Cretan cuisine ( el, Κρητική κουζίνα) is the traditional cuisine of the Mediterranean island of

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

Background

The core of the Cretan cuisine consists of food derived from plants, whereas food of animal origin was more peripheral in nature. In general, people consumed seasonal products, available in the wider local area, which underwent minimal processing or none at all. The traditional cuisine was widespread in the island until the 1960s when, with improving living standards, alimentary patterns changed towards more meat and other animal-derived produce. Fresh fruit and dried fruits,

pulses In medicine, a pulse represents the tactile arterial palpation of the cardiac cycle (heartbeat) by trained fingertips. The pulse may be palpated in any place that allows an artery to be compressed near the surface of the body, such as at the nec ...

, endemic wild herbs and

aromatic plant An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...

s, and rough cereals, whose cultivation was favored by the regional climate, were consumed in great amounts and constituted the base of the Cretan cuisine during that period.

Dairy product Dairy products or milk products, also known as lacticinia, are food products made from (or containing) milk. The most common dairy animals are cow, water buffalo, nanny goat, and ewe. Dairy products include common grocery store food items in th ...

s were consumed on a daily basis in low to moderate quantities. Poultry and

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

were consumed on a weekly basis in moderate quantities, whereas

red meat In gastronomy, red meat is commonly red when raw and a dark color after it is cooked, in contrast to white meat, which is pale in color before and after cooking. In culinary terms, only flesh from mammals or fowl (not fish) is classified as ...

was consumed only a few times a month. The main supply of fat was effectuated by

olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...

, which was used not only in salads but also in cooking, unlike the northern European countries which primarily used

animal fat Animal fats and oils are lipids derived from animals: oils are liquid at room temperature, and fats are solid. Chemically, both fats and oils are composed of triglycerides. Although many animal parts and secretions may yield oil, in commercial p ...

. Another essential feature of the Cretan cuisine was the moderate use of

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

, mainly

red wine Red wine is a type of wine made from dark-colored grape varieties. The color of the wine can range from intense violet, typical of young wines, through to brick red for mature wines and brown for older red wines. The juice from most purple grap ...

which accompanied meals. Finally, the most common dessert was yogurt and fresh fruits, while traditional

pastry Pastry is baked food made with a dough of flour, water and shortening (solid fats, including butter or lard) that may be savoury or sweetened. Sweetened pastries are often described as '' bakers' confectionery''. The word "pastries" suggests ma ...

based on

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

had been consumed a few times a week.

Appetizers

*'' Dakos'' (salad) * Stamnagathi (cichorium) salad *''Piktí'' (or Tsiladiá), pork charcuterie *'' Apáki'', smoked pork (or chicken) meat *'' Paximadi'' *''

Kalitsounia Kalitsounia () are small cheese or herb snacks associated with the Greek island of Crete. They can be described as a treat, with different filling and serving variations. So, in Chania we find the salty kalitsounia, stuffed with the locally made m ...

'' *'' Kolokythoanthoi'' *'' Kolokythopita'' *'' Marathopita'' *''Mizithropita'', mizithra sandwich *''Sykoti Savore'', liver cooked in vinegar *'' Staka'', buttercream roux *'' Graviera'' cheese *''

Xynomizithra Xynomizithra or xynomyzithra () is a Greek whey cheese with some added milk; it is a sour variant of Mizithra, and made from ewes' and/or goats' milk. The proportion of full-cream milk is about 15%. It is mainly produced on the island of Cre ...

'' cheese *'' Xygalo'' cheese *'' Pichtogalo'' cheese *Other cheeses include ''Amarino'', ''Seliano'', ''Tirozouli'', ''Tiromalama''

Specialities

*''Antikristo'' (or Oftó), lamb meat *''

Blessed thistle ''Cnicus benedictus'', known by the common names St. Benedict's thistle, blessed thistle, holy thistle and spotted thistle, is a thistle-like plant in the family Asteraceae, native to the Mediterranean region, from Portugal north to southern F ...

with lamb'' *''Hirino me selino'', pork meat with celery *''Gamopilafo'', rice cooked in goat and rooster broth *Snails with tomato *'' Sfougato'' (omelette with potatoes/pumpkin) *'' Sofegada'', vegetables *''Triftoudia'', type of

orzo Orzo (, ; from , from Latin ), also known as risoni (; 'large rains ofrice'), is a form of short-cut pasta, shaped like a large grain of rice. Orzo is traditionally made from flour, but it can also be made of whole grain. It is often made with ...

*Types of pasta, such as '' Skioufichta'', ''Magiri'', ''Chilofta'', ''Avgochilos'' *'' Xerotigana'', dessert *''

Amygdalopita Amygdalopita ( el, Αμυγδαλόπιτα) is an almond cake in Greek cuisine made with ground almonds, flour, butter, eggs and pastry cream. It is one of the most common ''glyka tapsiou'' ( el, γλυκά ταψιού) - dessert dishes like pies ...

'' (dessert) *''Patouda'' (dessert) *'' Portokalopita'' (dessert)

Drinks

* Tsikoudia *

Rakomelo ( el, ρακόμελο (or , from () + (), meaning "honey") is a Greek mixed alcoholic drink. It is a digestive spirit, traditionally used by many Greeks as a home remedy for a sore throat or cough. Types is made by combining or - two typ ...

Cretan wine Cretan wine is wine from the Greek island of Crete. It has a long history since wine was certainly being made by the Minoans since the Bronze Age. Wines from Crete are not listed among those specially prized in classical Greece, but under the Rom ...

Gallery

File:Koukouvagia.jpg, Dakos File:Kolokythoanthoi gemistoi me giaourti.jpg, ''Kolokythoanthoi'' are often served with a dollop of yoghurt on the side (

zucchini flower Squash blossoms (called courgette flowers in Great Britain) are the edible flowers of ''Cucurbita'' species, particularly ''Cucurbita pepo'', the species that produces zucchini (courgette), marrow, spaghetti squash, and many other types of squa ...

s) File:SnailsInTomatoFromCrete.JPG, Snails with tomato File:Rakomelo 2016-07-29.png, Rakomelo

References

External links

Cretan Quality Agreement
{{Authority control Greek cuisine Culture of Crete