Greek lentils with rice – 500 g no soaking • for pilaf and one-pot dishes • ready in around 20–30 minutes
Greek lentils with rice combine two everyday staples in one pack for pilaf, soups and one-pot meals; the blend does not need soaking before cooking. Geusi Vounou means “taste of the mountains” in Greek. The family farm in Vatolakkos, in Greece’s Western Macedonia region, is run by agronomist Vasilis Karapas, and pulses are part of the producer’s own farming operation.
- ● lentils and rice in one pack • no need to measure them separately
- ● approximately 20–30 minutes to cook • simply rinse the blend first
- ● fields at around 600 m above sea level • the farm near Grevena has a public OpenFarm profile
- ● grown and packed by the producer • Geusi Vounou grows, packs and markets its agricultural products
Greek lentils with rice: one base for pilaf, soup or a one-pot meal
This blend combines lentils and rice in one pack, so there is no need to measure two staples separately. It does not require pre-soaking: rinse before cooking and follow the pack instructions, simmering for approximately 20–30 minutes.
The flavour is deliberately versatile, making it easy to take in a Mediterranean direction with tomatoes, lemon and herbs, or use it as a side dish or the base of a warm salad. If you want to compare other grain options, browse our rice selection.
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Why Geusi Vounou
- A producer, not an anonymous reseller: Geusi Vounou is based in Vatolakkos near Grevena and is led by agronomist Vasilis Karapas, who continued his family’s farming activity.
- Strong pulse-growing background: according to Agronews, pulses account for a substantial share of the farmed land, including lentils, beans and chickpeas.
- Fields at around 600 m above sea level: OpenFarm places the Geusi Vounou fields near Vatolakkos at roughly this altitude; the village itself sits at about 580 m.
- Grevena soil context: regional agricultural data show a broad pH range and predominantly medium-heavy to heavy soils. The study does not identify Geusi Vounou’s exact plot, so this is useful regional context rather than a laboratory profile of the product.
How to cook and season the blend
- Basic preparation: rinse under cold water and simmer for approximately 20–30 minutes.
- Pilaf: add sautéed onion, tomatoes, garlic and herbs, then finish with extra virgin olive oil.
- Soup: cook with carrot, celery, tomatoes and bay leaf; simply adjust the liquid to make it lighter or thicker.
- Warm or cold salad: cool the cooked blend and add vegetables, lemon, olives, feta or fresh herbs.
For a single-pulse alternative, compare it with organic Greek lentils. You can also browse our legumes or explore the full Geusi Vounou range.
Storage and allergen information
- May contain traces of sesame, cinnamon, mustard seeds, celery, nuts and barley.
- Store in a dry place away from direct sunlight.
Additional parameters
| Category: | Legumes |
|---|---|
| EAN: | 5214002734589 |
| Země původu: | Řecko |
| Výrobce: | Geusi Vounou, Βατόλακκος, Grevená, Greece |
| Vhodné pro: | Bez lepku-GMO Free-Low Carb-Vegan-Sugar Free |
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Geusi Vounou – “taste of the mountains” from Grevena, Greece
Geusi Vounou (Greek: Γεύση Βουνού, literally “taste of the mountains”) is a family agricultural business from Vatolakkos near Grevena in northern Greece. The brand is run by Vasilis Karapas, an agronomist from a farming family who planted his first oregano on family land in 2014 while still studying. He later added Greek mountain tea, thyme, sage, saffron, lemon balm, other aromatic plants and pulses.
His grandmother Magdalini was an important influence, teaching the family how to work with local herbs and emphasising the value of traditional plant material. What began as a small student project developed into an agricultural brand combining Greek farming and culinary traditions with modern processing control, packing and export.
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Not an anonymous brand. A real farm in Western Macedonia.
- Fields near Vatolakkos at approximately 600 m above sea level – not 680 m, as our website previously stated incorrectly.
- A family farming tradition – Vasilis grew up working in the fields and built on the experience of previous generations.
- Farm-grown herbs are naturally shade-dried to avoid unnecessary loss of aroma during drying.
- Herbs and pulses form the core of the farm’s own production. We use organic claims only for products that are individually certified; the brand’s wider range is not automatically organic.
Greek agricultural press reported in 2023 that the family farm covered approximately 50 hectares, including around 20 hectares of pulses and about 14 hectares of aromatic plants. Cereals used in crop rotation also remained part of the farming system. For the pulses and aromatic crops, the source reported certified organic cultivation.
Why Greek herbs are more than “just another oregano”
With Geusi Vounou, the main difference is not decorative packaging but provenance and the way the raw material is handled. Vasilis describes manual work from planting and weeding through harvesting, drying and packing. With aromatic plants, the aim is to preserve the character of the whole plant with as little processing as possible before packing.
For customers outside Greece, it is also useful to understand what individual Greek ingredients actually are and how they are used. A literal translation of the name is not always enough. Greek mountain tea, dittany, trahanas, kritharaki, hilopitaki and petoura are not marketing terms; they are specific traditional herbs, foods or types of pasta with their own uses.
From herbs and pulses to the wider Greek pantry
Today’s Geusi Vounou range is broader than the farm’s original production. At PraveBio.cz we therefore distinguish between two parts of the assortment:
- The farm-grown core: oregano, thyme, sage, lemon balm, Greek mountain tea, saffron, other herbs and pulses.
- The wider Greek range: traditional pasta, honey, mushrooms and truffle products, flavoured olive oils and other regional foods.
For each product we therefore check origin, ingredients, organic certification, the traditional name and the correct way to use it. The aim is not to sell customers “something Greek” without context, but to explain what makes each ingredient different, how to prepare it and why it has a place in Greek cooking.
Vasilis Karapas: from the first oregano crop to an export brand
Vasilis Karapas was born in Grevena in 1994 and studied agricultural development and farm business management in Thessaloniki. He has worked professionally in agricultural production and packing since 2014. Oregano was the first crop, followed by other aromatic plants and pulses.
Greek media reported in 2024 that more than 70% of production was exported. Exports began in Germany in 2018 and later expanded to other European countries, including the Czech Republic. Geusi Vounou was not created as a souvenir brand for tourists; it grew out of a working agricultural business and now sells its products across several markets.
Geusi Vounou at PraveBio.cz
PraveBio distributes Geusi Vounou in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. As with Ceylon Kokonati, we explain the differences between individual products, their Greek names, how they are used in the kitchen and the genuine USPs of each ingredient. Organic claims are used only where they apply to the specific certified product.
