Crete campaigns for the neglected, miraculous carob

"It's a funny paradox with the carob tree: On the one hand it is neglected, and on the other it is deeply entrenched in the conscience of the Cretan people," says Korina Miliaraki, president of the Agritourism Union of Crete and the Epimenides Cultural Society of Panormos, and the individual spearheading a campaign to get the carob tree onto the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. And a paradox there is indeed, as there are festivals on the island to celebrate the carob tree (the one in the village of Kato Pines is well known in the greater region of Elounda) but it is also used for firewood.

Nevertheless, the campaign to safeguard Crete's tradition of cultivating and using carob in myriad ways is progressing, as the proposal drafted by the Epimenides Society has already qualified for the second stage of assessment. If all goes well, this will lead to...