Salepi Vendors photos by Dawin Starin


In the past, salepi sellers carried large copper jugs or samovars on their backs. Today they use mobile carts, such as this one
at the edge of Monastiraki Square, an open space for demonstrations and performances.


Once salepi vendors and their customers were a common sight on the streets
of Athens. Now, they are rarely encountered.


Surrounded by souvlaki joints, coffee shops, patisseries and cafes heaving
with patrons, a lone salepi seller waits for business “sometimes a long time”
along the fashionable Ermou pedestrian way.


Like street food everywhere, salepi represents well-established local traditions. Here, a customer shares an exchange with a
vendor next to his cart stocked with the essentials for making and serving salepi.

© 2005 Orchid Conservation Coalition. All logos are trademarks of the Orchid Conservation Coalition.