FOOD & WINE IN CRETE

The Cretan diet is reputed to be one of the healthiest in the world (not surprising then that many of them live to a grand old age, often over 100!). All sorts of fruit and vegetable grow here, and the island’s famously aromatic herbs give Cretan dishes their special savour. Fish from the sea, goat, lamb and partridges from the mountains, cheeses and yoghurts made from sheep’s milk, and the fragrant olive oil used for cooking, all help to make Cretan food memorable.

First courses are generally an assortment of mezedes. Tzatziki, houmous, and dolmades are common. The things to look for are tyropitta (cheese pie), spanakopitta (spinach pie) and melitzana (deep fried aubergine). Psarosoupa (fish soup) is good, and kakavia (Cretan bouillabaisse) expensive but delicious.

Usually the best way to choose main courses is - go into the kitchen and have a look! The thing is to be adventurous, or you’ll finish up eating moussaka and souvlaki all the time. Look for the traditional Byzantine dishes you can still find in Crete, like snail and dandelion casserole, lamb pie with savoury stuffed cabbage leaves, wild goat pilaf, baked courgette & potato pie, squid stew, and sheep’s cheese pancakes.

Cretan wines are considered to be amongst the best in Greece, and the island has some of the oldest vine stocks in the world. Most families in Crete make their own, still trampling the grapes with bare feet in the traditional way. It’s usually called 'Malmsey' or 'Cretan brown', a rusty coloured wine often served at room temperature (but better with ice). It was apparently one of Henry VIII’s favourite tipples! You can also get retsina (a famous greek wine made in pine wood barrels, delicious served chilled) and Peza from Heraklion (red & white).