Food diplomacy has taken on a distinctly Mediterranean flavour as the Region of Crete pulls out all the stops, hosting Cretan Gastronomy Week at the United Nations headquarters in Vienna. Running from 24 to 28 March 2025, this ambitious event unfolds within the imposing walls of the Vienna International Centre (VIC), and if that doesn’t sound like a pairing worthy of a Michelin star, nothing does.
An Event with Relish (No Pun Intended)
To call this a food event feels like describing the Mona Lisa as “just a painting”. Organised by the Region of Crete and the Educational Development Organisation PLOIGOS, with invaluable support from the Greek Embassy in Austria, the week-long celebration aims to elevate Crete’s culinary identity in front of an understandably tough crowd—a globally diverse ensemble of United Nations staff and diplomats.
Here’s how bold this initiative is:
- 30 distinct Cretan dishes will be crafted in the VIC’s kitchens, offering a slice (or 30 slices, rather) of Crete to the world’s palates.
- Over the course of five tantalising days, diners will devour nothing less than 10,000 individual meals. That’s 2,000 servings a day—because moderation clearly has no place here.
- Six chefs from the Cretan Chefs’ Club (because why settle for less?) are journeying to Vienna to orchestrate this delectable invasion.
This isn’t just about feeding people—it’s a carefully curated cultural exchange. Cretan Gastronomy Week seeks to highlight Crete’s gastronomic heritage in an atmosphere where cross-cultural dialogue is as commonplace as coffee breaks.
The initiative showcases how this cuisine thrives on simple, unpretentious ingredients, positioning Crete as a destination worth visiting not only for its beaches but also for its signature dishes.
Underpinning the event is the wider vision of “Crete: European Region of Gastronomy 2026,” which dreams of putting Crete on the global food map. While the UN cafeteria may not (yet) rival a taverna by the sea, this week, it will at least give ambassadors a reason to stay for lunch.
For details about the event in Greek, visit the official page here.
