Prahran Market Goes Greek for Fiesta

Greek Hoplites weave through shoppers in the market’s centre

Sam Kaplan shows off some of Sweet Greek’s traditional treats

Philip Vakos from season two of MasterChef cooks up at storm at a cooking demonstration

 Dancers enjoy live Greek music

Prahran’s usual market stalls were transformed into a sea of white and blue, live entertainment and gourmet food on Saturday for a Greek Fiesta.

Celebrating Greek culture and food, the event featured roving musicians, Greek street food, cooking shows and dancing.

Food was the focus of the fiesta with traditional dishes scattered around the market, from meat and eggplant filled moussaka to a custard filled pie called galaktoboureko.

Including regular shoppers, up to 20,000 people were expected to attend the event, said Prahran Market Marketing Manager Stephanie Prawdzie.

Before the event, Ms Prawdzie predicted a “fantastic atmosphere” and was “really excited” for new Greek street food stalls.

The market was bursting with white and blue balloons, Greek flags, pop up stalls and the aroma of spiced meats.

Ancient Greek Hoplites and Evzon Honour Guards roamed the market and deli while market goers went about their weekly shop.

Regular market trader ‘Sweet Greek’ expanded their usual shop into the market square, showcasing a huge range of Greek desserts.

Prahran’s large Greek community welcomed the fiesta but Ms Prawdzie said the event was for everyone.

“It’s a great opportunity to try new food, there’s the entertainment value and it’s a great way to experience Greek culture,” she said.

After sampling a selection of customary food, shoppers could learn to make Greek food themselves at one of the afternoon’s cooking demonstrations.

Former MasterChef contestant and Chef at Bahari the Hellenic Palate restaurant, Philip Vakos, showed aspiring chefs how it’s done by cooking wild boar and buffalo sheftalia.

Mr Vakos’s advice for first time Greek chefs was to focus on the ingredients.

“Greek cooking is all about simplicity and fresh produce,” he said.

“My secret is instead of using traditional recipes, I incorporate different spices from the Middle-East and Asia in great food, to give hidden undertones and to keep people guessing.”

Kids were also invited to join in the cooking by learning to stuff rice, pine nuts and herbs around grape leaves to make customary dolmathakia.

Prahran Market has been operating for over 125 years and hosts different events including Sunday sessions, hidden gem market tours and seasonal barbeques.

This was the third time Prahran Market held a Greek Fiesta.