He is 35 years old and is involved in animal husbandry. He has sheep and goats, but that’s not all. He uses their fresh milk to make his own pasta, based on traditional recipes.
We met Andreas Karamouzis in his pasta workshop just outside Kalavryta. We talked about milk, the conveniences and difficulties of a life that involves day-to-day dealing with and caring for dozens of animals.
“They are living beings and they expect everything from me and my family in order to survive. Especially when the weather is bad, when it snows or is freezing cold, the animals need to be protected and fed at the same time,” he told us when we met him one morning in his workshop where he and his mother, Mrs Akrivi, make their pasta, known by the brand name Helmos.
1986 Workshop
A few hours earlier, the previous afternoon, we were walking down the main pedestrian street of Kalavryta, just below the church. We entered a shop selling beautiful ceramics. We talked with Mr Alexopoulos, we discussed tourism, the difficulties of the Covid-19 era. He told us about his daughter who makes all these beautiful ceramics and who now lives in Florence. Just before we left he told us about the Helmos pasta workshop. “I started this workshop many years ago, in 1986 in particular, and four years ago Andreas took over. He is a worthy young man who makes really delicious pasta and he’s well worth a visit”, he told us.
From 6 am
And so with these recommendations, we found ourselves here. Andreas talked to us about his everyday life. “Every morning I wake up at 6am. I visit the animal; I feed, clean and milk them. With their milk I make my pasta, just like Mr Alexopoulos taught me”, he says, while spreading pasta in a sieve. He makes hylopites (traditional Greek egg pasta), handmade trahana in the traditional way with goat’s milk, lasagna, as well as vegan pasta with various vegetables, mushrooms and wholewheat flour.
Organic livestock unit
The livestock unit is located in Skepasto, a settlement outside Kalavryta and the animals, the goats, are fed with organic fodder only. Their breed is of Spanish origin and their main characteristic is that their milk lacks the characteristic smell of goat’s milk, which many people dislike.
Focus on quality and flavour
The conversation continues in front of the display with their packaged products. “It fills me up with pleasure the fact that I use our goats’ milk to make my own pasta. We do our best to keep the flavour intact and I believe that the raw materials are key to the quality of the final product”, says Andreas Karamouzis. He is yet another professional who believed in himself, set his sights on succeeding in his homeland and did it. His pasta can be found under the brand name Helmos in various delicatessens in Athens, Patras, Agrinio, Aeghion, Corinth and Crete.
Helmos Pasta, tel: +30 6946 646786
