Christine Polyzos is celebrating the regional Greek dishes this month in her social media campaign “Meri month of May”, which she is running for the third year in a row.

Recipes from the many colourful regions of Greece are posted daily on her website kali-orexi.com.au and on her Instagram and Facebook platforms.

“The dishes are divided into 4 categories and each week I focus on one of the categories. Some of the recipes are shared by my beautiful Greek-Melbourne co-bloggers; some are shared by members of the Hellenic diaspora around the world; and some are my family recipes,” Ms Polyzos says and adds that “It is a celebration of both the incredible depth and breadth of Greek cuisine and the unity of the global Hellenic community.”

Meri in Greek means “region.” Hence the campaign’s title, as people often say, when talking about food, traditions, anything from their region of Greece: “είναι από τα μέρη μας”.

The first week is dedicated to the Greek Pie Drive, and Ms Polyzos has released her mum’s delicious and lesser known Tsouknidopita (Stinging Nettle Pie) which is from the region of Meteora.

Use heavy duty gardening gloves to collect your nettles. Once the nettles are massaged and gently macerated with salt, they lose their sting. Photo: Instagram

“In Greece my mum collected the stinging nettles along the creek beds under the majestic Meteora. In Australia, they self-seed and grow in her veggie patch in Autumn and Spring and then we are the lucky recipients of her beautiful pita creations!”

Ms Polyzos invites other Greek-food bloggers and the community of Kali Orexi to prepare a special recipe and share with the hashtag #merimonthofmay.

“Greece has so many lesser-known regional dishes and I would love for everyone to learn about them.”

This month’s other categories are:

Week 2: Ode to Okra, championing nature’s maligned and misunderstood delicacy

Week 3: Get Stuffing, showcasing a variety of delicious Greek stuffed foods

Week 4: Nuts About Sweets, highlighting Greek sweets with nuts as a key ingredient

All of the Meri Month of May posts will be shared @kalioreximelbourne both on Instagram and Facebook. At the end of the month the recipes and videos will have a dedicated page on the Kali Orexi website – www.kali-orexi.com.au/meri-month-of-may