Food

You will find the food in Crete varied, plentiful and absolutely delicious.  It is said that the Cretans have one of the healthiest diets in the world, and is said to reduce heart disease. eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, bread, pulses, Olive Oil and eating very little in the way of dairy products.  It is rarity, that crisps and chocolate are part of their intake.

The best way to sample the Greek menu is to have a 'meze' which is a number of small dishes that are called 'mezedes' and are shared to wet the appetite before having the main dish which is normally meat or fish accompanied by a Greek Salad.

STARTERS:

Dolmades:             

Small bundles of rice (sometimes with minced meat)wrapped in vine leaves, served hot or cold

Tatziki:                   

A blend of yoghurt, cucumber and plenty of garlic

Taramosalata:         

A dip made from fresh fish roe.  (Onassis once quoted to Jackie Kennedy when asked what this dish was “its a poor man's caviar)

Horiatiki:                

Greek Salad, consisting of cucumber, tomato, olives, onion and a white cheese called feta, although now this can mixed with another called mizithra which is sprinkled sometimes with a few capers

Calamaria:              

Fried baby squid

Gigantes:               

Giant butter beans served

Fava:                     

Mashed yellow lentils served with onion and olive oil (exclusive to Crete and more so the West Chania)

Gemista:                

Tomatoes or green peppers even aubergines and courgettes stuffed with rice, herbs and spices (sometimes with minced meat)

MAIN DISHES

The Greeks consume large quantities of meat, and most of the main meals will contain lamb, pork or beef and more normally roasted with garlic.  Chicken or pork is normally served with lemon.

Although the Greeks consume large amounts of meat dishes, Crete is also a haven for vegetarians.

TRADITIONAL DISHES

Mousaka:               

Layers of baked or fried aubergine slices with tomatoes and potatoes, topped with Bechemel (white) sauce.

Souvlaki:                

Kebab with onion, green pepper and tomato usually served on a skewer (these can also be found with swordfish)

Gyros:                   

The take away version of the kebab served in pita bread with tzatziki or yoghurt, onion, tomatoes, spices and French fries, the meat can range from chicken or pork

Stifado:                 

A succulent meat dish that can range from rabbit or beef and even pork, shallot onions normally containing a sweet taste, tomatoes, red wine, cloves and herbs.  The more olive oil used the more tasty the food becomes               

Giouvetsi:              

A beautiful pasta dish that could be either veal or lamb and baked with a longish rice pasta and tomatoes

Pastitsio:                

A layer of tubed pasta covered with mincemeat that has been cooked with tomatoes, herbs and spices and topped with a bechemel white cheese sauce

Briam:                   

A mixed of colourful vegetables finely sliced in an oval shape along with potatoes and onions in a rich garlic, tomatoes and olive oil sauce.

 

DESSERT

Most taverna(s) (a traditional name that you will hear often meaning the equivalent of restaurant) will have a limited selection of desserts which is most likely to be fruits of the season, ice cream, a strained yoghurt that is served with a preserved sweet.

The “Zakaraplastio” (sweet shops) have a large variety of the more traditional sweets which are just mouth watering which are more often or not served with honey or a syrup sauce.

Baklava:                

Flaky pastry with honey and nut filling

Kadaifi:                 

Shredded wheat pastry filled with honey

Yaorti:                            

Strained thick yoghurt topped with honey or preserved sweets in a syrup sauce

Simply Just Divine!