Discover Joy of Origins: Reviving Cypriot Roots Through Food, Nature, and Storytelling

Can you provide a brief overview of your background and journey? What inspired the creation of Joy of Origins, and what milestones have you achieved so far (e.g., pilots, product developments, partnerships, funding, industry recognition, or market expansion)?

I left Cyprus at 18 and lived for years in France and China. Being far from home—especially in a place as different as China—sparked a deep desire to reconnect with my roots. Cyprus is often associated with war, division, and trauma, or simply as a sunny tourist destination. But I wanted to discover an identity beyond the clichés—one that would make me proud as a young Cypriot.

So in 2021, Joy of Origins began as a personal exploration. I started documenting my discoveries of culture, nature, and food through videos and storytelling. I would go out into the land, forage, and bring back ingredients to my kitchen, where I experimented with what I could create from that abundance. This eventually led me to leave my career in architecture, study culinary arts, and become a chef.

Today, Joy of Origins has grown into a community of over 6,500 people on Instagram and 1,500 on YouTube. I’ve collaborated with the Ministry of Tourism’s Heartland of Legends campaign, been featured in Cyprus Mail and Four Seasons Portrait, given a lecture at the University of Cyprus on herbal remedies, created a sold-out workshop on Cypriot bread art, and recently hosted a kitchen takeover at the Home for Cooperation café to share my take on Cypriot cuisine.

Can you describe a typical day in the life of Joy of Origins — what does your work actually look like behind the scenes?

Behind the scenes, it’s much more planning and research than it may appear on social media. I like to divide my week into themed work days. One day might be for filming, another for editing and writing the stories (voiceover) of my videos, and another dedicated to planning future events or recipes.

One of my favorite days is my “kitchen atelier” day, where I explore seasonal ingredients, preservation techniques, and flavor combinations. Some of those experiments end up becoming recipes for events or videos.

I also dedicate time to exploring nature. Either foraging wild ingredients or tending my vegetable garden. And of course, baking sourdough has become a new passion! I’m constantly trying to improve my skills and experiment with different approaches.

Ideas can come at any time, so I always make space for spontaneous research or creative rabbit holes. There’s always more inspiration than I can possibly share.

What were some of the early challenges you faced when starting out — and how did you overcome them?

One of my biggest challenges was embracing my own voice but also trusting that my approach could be “enough” to build a business around. I wanted to share Cypriot tradition, but often through a personal and experimental lens. I was afraid people wouldn’t understand or welcome this. It’s easier to stick to what’s already familiar, but that’s exactly what I wanted to avoid. I wanted to explore further than the cliche.

Overcoming that meant leaning into authenticity, embracing my curiosity, and being okay with evolving publicly. I still feel afraid or unsure sometimes, but I choose to keep creating anyway because it feels meaningful and true to what I want to offer.

Another challenge was the lack of physical space. I craved real human connection beyond the screen, so I began offering workshops. That was incredibly rewarding, but hosting them without a dedicated space was limiting, especially when cooking was involved. That’s why I’m now working toward building a space where I can bring these experiences to life in the way I envision them.

How do you choose the stories or traditions you want to highlight through your work? What’s one tradition or practice you feel especially proud to have kept alive or introduced to a new generation?

I don’t follow a strict method, I follow my curiosity. I’m drawn to lesser-known traditions, the ones that risk being lost. Sometimes it’s just a moment when I ask myself: “How did my ancestors do this?”and that sparks a whole journey.

I try to bring these stories out of the “museum cage” and make them relevant for today. Sometimes they come from conversations with my grandmother. She might find my questions silly, but to me they’re golden pieces of wisdom. The same goes for plants. When I became curious about wild herbs and edibles, I realized how much knowledge was out there, hidden in books or older generations, but not reaching people in meaningful ways. That pushed me to share more.

One tradition I’m especially proud of reviving is the use of alousiva, an ash-based detergent our grandmothers used to wash clothes. I recreated it from my grandmother’s fading memories and had to make the tools myself because they no longer exist outside museums. The video I made about it took a lot of research and care, but I’m so glad I did it.

What motivated you to participate in the AWE programme and how has the programme influenced your entrepreneurial journey?

I joined the AWE programme at a time when I felt torn between two worlds, one of creative, intuitive work and another that demanded structure, clarity, and business strategy. AWE helped me bridge that gap.

It gave me the confidence to treat Joy of Origins not just as a passion project, but as a viable business with real potential. One of the most valuable parts of the programme was connecting with other women navigating similar paths. That peer support has been so encouraging.

Most importantly, AWE gave me practical tools to build a sustainable business while still honoring experimentation, which is essential to the way I work.

What have been some of the most meaningful reactions or stories shared by people who’ve joined your journey?

Every message matters to me. People often write to say “keep going,” or that my work has meaning for them, and those words really uplift me, especially since most of my connection with people happens online.

One thing that touches me deeply is when people from other Cypriot communities reach out. As a Greek Cypriot, these moments remind me that my work is not just about storytelling or tradition. It’s also about unity, shared values, and the possibility of redefining our collective identity.

Of course, there have also been difficult moments. One video about trahanas sparked a flood of comments from people of various nationalities, some sharing beautiful stories, but others caught up in arguments about who the dish “belongs” to. That shook me a bit. It reminded me that food is political, and being visible means facing both the love and the friction. Still, it’s worth it.

What’s on the horizon for Joy of Origins? Are there any upcoming collaborations, experiences, or projects?

The most exciting thing on the horizon is the physical space I’m working toward. It will finally allow me to offer immersive, real-life experiences the way I imagine them—seasonal dinners, workshops, and intimate retreats inspired by the land and Cypriot culture. It’s taking longer than expected, but I’m committed to making it happen.

In the meantime, I have a beautiful upcoming collaboration with Famagusta New Museum. This September, I’ll be presenting two more “grandma stories” as part of one of their cultural events, continuing my journey of bridging memory, tradition, and storytelling.

I’m also excited to be curating a three-day menu as the guest chef for a women’s retreat this September by Women Awakenings, weaving in Cypriot flavors under the theme of feminine nature, love, and sensuality. A beautiful way to explore how food can carry meaning beyond the plate.

Why does Joy of Origins matter now?

In a world shaped by speed, disconnection, and overconsumption, Joy of Origins offers a slower, more rooted way of being. It’s not just about food. It’s about remembering how to live well, together, in deeper connection with the land, the seasons, and each other. Sustainability, for me, is not just about reducing waste. It’s about regenerating relationships with tradition, nature, and community. I believe ancestral knowledge, especially through women’s hands, carries timeless wisdom for how we might move forward.