The rule “we are what we eat” applies also to animals in Crete. The unique climate of the island affects all the products and animals that are grown here. Cretan sheep and goats graze year-round on green pastures, get all the possible vitamins, bask in the sun, breathe the cleanest air, so their meat has […]
Read the articleCategory: Kitchen
Let’s cook: fasolada
Those who tried fasolada in Greece do not give up the hope of cooking something similar in their own kitchen Bean stew was already held in high esteem by the ancient Hellenes. It was considered one of the main dishes at the festival in honor of the god Apollo called Πυανέψια (literally translated as “bean-stewing”). […]
Read the articleSnails
Who knows that snails belong to the favorite dishes of the Cretan cuisine? Called Khohlyush. A local national dish, like the frogs in France. So many ways to cook snails as in Crete doesn’t probably exist in any kitchen of the world. A cooking method depends on season. In the spring snails accompanies all kind […]
Read the article«Kalitsounia» – Cretan mini-pie or cheesecake
Served for both appetizer and dessert On Crete, “kalitsounias” are baked all over the island with many types of fillings: on holidays and as everyday meal; as must they are prepared for the Easter table and Shrovetide. Kalitsounia goes well with honey and sesame seeds. Delicious kalitsounias are produced according to traditional village recipes when […]
Read the articleGive me a drink of clean water
What can be tastier than a sip of water? For example, a sip from a cool bottle is very tasty when you “landed” in a coastal tavern after a trip along a gorge; and you will have a special pleasure, if the bottle is labeled ΖΑΡΟΣ. Actually, such bottle can be found in Crete […]
Read the articleArtichokes: Tasty Bud Heart
Greek dinner often begins with meze: a variety of cold snacks. One of them may well be crunchy, fleshy light green slices of a vegetable with a mild pleasant taste. After a shot of raki it is just what you need! These are artichokes. You must have seen on the shelves of markets or shops […]
Read the article“Golden Metaxa”
Just think, some 132 years ago, the Greeks had never heard of Metaxa brandy which has now become the hallmark of Greece. They drank their raki, ouzo and wine and did not know that one of the descendants of Dionysus had a dream… Once Spyros Metaxa, a merchant and tavern owner, as well as a […]
Read the articleEternity hidden in red arils of pomegranate
On Crete, pomegranate shrubs grow literally everywhere: in gardens, on the streets of cities and villages and even in gorges. Blossoming, they are incredibly beautiful. They say that people have invented the shape of the crown after looking at the sepals with surrounding petals of a pomegranate. After fruits appearing, you will every time wondering […]
Read the articleThe carob tree – Crete’s unique and useful product
Carob tree is very popular for many centuries in the Middle East and forgotten in recent decades, but now it is regaining popularity as a source of healthy food. The fruit of the carob tree is used by man since ancient times. The Greek philosopher Theophrastus (c. 371–287 BC), one of the founders of the […]
Read the articleThe label “cretan cuisine”
The Agronutritional Cooperation of the Region of Crete*, wishing to promote and accentuate the local cuisine and Cretan gastronomy, created the brand “cretan cuisine”. Mass catering businesses, such as restaurants, taverns, hotel restaurants and agro-tourism lodges that offer the special flavors of Cretan gastronomy and, of course, the unique Cretan hospitality, are renowned and rewarded […]
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