“Thessaloniki is a romantic city, and the paçha (tripe soup) has nothing romantic about it.” Thus, beyond documenting its type and history, I took on another task. To prove that wherever there is passion and dedication, there is also love. And that, of course, the romantic character of our city is not betrayed by its tripe soup taverns. Quite the opposite, the paçha is perhaps the most specific and tangible evidence of its romantic bond with the East.

Moreover, I met many customers of tripe soup taverns who were attached to their gastronomic preference with the unwavering dedication of the in-love. So much so that they consider a hot plate of “soup” at five in the morning to be a true romantic rite...

Since the first edition of this book in 1992 until today’s new, updated, and improved edition, many years have passed. Thessaloniki, as a living entity, has changed! Its geography and social map have changed. As expected, the map of its tripe soup taverns has changed as well. There have been changes in the culinary codes, the absence of iconic tripe soup taverns, and the presence of new ones. Therefore, this second edition of the book can also be seen as a new staging of the same work.