Each region of Crete and each village have unique recipes and secrets passed down from generation to generation. In 2013 Lena Igemenaki decided to organize an annual festival of Cretan cuisine, where all participants will present dishes prepared according to old recipes of their area, in order not to lose these local special recipes forever, but to leave to the descendants as a legacy

Cuisine is a culture. Every place, every village has its own delightful culture and history … fragrances evoking memories, customs warming your heart; particular aromas, icons, colors that come from childhood, emotions with sounds… — writes Lena in the preface to the Cooking Guide containing the recipes of all the teams participated in the festival.

On April 7, the 7th Cretan Cuisine Festival took place in Gouves in Heraklion. The peculiarity of this festival was that its participants are not professional cooks or students of a culinary academy, but representatives of Cretan villages or districts, teams represented at the competition their traditional Cretan (and sometimes ancient Cretan) dishes. Each team designed a table bursting with treats. Yes, treats! At this festival, you can and should try everything! Each team cooked one dish during the festival, which was then presented to the high jury. A huge number of various raki, infused with fruits, wines, liqueurs or with flavored brandies was really striking: the traditional “Yamas” (for health!) sounded here and there! Many dishes fall into the category that tourists never could find even in the best restaurants.

Come and enjoy all it, follow the announcements of festivals in our newspaper, and you will not miss the most delicious events!

May, 2019