephalopod and the way it is prepared.
This dish goes well with a glass of chilled white wine or a shot of ouzo – an anise-flavored liquor often served with Greek foods or appetizers. But there’s nothing like sitting in a Greek island café on a warm summer evening munching on a leg of charbroiled octopus as you watch the sunset or boats sail by, or while having a lively conversation with friends or relatives about addressing the world’s problems. Everything then seems possible and there is nothing that can spoil the atmosphere.
If you ever find yourself in Greece in the summer, I encourage you to try it and you will see what I mean. You will need a Greek native friend, though, to take you to the right place.
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