Food Drink
From LBW2007
It is now well known that the Cretan Diet, a classic example of Mediterranean eating, is both aromatic and tasteful, and also extremely healthy. The incorporation of olive oil in the dietary habits of the Cretans dates back to ancient times. The writings in Linear B tablets ascertain that Minoans used it in their nutrition dating at least as far back as 1800 BC.
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Food & Restaurants
General Information for food
Today, Cretans consume large quantities of virgin olive oil in all their foods. They use generous quantities in their salads, in their fried dishes (fish, potatoes, etc.), in boiled greens, in soups, in all oily dishes, in pastries and even in the preparation of pork! Crete famous within Greece for its tasty and healthy cuisine. The Cretan Diet was the subject of a study that revealed its great health benefits and nutritional value.
A good tip is to join any of the hundreds of traditional fiestas in villages having great food, wine and live folk music.
Cheese
Unlike most regions in Greece, Feta is not produced and is not very popular in Crete. However you will find a very good variety of delicious locally produced Cretan cheeses, such as:
- Graviera: (Greek: Γραβιέρα) The standard hard cheese; there are many types and tastes. Taste before buying.
- Myzitra: (Greek: Μυζίθρα) A fresh cheese made of ewe's milk. It is sometimes made of goat's milk (in which case it is called "katsikisia") or mixed milk. A good goat's one will taste like these expensive French "chèvre frais".
- Anthotiros: (Greek: Ανθότυρος) from the words "anthos" (flower) and "tiros" (cheese) it is a very mild, soft spring cheese made when the sheep pastures are still full of flowers. The closest popular cheese is the Italian mozzarella, although it is quite different.
Meat
Snails cooked in various ways (one of the most traditional dishes of Crete), Smoked ham (apaki) and smoked sausages (loukaniko), traditional mountain goat or lamb cooked in various ways, cretan pilaf (chicken risotto), souvlaki (pork meat or fish on skewers).
Fish and seafood
Sardines (Greek: σαρδέλες) , barbounia (Greek: μπαρμπούνια - red mullets), kalamarakia (Greek: καλαμαράκια - fried squids), atherina (Greek: Αθερίνα - fried tiny fishes), Octopus (Greek: Χταπόδι - sundried or drunken)
Side dishes
- Dips and sauces
Tzatziki (dip made of garlic, oliveoil, greek yogurt and dill), taramosalata (Caviar dip), melitzanosalata (eggplant and garlic dip),kopanisti or tyrokafteri (cheese dip).
- Salads and Vegetables:
Dakos (Greek: Ντάκος - Cretan rusk with tomato, feta cheese, olives, oregano and olive oil), Horta vrasta (boiled greens with olive oil and lemon juice), Greek salad (Greek: Χωριάτικη) (cucumber, tomatoes, onion, feta cheese and olives), kolokithakia tiganita (fried courgettes), melitzanes tiganites (fried eggplants), kolokythokeftedes (courgette crockets).
Desserts
Amigdaloto (made with almonds), sfakianopita, tyropitakia, spanakopitakia, kaltsouni, Greek yogurt with honey.
Restaurants
The Cretans themselves eat out late, after 10 or 11 PM, and often in a group. They prefer dinner in a good taverna, a small local restaurant offering the local cuisine. Most dishes are fresh from that day. The menu is only for tourists, Cretans ask the waiter for specialities, and have a look in the kitchen or in a 'vitrine', glass display case. Dinner is usually outside. Fresh fish becomes more and more rare, and is expensive, priced by the weight. Restaurants and tavernas by law have to display if they offer fresh, or frozen, fish.
Greek people seldom have breakfast. They do enjoy a copious lunch.
Cretan Farm
Cretan Farm is run as a family business by Rasidakis Manolis and Karen, and offers the opportunity to have
a close encounter of a different kind with the relatively unknown side of the gorgeous island of Crete.
Location Hersonissos
Address Potamies
Tel +306944678666
Fax
Web
E-mail cretanfarm@hersonisos.com
Meltemi
In a fully green and beautifully designed area, just above the nicest beach of Hersonissos, with a
superb view, Meltemi Beach Garden is situated.
Location Hesonissos
Address Plaka, next to star beach
Tel +302897022560
Fax +302897022560
Web
E-mail meltemi@hersonisos.com
Pegasus
The restaurant-tavern PEGASUS is situated in the beautiful traditional village of Koutouloufari in the
region of Hersonisos.
Location Hersonissos
Address Koutouloufari
Tel +302897021071
Fax
Web http://www.pegasus.explorecrete.com
E-mail info@pegasus.explorecrete.com
Vesuvios
In the last 20 years, in the very heart of Hersonissos, there is the Italian restaurant Vesuvius, which
has dominated the area and has become the synonym of the fine cuisine and the best quality in food.
Location Hersonissos
Address Evagelistrias 7
Tel +30289721474
Fax
Web http://www.vesuvios-restaurant.com
E-mail vesuvios@hersonisos.com
Drinks
Spirits
Raki (or tsikoudia) is an anise-flavored aperitif produced by distilling grapes and is an extract with alcohol concentration between 40 and 80 %! It is usually accompanied by "meze" (a selection of appetisers or small dishes of seafood such as "little fishes", grilled octopus, cheese or ham) which can replace main course. Sitting down for a "raki" in a kafeneio, you could be served with the most simple but wonderful mezedes like goat cheese, olives, dolmades (stuffed vine-leaves), grapes, raisins or rusks.
Wine
Wine has been an important part of Greek culture for over 4000 years as the numerous archeological discoveries throughout Greece have revealed. The ancient Greeks knew well the nutritional value of wine as it became an inseparable part of their daily regimen. Wine also played and important role in the evolution of the local economy.
The first traces of wine production in Greece were found on the island of Crete, in the middle of the 3rd century BC. Many fascinating insights into the culture of wine were discovered in the Minoan village of Myrtos near Ierapetra. Several clay wine presses, wine cups, amphorae and wine seeds were discovered throughout the island of Crete and brought to light the important role that wine has played in Greek culture since these ancient times. Discoveries of tombs in Crete that date from between 3000-2000 BC portray replicas of winepresses and possibly the oldest winepress in the world was found in the ruins of Vathypetro near the village of Archanes.
Nowadays there are two main wine producing regions in Iraklion. The first one is centred in the areas of Archanes and Peza where two varieties of red grapes are cultivated , "Kotsifali" with a characteristic aroma and taste and "Mandilari" with a deep ruby color. Wines made from these two varieties of grapes aquire a color and taste ,quite distinctive. There is also a dry white wine with a distinctive aroma and fruity taste , produced in the area , from the "Vilana" grape variety. The second region is centred in the areas of Dafnes and Arkaloxhori , where the main variety of grapes cultivated is the red "Liatiko". In general the wines produced in the prefecture of Iraklion are red and rose . The red ones from the varieties "kotsifali", "mandilari" , "liatiko", "ladikino", "sirah" and "carignane", and the rose ones from the varieties "athiri", "thrapsathiri", "silvaner", "chauvignon" and "vilana". There are four "appelation d'origine controlee" categories of the wines produced in the prefecture of Iraklio.
Beer
Beer lacks wine's 4000 year-old tradition (the first brewery in Greece was established in 1864 in Kolonaki - now the most expensive place in Athens) and later at a region of Athens now called Fix after the name of the factory owner, which was abandoned around the 50s).
When Greeks ask for "a beer", the waiter asks back "green or brown" implying what the color of the bottle should be. The two main representatives where up until recently Amstel and Heineken - both produced and bottled in Greece by "Athenian brewery". They are both lager
For the past 3-5 years, some new brands have emerged like Mythos (stands for Myth, rummored to have the same recipy as the first greek beer "Fix"), Alfa and Vergina. There's also Fix brand and a couple of others (mostly cheap ones from local semi-industrial breweries)
There's also a Cretan (? it's on the list of Athenian brewery) brand called Zorbas (our guys in Crete will look into it) and lot's of local micro-brewries all around Greece
