“Plums from Skopelos” are a fleshy, dark –colored, medium size fruit. They are sweet and a nutritious dried fruit. The fruit was originally grown in Damascus, the namesake of the fruit in Greek, “damaskino,”.
Plums were already known in the 1st century BC in Greece. The writers Dioscourides and Galinos and many others mention the fruit throughout the centuries. The “Plums of Skopelos” are mostly consumed as dried fruit.
Kopanisti, a specialty of the Cycladic islands, is a soft, strong cheese with a peppery taste. It is without skin and its color ranges from creamy white to slightly pink. It is a Protected Designation of Origin product and made in the Cycladic islands, mainly, Mykonos, Tinos, Syros. It can be produced with sheep or goat or cow’s milk or a mixture of the three. Kopanisti is stored in clay jars and served as a table cheese together with an assortment of delicious appetizers.
Noubolo is known locally as the prosciutto of Corfu, the traditional cured meat of the island. A delicacy made from boneless pork steak marinated in red wine, seasoned with black pepper and oregano, wrapped in a “bolia” (sheep’s intestines) and smoked over aromatic herbs. Rich and aromatic, the secret lies in the smoking where the meat absorbs the aroma of the herbs. It is cut in thin slices and complements many dishes including “strapatsada” (tomato and egg omelet) and “manestrakolopibiri” (pasta with red pepper).
Kavourma (cooked/preserved meat) is a sausage which literally means “roasted”. The word is of Turkish origin, from “kavourma”, which means roasting. It is a traditional meat product with a special taste due to its manufacturing process but also because of its high nutritional value, which justifies its price. It consists of boiled pieces of meat (kid, buffalo, sheep or beef, depending on the region) mixed with the broth and cooked with spices in the animal’s fat. It is eaten raw, cut into small pieces or added to recipes giving its special taste to pies, omelets etc..It is also made at home and preserved in the animal’s fat.
Formaela Cheese of Arachova is only available locally but famous throughout Greece. A semi hard Parnassos cheese which is pale, slightly salty, milky yet spicy, it has a sweet-smelling aroma. It is a Protected Designation of Origin product and made in Arachova of Parnassos in the Prefecture of Viotia from goat or sheep’s milk or a blend of both. It is served grilled or fried forming a crust.
The Sfela Chesse of Messinia from the southern Peloponnese is also called ‘the cheese of fire’ because it is spicy, salty and slightly sour to the taste. A medium hard, white brine cheese, in oblong pieces, it has a full body with a few holes. It is a Protected Designation of Origin product and made in Messinia from sheep or goat’s milk or a mixture of both. The cheese is a good starter and opens the appetite.
Pasto Arkadias (Salt pork of Arcadia), is a traditional delicacy with an age-old method of preserving meat .Prepared red pork meat is boiled and placed in a terracotta container, which is covered with a thick layer of fat. Traditionally, the container is covered with a piece of cloth and secured with a rock for preservation into summer. Preserving pork meat is a custom dating from antiquity and in Byzantine writings, there are many references to the preparations of salted meat.
The Oranges of Laconia ripen faster than other varieties in Greece and their juice is exceptionally sweet. The oranges are known for excellent quality, color, aroma and taste. The varieties include Cuttee Valencia, Campell Valencia, Olinda Valencia, Frost Valencia and Inegimgong. The peel of the oranges is moderately thick, fairly glossy and firmly attached t the flesh. The Oranges of Laconia are juicy with a sweet taste and are served as table fruit, as well as used for juice.
The “Delicious Pilafa Apples” are red-golden in color and known for a delicious and aromatic flavor, which is not too sweet. The skin of the apple is yellow-green while, the part exposed to the sun, is red. They are white fleshed, with a cohesive texture. The apples gathered in late October and available until June. The cultivation of the apples in Arcadia began in 1940. Today it is a Product of Designation of Origin produced in Tripoli, Arcadia.
The “Delicious Pilafa Apples” are served as a table fruit, as well as a flavorful ingredient in cooking, baking with raisins, apple pies and pastry.
“Elatis Vanillia” of Menalo comes mainly from the fir covered peaks of Arcadia (80%) and 20% from the flowers of the region. The varieties are classified according to the honey’s organoleptic properties, depending on the diet of the bees (thyme honey, flower honey etc). Thick honey, with delicious flavor and sweetness, it has a characteristic light color and sheen. It is a Product of Designation of Origin made in Arcadia.
The Corinthian Currant (Vitis vinifera) is a variety of small, sweet, seedless grape named after the city of Corinth in the Peloponnesus. When dried, the fruit is referred to as Corinthian Currants and are used in cooking, especially baking. The main categories are: “Vostizza” or “Gulf” and “Provincial”. The “Vostizza” is a Protected Designation of Origin product since 1993 and is considered an excellent quality Corinthian Currant distinguished for its aroma and unique flavor.
Spicy ladograviera is a type of graviera produced from sheep’s milk on the island of Zakynthos. It is a medium graviera cheese made from sheep’s milk which has matured for 8 months and then placed in olive oil for at least another 2 months.. It is truly a special cheese with an impressive full flavor. It has a strong fruity taste leaving a piquant aftertaste. It is produced in very small quantities which makes it rarer even in the local market. It is served as a table cheese but also used in cooking.
Sausage is a traditional commodity in Greece. There are many different varieties and tastes particular to each region. In Thrace beef sausage is the most characteristic. It is found especially in Eastern Thrace which has plentiful pastureland for cattle. Generally they have a low percentage of fat, which makes the difference in taste, and is often compared to Eastern sausage. It is often made with leek, garlic, cumin, red pepper flakes for a spicy taste but also available in less seasoned varieties.
Telemes is a type of soft white cheese that resembles Feta. It is made from sheep, goat or cow’s milk in areas where there is abundant cattle farming, such as Thrace. Telemes is known for its peppery and refreshing taste. It is often grated for use in pita pies adding a stronger taste or as a table cheese. It is cut in large pieces and preserved exclusively in tin containers with brine. The difference between the cheese and Feta is in production method and salting. The cheese is perhaps more compact and acidic. Fat content depends on the milk and production method.
Kalathaki is traditionally made only on the island of Lemnos and is sometimes called, the ‘Greek island Feta.’ A white, soft to medium-hard cheese, without skin and with holes, the cheese owes its name to its production method; a basket. The shape resembles a basket and is formed from basket-molds; originally, made from reeds or wicker, now from plastic. It has a rich, salty and slightly sour taste with woody aromas. It is a Protected Designation of Origin product made on the island of Lemnos from sheep’s milk, which creates excellent quality cheese, or with a blend of goat’s milk (not to exceed 30%).
The Throubes variety of Thasos is a wrinkled black olive which is harvested by hand or by harvesting net, as the fruit uniquely ripens on the tree. The variety is an excellent choice for producing tasty salted olives. The long tradition of cultivating the olive tree on the island of Thasos is closely connected with the island’s history since antiquity. The Throubes variety of Thasos is served throughout Greece as a table olive.
Katiki is a fresh, curd, white cheese with a yoghurt-like texture. It has a soft, slightly sour flavor, salty taste and discreet aroma. It is a cheese of the Othrys Mountain Range in Central Greece and a Protected Designation of Origin product and produced in the Domokos plain. Katiki cheese is served a table cheese with toasted bread.
San Michali of Syros is often called the Greek parmeson but the cheese is distinctly unique. Made from cow’s milk, this top cheese is a hard, white-yellow to yellow cheese noted for its characteristically salty taste, spicy after taste and pleasant aroma. Cylindrically shaped, with a thin dry skin, the cheese is covered with microbial development that contributes to its maturing. It is a Protected Designation of Origin product made on the island of Syros. Excellent with fresh fruit.
Syglino is a special cured meat of the Mani, Peloponnese. Following an old tradition, pork meat is smoked with aromatic herbs over wood and the salted meat is then boiled in pots with wine, oranges and spices. The meat is preserved in large clay pots using only extra virgin olive oil or ‘glina’ ( pork fat) as a preserving agent. “Syglino” is an extremely tasty food, which can be served, cold or warm, as an appetizer with wine or ouzo, or in omelets and sauces. Although, it is still prepared at home using the traditional method, ‘Syglino’ is now produced and packaged as a high-quality product for year-round enjoyment.
The Amygdalota of Hydra is a local variation of the traditional almond cookie. The dough is formed in a pear-shape, baked, sprinkled with powdered sugar and topped with a clove. A ribbon is tied around each cookie and served at celebrations and special occasions. The ingredients are four; almonds, flower water, semolina and sugar.