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Marina Nikolova

It may seem at first glance that the cuisine of the Greek islands is not very different but if you visit them you will quickly understand the differences from one place to another. Each of them has its own microclimate, produces different products and has different cultural influences that have helped them develop specific dishes, cooking methods and use of products which may have some things in common, but have interesting differences too.

But I will not focus on the common things of the Greek islands cuisine but on the elements, the dishes and the products which are different for each area and make it original in its own way. However, I will define three main areas: the cuisine of the Aegean islands, Cretan cuisine and the cuisine of the Ionian Islands.

The cuisine of the Aegean Islands

The Aegean Sea is on economic but also food crossroads between the Middle East and the West. This in combination with the climate characteristics such as dry and windy on the Cycladic Islands unlike the islands of North Aegean, where the weather is humid and the soil is more fertile as well as the various cultural influences have contributed to the creation of local dishes peculiar to each island separately.

So, if you start your journey from north to south, I would say that the first stop should be the island of Thassos where you can try the delicious jam of nut and honey products, while slightly to the south, the island of Limnos is known for its wheat products and there are pet shops for bakery’s products where you can buy them fresh. Famous in Limnos is the white wine Moschato Alexandria. On the island of Lesbos, visitors can enjoy a large selection of fish appetizers, the preparation of which is seriously influenced by the Asia Minor cuisine that is just on the opposite coast. Overproduction of oil, which is the most popular export product of the island, has a strong impact on local cuisine and there is yellow cheese, which is stored in drums filled with olive oil. You can visit the largest factory for olive oil production in the eastern part of the island near the Monastery of Saint Raphael and get a soap made from olives. Finally, the island of Lesvos and namely the city of Plomari is the homeland of the ouzo - there are family companies for ouzo, some of which date back from the middle of the 19^th century. Some of them already belong to larger foreign companies from France, but the quality remains unchanged.

South of Lesbos is the island of Chios, which is the only place on earth where there is a natural masticha. This is a resin from a specific tree with specific taste and can be used both for cooking and confectionery. Chios is also known for its sophisticated recipes and use of tropical fruits such as oranges, lemons, mandarins in its cuisine. There you can try the local orangeade, lemonade and soft drinks.

A little south of Chios is the famous island of centenarians – Ikaria. It is known for its big fairs during which you can dance until sunrise. What is typical for the cuisine of the island is the use of healthy products, cooked very simply, but in huge quantities. Those who do not try the local wine known ever since Homer lived, which the people of the island produce themselves even today and the whole quantity is consumed without being bottled, then it means that those have not seen the island.

The Cycladic Islands, Tinos and Mykonos, except for the fish and seafood, are also known for the pigs slaughter in winter. There is a local pork sausage in Tinos called lundza and again Tinos is considered to be the island of the most benign caper. The island of Sifnos, again part of the Cycladic Islands, is known for its chick-peas broth /revitia/, which is something like beans, but with a wine cheese called also krasotiri. The local products that have contributed to the fame of the "island of love" – ​​Santorini – are the small tomatoes that are not watered, white eggplants, and especially fava, which is consumed for millennia. When on the island, try the popular white wine Nihteri or the “night wine” the grapes for which are gathered only by moonlight in order to preserve the necessary humidity.

The island of Kalimnos is known as the island of sea squirts pickers. There you can try a huge variety of fish and seafood, cooked in thousands of interesting ways. And this is also the only place where Spinialo is produced – a kind of pickle of clams the shell of which looks like a stone and it is very difficult to discern them among the rocks in the sea.

The cuisine of Crete

Crete is considered a completely independent island with regard to food as there is everything there. Typical for the cuisine of the island are bizarre combinations of meat, mostly goats and rabbits, snails, a variety of grasses that are boiled and used for salads or as garnish, as well as local vegetables and, of course, olive oil. On Crete you can try "bubbling snails" which are cooked with rosemary, dakos – a biscuit with fresh desalted cheese, tomato and oregano. Very popular are the small patties called kalitsunia – in Iraklio they are sweet, while in Chania they are salty.

The cuisine of the Ionian Islands