Soutsoukakia ‘The Mediterranean diet is currently considered by Nutritionists as a modus vivende that endows people with longevity and sound health, with Crete at its epicentre, as supported by research conducted on an international scale.’ These cumin-flavoured meatballs may be casseroled or oven-baked with potatoes – here is the oven version. Ingredients: 500g minced meat (lamb […]

THIPLES Thiples—sometimes called xerotygana—are not unique to the Peloponnesos, but they are very much a part of the region’s culinary life. “A wedding without thiples would be like a wedding without a bride,” one woman told me. While the sweet is made all over Greece, it is shaped differently from place to place. In Crete, for example, strips of dough about […]

Learn the secrets Greek fishermen have known for centuries. For a sweet, tender, melt in your mouth taste, you must first treat or tenderise octopus before cooking it. If you eat a cooked octopus that hasn’t been tenderised it can be tough as boots. It is one of those delicacies that Greeks love, they fish […]

If your Greek dining tastes run to the less traditional, you will one day find yourself facing a plate of cooked Cretan snails, a famous specialty on the island of Crete. Here’s what to do. Difficulty: Hard Time Required: 2 minutes Here’s How: Stare at the plate of snails and wonder what to do. Observe your companions, […]

Garden snails are a specialty on the Greek island of Crete, where they are traditionally enjoyed in huge quantities in August. Before cooking, the snails need to be cleaned and washed. Here’s how to do it, working with snails one at a time. Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 30 minutes for 50 snails Here’s How: With a sharp […]

Unusual, but today is a no-cook day for me. I’m feeding the snails. Snails (called saligaria or kohli) are a favorite Greek food and Crete is famous for dishes made with these little wonders. Right now, I’m preparing to make one of them, but first, I have to feed the snails. It all started last week when I […]

Ingredients for the dough: 1 kg flour for all uses 1/2 a cup of olive oil 2 eggs, beaten 1 tsp of salt 1/2 a cup of tsikoudia (Opional) or 1/4 cup of brandy (Optional) Ingredients for the filling: 2 kg spinach or other greens 1/4 cup of olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1/2 […]

In greek: Κρητικη Κρεατοπιτα Ingredients for 8 portions: 1 kilo of fat free lamb meat 1 teacup of water 1/2 a kilo Cretan mizithra or anthotyro (ricotta cheese) Cream of milk 1 egg Cumin or spearmint Salt and pepper to taste Sesame seeds Dough ingredients: 4 teacups of flour 1 teacup of fresh butter 2 eggs […]

A traditional soup made of natural ingredients Trachanas is a food directly related to the Cypriot culture and rural life. Trachanas is a true national dish such that no visitor should have been left without tasting this authentic soup of Cyprus, made only with a few simple natural ingredients, exactly as it was made decades […]

Its Cypriot story Zivania is a traditional alcoholic beverage, which has been produced for centuries in Cyprus by distillation, and has played an important role in the everyday life of Cypriots. Zivania is a strong drink, high in alcoholic content which according to tradition (also adopted by the 1998 Regulations for the Control of zivania) […]