Compared to the population of other cities in Greece, the inhabitants of Thessaloniki are recognized as leaders in the consumption of ice cream.
After first place in the national confection bougatsa (μπουγάτσα), Thessaloniki is now also the champion of ice cream, as the northern capital of Greece took first place in the list with the highest consumption of ice cream.
A treat in a waffle cup occupies an honorable first place in the preferences of “something like that” after a meal – on a walk in the city or at home. And social media, according to the Athens Agency, is littered with photos showing ice cream in front of many of Thessaloniki’s landmarks.
In most of the country’s 5,000 confectioneries, ice cream is in great demand in summer, leading among all other sweets. “In summer, ice cream is preferred by 80% compared to other sweets, in all its forms and forms, from bulk to portioned. Thessaloniki has the highest consumption of ice cream in relation to the population,” said Yiannis Glykos, President of the Hellenic Federation of Professional Pastry Chefs.
The list of people’s preferences includes chocolate, “followed by sweets with cream, and even further in the ranking are baklava, baklava (σιροπιαστά) and others, for which there will again be active demand in winter,” says Mr. Glikos.
In connection with the new conditions and the increase in prices for a number of products, the specific market has also suffered, and “one kilogram is a rare order”, as the confectioners say, and the ice cream balls have decreased and the portions have become smaller even in a glass.
Mr. Glikos, however, hopes the confectionery market will be supported so that businesses can get through the summer, and as he points out, while they are trying to offset price increases and not burden ice cream and dessert lovers with their big increase.
Stelios Ribas, owner of two ice cream shops (including one made from frozen yogurt) in the center of Thessaloniki, stressed that “watermelon taste” attracts and drives tourists crazy this year.
“Tourists seek and prefer what is truly ‘Greek’. Frozen Greek yogurt, a watermelon-flavoured product, is something we don’t have time to fill the window with this year. Those who know watermelon as a fruit, have tasted it after dinner at the Greek table, go crazy at the thought of trying it in the form of frozen yogurt. The demand for it is just great!” says Mr. Ribas.
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