Silversea Cruises Launches S.A.L.T. Culinary Program

Silversea Cruises launched its much-anticipated S.A.L.T. culinary program on the new Silver Moon, which was christened on July 28 in Athens. S.A.L.T. - which stands for Sea and Land Taste - includes lectures, shore excursions and classes, all focused on the food and wine of the regions in which the ship is sailing. Here is the beautiful Silver Moon anchored in the Aegean Sea near the Greek Island of Patmos.

The S.A.L.T. culinary hub located midship on Deck 4 includes the S.A.L.T. Kitchen, S.A.L.T. Lab and S.A.L.T. Bar. The kitchen is the restaurant that features regional flavors and dishes - on this Greek Islands cruise, selections included cumin-scented lamb with baked figs and minted yogurt sauce, and a lacquered kumquat duck using the celebrated fruit from Corfu. The S.A.L.T. Bar features creative libations made with herbs, Greek olive brine and oak-smoked vodka. And the S.A.L.T. Lab is the place for hands-on cooking lessons.

In this photo in the S.A.L.T. Lab, Yasmin Khan, the British author of "Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories from the Eastern Mediterranean," leads a class on making mezze, small plates of tasty bites.

Passengers mix up a spicy bulgur salad that is served in lettuce cups, a dish that originated in Southeast Turkey. Another recipe Khan taught was smokey eggplant with yogurt, an Eastern Mediterranean dip.

Not part of the S.A.L.T. program, but an interesting sign of the times - an automatic hand-washing station. Each unit squirts out soapy water, then clear water for rinsing, and concludes by popping out a square of paper towel. This station was outside La Terrazza, the Italian specialty restaurant with a buffet for lunch and waiter service for dinner.

Another aside - a generous serving of Oscietra caviar with all the trimmings is an appetizer option in Atlantide, the main dining room. It's not part of the S.A.L.T. program but shows that the luxury line's commitment to gourmet dining extends to the main restaurant.

A winery visit is a S.A.L.T. excursion focused on the history of food and wine in Cyprus. It began with a visit to the Oenou Yi Ktima Vassiliades winery, and a taste of rosé wine on the balcony overlooking the vineyards and a nearby town. Our local culinary guide was Florentina Kythreotou, a food and wine writer.

Here wine is shown stored in kegs at the Oenou Yi winery in the village of Omodos, in the Limassol district of Cyprus.

Passengers get to enjoy bountiful meals, such as one served at Ambelothea Taverna which includes huge servings of meatballs, sausage, tzakiki, grilled bread and potatoes with a thick slab of fresh watermelon for dessert.

These women made palouze, in which strings of almonds are dipped into a custard-like concoction made with grape juice and flour and flavored with vanilla, orange blossom and lime geranium. When the custard sets, it's sliced into pieces so it's like a gummy candy with an almond in the center.