location: Aegean Islands

Dakos from Kasos is a yellowish rusk made with wheat or barley flour.
This kind of rusk is a very popular kind of bread in the Southern Aegean particularly in Kasos. As in these islands there was never enough wood or coal, they made these rusks very few times a year but in quantities that would meet the consumers’ needs.
In the past this kind of rusk was made for sailors or shepherds because they were often away for long periods of time but nowadays it is consumed by everyone.

Possa is a wine-cheese from the Aegean island of Kos. It is made from sheep’s and goat’s milk (the highest proportion belongs to goat’s milk), heated and then placed in special jars with wine mud (a mixture of vine harvest or ‘’possa’’ and red wine) for a period of about four weeks, in order to mature.
When it is matured, it gets externally the brown-red color of the wine while it remains white inside.
It has a mild, salty taste and a special aroma. It is used in salads, as meze, saganaki etc.

Melekouni is a healthy traditional sweet of Rhodes with high nutritional value. It is known for its rich and soft texture and is made mainly from honey, sesame, almonds, orange and cinnamon. There are several local varieties that include pistachio, almond, spices etc. Melekouni stands out from the other similar products due to the exclusive use of honey, instead of that of sweeteners. In earlier times, it has been a traditional local sweet offered mainly at weddings, baptisms, etc. while it is widespread in recent decades.
In December 2017 it was certified by the European Commission as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) product.

Kaskavali is an aromatic cheese made from goat’s or sheep’s milk, produced for centuries in Lemnos, as well as in Samothraki (with some differences in preparation and flavor). It takes about 9 months to mature in order to obtain its main characteristics, such as the rich flavor, the semi-hard or hard surface and its intense aroma. Kaskavali is an ideal table cheese, saganaki (fried cheese) and is used as an ingredient in traditional pies.

Chios mastiha oil (Mastic Oil), an essential oil produced exclusively in Mastichochoria (“the mastic villages”) of Chios, is a product known since Greek Antiquity. It is extracted from natural mastic after distillation (the yield varies depending on the quality of mastic yield between 1% -3%) and has a white or yellowish color, as well as an intense aroma. Since 1994 Mastiha Oil has been certified as a product of Protected Designation of Origin PDO

Tinos graviera (gruyere) is a hard cheese, mainly served as a table cheese. Tinos graviera is known for its unique sweetish taste, solid shape and yellowish to ochre colour. It is made from cow’s milk and it is considered as the ”successor” of the local boiled cheese, which was very popular in the old days.

Vanilla is a traditional spoon sweet from the Cycladic island of Sifnos. After the vanilla fruits are collected, they are left for one day (with or without their pips) in lime, in order to harden. Then they are boiled with sugar, lemon juice and water. Vanilla sweets are preserved in glass jars for a long time and they are often served as a treat.

Melichloro is a traditional cheese of Lemnos. It is made from drained sheep and goat’s milk which is exposed in shadowy and well-ventilated rooms, at the beginning of the summer, when humidity levels are low, in order to become dehydrated. At a first stage melichloro is soft, but as the process of the dehydration goes on, its texture changes and becomes more solid, while its taste is similar to feta cheese. Melichloro is ideal as a basis for grated cheese and saganaki while it is also used as table cheese.

Amorgos is the home to a local variety of the famous Greek cheese, Myzithra. Myzithra of Amorgos (also known as ”Amorgiani”) is made from a mixture of sheep’s and goat’s milk. It has a soft and creamy texture, and a sweet-and-sour flavour.

Tomataki of Santorini (cherry tomatoes) is a special variety of tomatoes cultivated in the Cycladic island of Santorini.

Tomataki appeared in Santorini at the end of the 19th century and its cultivation thrived due to the unusual anhydrous climatic conditions and the volcanic soil of the island, the sunlight and the strong Aegean winds.

Tomataki of Santorini has an exceptional rich flavor, thick peel, small size and a high concentration of carbohydrates. In 2013 it was certified as a product of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).

Skotiri is a traditional white and soft cheese, with a spicy taste and an aroma from local greens or herbs. It is produced in Ios, Cyclades, and it has taken its name after the goat skin (askos), where skotiri was placed in order to mature.

It is a mixture of sheep and goat’s milk with aromatic greens or herbs (mainly savory). Nowadays, during the process of maturation, the goat skins have been replaced by tin boxes.

Malaxia is a soft cheese from Andros. It is produced from the sheep’s or goat’s milk, or even from the mixture of both milks with the addition of salt during the mixture. Malaxia is optionally covered with a cloth soaked in raki.

Due to its texture it is generally used for as an ingredient in various recipes for pies.