In 2022 Thessaloniki became the first Greek city to join UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network for gastronomy by recognizing its traditional culinary practices, vibrant gastronomical community, and local foods, among others. Gastronomy has deep roots in this part of the world and when brought to light it spreads through the traditions, cultures and even music of the times. Ancient Greek culture can still be traced in today’s modern dishes and many more followed, with Roman, Ottoman, Jewish, Norman, Slav, and Arab, each leaving a unique gift to the city’s cuisine while shaping its identity and culture.   In this course we walk through the city’s history and look at its food and dishes. We dive back into ancient Greek antiquity, moving on through the hellenistic, roman, byzantine, ottoman and finally reaching the modern day history of the city. We focus on the gastronomy: what are its origins, how were people eating, what was the social concept of dining and having their coffee together, how were they preparing the food, what are the different cultures that met here, how does the modern day cuisine reflect all this cultural heritage, etc. Also, how does modern day gastronomy affect and is affected by climate change? How can it be more eco-friendly? Finally, can gastronomy help us become more responsible citizens and more empathetic persons? As you can understand, gastronomy is only the start of our 6 day journey in time and cultures. Teachers who will participate in our course will have the opportunity to learn about the cultural heritage of the past but also get a better understanding of present day history and culture. They will study multiculturalism and find out how this is reflected on our eating habits and attitudes in general. And as expected we will look at what is required to foster a culture that values diversity, inclusivity, while promoting respect, empathy and understanding in the classroom and society at large.