Vegan and raw food movements gaining ground

If you're ever served a sandwich on wheat germ bread with a walnut pate and avocado mayonnaise, or a chia seed pudding, don't give it a second thought, just tuck in, as vegan and raw food recipes are gaining ground in Greek eateries along with the rise in the number of people embracing these diets.

Fans of the two categories - which are distinct yet similar in many respects - met recently at the country's first-ever Vegan Life Festival, which took place at Technopolis in the central Athens Gazi district.

"We had 6,500 visitors in total," says Frangiskos Sakellaridis, one of the organizers of the event, unable to hide his delight. "Many of those who came to try the delicacies served at the event's 50 kiosks or to hear scientists explain the concepts are not initiates of the lifestyle, but still flirting with the idea."

Frangiskos is 30 and has been a vegan for...