The Greek Who Taught the Japanese to Eat Feta and Olive Oil

(original story in Greek by Inga Athanasiadou)

Greek soil is known for its particular quality, and Greek products hold the key to a source of wealth that the political system in Greece has failed to exploit to its best interests.

Greek traditional products rank high in international markets for their pure taste, healthy ingredients and quality, and could help the recession-hit country find a way out of the crisis, should they be adequately promoted across the world in a more organized manner.

Currently, only individuals are promoting Greek products to the world with their personal initiatives and businesses. And the results confirm that Greek products are a delight to everyone who tastes them.

One example is the case of Mr. Thanasis Fragkis, who lives in Japan and introduced Greek traditional products to the Far East land. Olives, wine, cheese and yogurt are being presented as gourmet delicacies to the Japanese.

With his business called Nostimia.com, Mr. Fragkis began passing on to the Japanese people the knowledge of the quality of Greek virgin olive oil and the particular taste of feta. His company imports 80% of the formulated Greek products entering the Japanese market, which are distributed to hotels, restaurants, and retail outlets. Moreover, Mr. Fragkis has created a website selling the most desired products online.

Mr. Fragkis has seen a 20% yearly increase in his sales in Japan, which is only driven by his personal efforts. “This whole scheme has nothing to do with Greece and this is my only complaint” said Mr. Fragkis.

However, Mr. Fragkis is taking part in different expos promoting Greek products and flavors, such as FOODEX, the biggest food and beverage expo in the Pacific.

Mr. Fragkis noted that in the past, when the Japanese economy was at its highest peak, some attempts had been made to introduce the Greek products to the Japanese market, especially on behalf of private businesses.

Nostimia.com was founded in 2001, aiming at introducing the Greek traditional and biological food and beverage products to Japan. The business is based in Mikato, a city 130km away from Fukushima. Mr. Fragkis comes from Euboea, Greece, and met his wife in England. They finally decided to move to and live in Japan, where his wife comes from.