Corfu Secrets
T
alk about a Corfu secret; I have walked past this one Did you know?
countless times without paying it any attention. It
was only when I came to need sugared almonds, for Shops in Greece are traditionally named after their owners,
making christening favours, that I was directed to the Mar- even large chain stores such as “Vasilopoulos” or “Kotsovo-
kosian store on G. Theotoki, opposite Marks & Spencer, and los”. It is for this type of up-market establishment that the
I realised what a blast from Corfu’s past this place really is. surname of the owner is used, whereas smaller, more work-
ing class or basic establishments take the Christian name
Founded in 1908, exactly 100 years ago, this store was orig- of their owner, for example “Spiros Supermarket”, “Nikos
inally just a kafekoption – meaning a coffee “cutting” shop. Taverna”.
Nowadays, customers may still have their choice of coffee
ground for them, but the shelves also groan with all sorts of
other goodies: olive oil, wines and liquers, the bottles lined
up to the ceiling; traditional sweets, chocolate, sugared fruit,
biscuits, dried fruit and nuts, all available loose in jars or
boxes, from which you take as much as you require and
have it weighed at the counter.
This is a great, old-fashioned grocery store of sorts, where
things come in paper bags and you leave feeling all warm
inside for having gone back in time, even for such a short
shopping moment.
Markos Markosian, G.Theotoki 20, Corfu.
46 ISLAND ISSUE 9
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