Spana Kopita

“You are what you eat.” Food is important in the sense that we need it to survive and we crave certain tastes and dishes. But some foods are more than something to fill the stomach and void. Some are a distinct part of who we are, and are important to our personal narratives. Spana Kopita (Spinach Pie) is one of these such foods. After an interview with Bobby Artoglou it is clear that it is not only a traditional and delicious Greek dish but also a reminder of the travels of his family from Greece to the US. It is a major part of the tale of how his grandparents got together. It also bridges the divide between two different Greek families, uniting them and reminding them of their past in Greece.

Bobby’s grandparents came from Greece in the 1940’s both at the age of 16 with his great aunts, who were 20. They came without the rest of their families and were mostly poor. However, they also came from very different parts of Greece, which led to differences when these two greek families eventually got together. The differences in both his Greek families even went so far as in food. Except for, as Bobby put it, “you guessed it, Spana Kopita.” His grandfather was a very scholarly man, he went Fordham University on a full scholarship. As Bobby put it there were a lot of socioeconomic differences between his grandfather and his grandma. His grandma never graduated high school, and his grandfather enjoyed studying and graduated college however, they still ended up together. The reason, “you guessed it, Spana Kopita.” Both of them still enjoyed Spana Kopita, and from there the great level of differences between them became less and less noticeable. “Spana Kopita also makes me feel closer to my grandparents,” Bobby said “It’s the food they ate, made the same way it reminds me of them and I can pretend I am back in time eating for a bit, it’s nice.”The story of his two very different grandparents enjoying Spana Kopita is very important to him. For him it was the story of people who really did not have differences, they both immigrated here and were trying their hardest to get by in the New World. Spana Kopita helped his grandparents to see past the differences of their villages in Greece.

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The differences in these two families still exists, and even to today Spana Kopita is the only dish they both equally enjoy.  His families are very proud of their Greek heritage and enjoy making traditional foods. But many of the dishes are very different from either side.“But at every family event, no matter what,”Bobby said “Spana Kopita is there.” Bobby has made Spana Kopita several times for many different occasions. “It’s tedious and difficult to make, but in the end it’s good to eat, and special, so its worth it.”Spana Kopita is one little thing that helps to unite his families despite their differences from Greece. Bobby also said that when he eats it, if there’s just a little bit left, his family will tell him, “But all the strength is in the last bite.” Spana Kopita truly became more than just another dish, it’s a major part of Bobby’s family, and the memory of his grandparents, and their journey from Greece to the U.S., as they overcame some of their differences.