The Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Constantine & Helen is tiny in comparison with many Christian congregations — perhaps 100 families. But their annual Greek festival is said to be the biggest ethnic festival in the state, allowing the church to support charitable projects and pay the expenses of this quite formidable undertaking.

Recently, a beehive of volunteers spent the day in the well-equipped kitchen and social hall on the third floor of the church at 930 Lunalilo Street in a production line worthy of a major food producer, making more than 100 industrial-size pans of moussaka.

Oil the pans. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Lay down the roasted eggplant. Cover with meat sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. More eggplant. Then the rich bechamel (white) sauce. Finally, cheese and nutmeg and a bit of browned butter. Then do it all again. And again.

Jokes flew around the room even as the roasted eggplant kept coming and coming and coming out of the kitchen to be layered with various sauces. Everyone seemed to be having a great time even as they labored.

One reason: There's really good moussaka at the end of this trail.

Mary Book, one of the workers, says it's the best moussaka she's ever tasted. "I don't make it at home; it's too involved," she said. But she looks forward to the festival every year so she can enjoy it.

And she's not alone. Hundreds of people make an annual event of the festival, which is held at Ala Moana Park's McCoy Pavilion — for the food, the music, the Greek dancing.

This particular Saturday — moussaka Saturday — is hardly the only day the volunteers put in. "We start baking right after Easter," said Book, and the pastries and other good things go into the church's freezers. "Every Thursday is bake day."

One of the first things you notice when you look around the tables where the moussaka construction project is going on is that not everyone looks ... well ... Greek. In fact, this is a typically Island operation, multicultural and inclusive. Many of the people in this room have married into Orthodox families from other cultures. Some are just here because they support the church's projects; they aren't even members.

Dianna Graves, who teaches Greek dancing in the church, says moussaka is almost a metaphor for how multicultural the Orthodox world is: It's a dish that's made in many different ways. Balkans make the same dish with potatoes instead of eggplant, for example. Some make a similar casserole, but without the cream sauce.

However, at Constantine & Helen, the cream sauce is considered the key, the difference between good and great moussaka: "If you're into weight-watching, forget it," says Graves.

"This is party food," says Catherine Bukes, another volunteer.

Although there are many activities at the festival, food is central. Besides moussaka plates, there will be Greek chicken, dolmathes (rice-stuffed grape leaves), spanakopita (spinach and cheese in pastry), gyros, souvlaki (meat skewers), pastries and more. There's a taverna where you can enjoy drinks not normally available here — ouzo, retsina, Greek beers. And there's a deli where you can buy import products also not readily available.

Years ago, the women of the church put together a cookbook, "Youssou!" (described as an all-purpose celebratory word that means "to your health" and "aloha" and any good thing you can think of). They're revising and reprinting this book. Meanwhile, they'll have a recipe pamphlet available for sale in the deli area.

Reach Wanda A. Adams at wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.