In Season 5 of My Greek Table, I share how to boil horta—traditional Greek greens—one of the simplest and most powerful longevity foods of the Mediterranean diet.
This everyday ritual from Ikaria, a world-famous Blue Zone, shows how food can quietly support health, vitality, and long life.
If there is one dish that captures the soul of Greek longevity cooking, it is horta—our beloved boiled greens. For generations, Greeks have relied on wild and cultivated greens as everyday nourishment, not a trend or a detox, but a way of life.
In this clip from Season 5 of My Greek Table (“The Flavors of Longevity”), I show you exactly how to clean, boil, and serve horta, using traditional methods passed down for centuries—especially on my home island of Ikaria.
🌿 In Greece, horta can include many varieties, such as:
• Vlita (amaranth greens)
• Radikia (wild chicory)
• Stamnagathi
• Dandelion greens
• Sow thistle (zohos)
• Wild spinach and seasonal foraged greens
Some greens are bitter, some sweet—but all are valued for their minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and therapeutic properties.
💧 One essential tradition many outside Greece miss:
We drink the cooking liquid. Ikarians have always understood that this mineral-rich broth supports digestion, hydration, liver health, and gentle detoxification—long before modern nutrition science confirmed it.
🌱 Why horta are a longevity food:
• Extremely nutrient-dense (vitamins A, C, K, iron, calcium, potassium)
• Naturally plant-based and Mediterranean-diet friendly
• Supports digestion and metabolic health
• Simple, affordable, and deeply nourishing
👉 Get the full recipe & learn more about Greek greens:
🛒 Shop the Greek olive oils and ingredients I use:
https://shop.dianekochilas.com
📺 From My Greek Table Season 5 — The Flavors of Longevity
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9 Comments
Horta may be humble, but they’re one of the most powerful longevity foods in the Greek kitchen 🌿
Do you cook greens more often bitter (like dandelion or chicory) or sweet (like amaranth or spinach)?
And would you try drinking the cooking liquid, the way Ikarians do?
👉 Learn more about Greek greens at https://www.dianekochilas.com
A european who participated in the greek revolution of 1821 wrote that when greek rebels had shortage of food ( almost always the case …) just wondered for a while with a small knife and after a while returned with a huge variety of greens whom they made a decent meal with a little olive oil and some bread. Actually many greeks survived on them during the famine of winter 1941 during the German occupation…💪🇬🇷🇬🇷💪
To my family & many fellow Greek-Americans, ραδίκια are dandelion greens & αντίδια are chicory/curly endive. We add fresh squeezed lemon juice to those. To the sweeter greens (Swiss chard, beet greens) we add red wine vinegar. But no matter what, Horta is The Best!!!
I remember when you're mom was pregnant with you. Kostia was my pal back in Elmhurst when the family lived in my uncle Kalergios's home. I've eaten at your restaurant up in Raxes in 2022, Athena and Paul were there as well. Time flies.
Hahaha … a little bit of olive oil
Why not steam them instead? Boiling destroys a lot of the vitamins.
In the southern part of the US, add extra water to that and make Pot Liquor!!
love it
Yummy but lemon juice 😋 please