Cretan Diet

Visiting local taverns in Crete is a fantastic way to experience the authentic Cretan diet and immerse yourself in the island's rich culinary culture. Cretan taverns, often family-run and located in charming villages or along the coast, serve up traditional dishes that reflect the island’s agricultural and coastal heritage.

Here’s how you can meet the Cretan diet and enjoy a delicious experience in local taverns:

• Start with Cretan Appetizers (Meze)
  
  
  
  Meze are small, shared dishes that give you a taste of many flavors. These are perfect to start with:
  • Tzatziki: A refreshing yogurt-based dip with cucumber and garlic.
  • Kalamari (fried squid): Lightly battered and fried, often served with lemon.
  • Cretan Olives: Locally grown olives, often marinated in olive oil, herbs, and lemon.
  • Cheese: Try myzithra (a soft, fresh cheese) or graviera (a hard, slightly sweet cheese).
  • Cretan Sausage: Often made with pork, flavoured with local herbs like fennel and oregano.
  
  
  
• Main Courses: The Heart of Cretan Cuisine
  
  
  
  The main courses are typically hearty and made with fresh, local ingredients:
  • Moussaka: A layered dish with eggplant, minced meat, and béchamel sauce, all baked to perfection.
  • Souvlaki or Lamb Kebab: Grilled meat, usually served with pita and tzatziki.
  • Stifado: A slow-cooked beef stew with onions, wine, and aromatic spices.
  • Chochlioi Boubouristi: Cretan snails, typically fried with herbs and garlic. This is a must-try if you’re feeling adventurous.
  • Keftedes: Fried meatballs made with ground meat, herbs, and breadcrumbs.
  
  
  
• Salads & Fresh Vegetables
  
  
  
  Cretan salads are vibrant and often consist of local ingredients:
  • Dakos: A traditional Cretan salad made with barley rusks, tomatoes, feta or myzithra cheese, olive oil, and oregano.
  • Cretan Greens: A mix of wild greens (often dandelion, spinach, or mustard leaves) sautéed in olive oil and flavored with lemon.
  
  
  
• Seafood Dishes
  Being an island, Crete offers fresh, local seafood, and you can find excellent dishes at seaside taverns:
  • Grilled Fish: Usually, a simple preparation of freshly caught fish like lavraki (bass) or tsipoura (sea bream), simply seasoned with olive oil, lemon, and herbs.
  • Cuttlefish: Often stuffed or grilled with local herbs.
  • Octopus: Usually grilled or slow-cooked, often served with olive oil and vinegar.
  
  
  
• Cretan Bread
  Bread is essential in Cretan meals. Paximadi (barley rusks) are often served as part of the appetizer or with salads. Horiatiko Psomi (country bread) is typically served alongside main courses and is perfect for soaking up the delicious olive oil and juices of your meal.
  
  
  
• Cretan Wine and Spirits
  No Cretan meal is complete without a drink, and local taverns offer plenty of options:
  • Cretan Wines: Wines like Liatiko (red) and Vidiano (white) are unique to the island, with fruity, aromatic profiles.
  • Raki (Tsikoudia): A traditional Cretan spirit, often served after a meal as a digestive. It’s a strong, aromatic drink that the locals swear by!
  • Cretan Beer: Many taverns also serve locally brewed beer, such as Fix or Chios.
  
  
  
• Cretan Desserts
  
  
  
  The final course in a Cretan meal is often something sweet and typically homemade:
  • Baklava: A sweet pastry made of thin layers of phyllo dough, filled with nuts and drenched in honey syrup.
  • Kserotigana: A traditional Cretan sweet, made from fried dough, honey, and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
  • Raki with Honey and Nuts: Often served as a dessert or digestif, combining the island’s signature drink with local honey and nuts.