Food Crete 2025

Ian Russell

Ian Russell

Location
Birmingham
Many comments on lots of thread over the years but if Crete ever had its own thread it’s long gone and long overdue as I continue to be endlessly enamoured with this country even when the sunshine temporarily departs us over the last day or so.

Two contrasting meals to share. Both very simple and humble in their own way but both equally magical. The first was plate of Horta (greens) drizzled in a little olive oil, some salt and a good squeeze of lemon accompanied by marinated anchovies and followed by a fine specimen of a grilled red snapper.

Yesterday we drove up from our villa to a tiny place with guns on the walls, a wood stove, very little spoken English, a very short menu but such a warm generous welcome. Lamb cooked in olive oil, one of the best sausages I’ve ever eaten and a treat just when we thought we were full of loukoumades drizzled in honey. White wine was 3Eu per half litre, second one was on the house and the whole experience reminded me of the joy and beauty in the world around us when we care to pay attention and slow down xIMG_1045.jpegIMG_1044.jpegIMG_1046.jpegIMG_1050.jpegIMG_1049.jpegIMG_1051.jpeg
 
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Crete is special - I can think of few other places which are so 'of themselves', and where history seems to bleed from every corner. I think I ate perhaps the best sausage I've ever had at a small taverna on the edge of Theriso two years ago. Also a 'guns on the wall' place (+icons and portraits/photographs of great grandparents), and here there was also a c. 80 year old guy sitting outside in full camo, with scary dog next to him for completeness. Horta is always so enjoyable, but something I think is perhaps impossible to recreate at home - we don't seem to have the right greens, or I've never been able to find them.

Have you drank much Romeiko? We had one in Chriostomos in Chania; the waiter got us to taste it first before giving us a jug (probably about 3 or 4 euros) as he warned it as a bit of an acquired taste (very oxidative), but we thought it was great - though probably one to enjoy in situ, and wouldn't be so fun on the table in England! There are more conventional wines made from it too but they weren't particularly exciting.
 
Ian Russell said:
The fish restaurant is Vasiliko in Chania, next door to Salis.
The taverna is Lemonia, Hiliomoudou, Chania town, 73003 but it really isn't in Chania, we are staying in paidochoria and it is about 15 mins drive up and around the hills from here
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Is that the slow food place up in the hills on the bend of the road with very pale red wine, goat stew and wasps? We loved that. Our food wasn't as pretty as that, though!
 
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David Bell said:
Crete is special - I can think of few other places which are so 'of themselves', and where history seems to bleed from every corner. I think I ate perhaps the best sausage I've ever had at a small taverna on the edge of Theriso two years ago. Also a 'guns on the wall' place (+icons and portraits/photographs of great grandparents), and here there was also a c. 80 year old guy sitting outside in full camo, with scary dog next to him for completeness. Horta is always so enjoyable, but something I think is perhaps impossible to recreate at home - we don't seem to have the right greens, or I've never been able to find them.

Have you drank much Romeiko? We had one in Chriostomos in Chania; the waiter got us to taste it first before giving us a jug (probably about 3 or 4 euros) as he warned it as a bit of an acquired taste (very oxidative), but we thought it was great - though probably one to enjoy in situ, and wouldn't be so fun on the table in England! There are more conventional wines made from it too but they weren't particularly exciting.
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I really should retry Romeiko; we were exposed to it unexpectedly on our first visit to Aptera in 2013 and I didn't really "get it". In general I prefer my red wine to taste of well red wine not sherry but a lot has changed in 12 years so maybe I will give it another go.
 
Alex Lake said:
Is that the slow food place up in the hills on the bend of the road with very pale red wine, goat stew and wasps? We loved that. Our food wasn't as pretty as that, though!
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I suspect you are thinking of Dounias which is always a highlight both for the drive up through the gorge and the crazy owner Stelios who exudes such passion I cannot help but eat his offerings of baby cow or baby goat whilst watching the snails escaping from the pot as he cooks the finest olive oil chips slowly over the open fire.IMG_3652.jpeg
 
Ian Russell said:
I really should retry Romeiko; we were exposed to it unexpectedly on our first visit to Aptera in 2013 and I didn't really "get it". In general I prefer my red wine to taste of well red wine not sherry but a lot has changed in 12 years so maybe I will give it another go.
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It was definitely a bit sherrified, but fun in its context! It seems quite popular for blanc de noir as well, but those have not been as interesting in my experience.
 
Thom Blach said:
Do you think it's anything like this, or was it something plainer?
Organic Cretan Sausages with Stamnagathi 400g
I remember a similarly sensational sausage in the street market five minutes' walk from Corfu airport, marked by juniper and smoke from the fire upon which it was cooked.
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Hard to know Thom, she wouldn't sell me any despite my nicest smile, she spoke so little English and I speak no Greek so discussing the finer points of the sausage making with her or her husband wasn't possible. To taste they were a little like a boerewors but the spicing was more subtle and much more to my taste. The texture was dense and meaty with a great depth of flavour, certainly a hint of cloves but not dominating in the way some boerewors can. I don't have enough experience to know what stamnagathi tastes of to comment whether it was in there or not.
 
Ian Russell said:
Hard to know Thom, she wouldn't sell me any despite my nicest smile, she spoke so little English and I speak no Greek so discussing the finer points of the sausage making with her or her husband wasn't possible. To taste they were a little like a boerewors but the spicing was more subtle and much more to my taste. The texture was dense and meaty with a great depth of flavour, certainly a hint of cloves but not dominating in the way some boerewors can. I don't have enough experience to know what stamnagathi tastes of to comment whether it was in there or not.
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Do you think it was all pork? I’m pretty sure the one that sticks in my memory from Theriso was a mix, mostly lamb (or beef? I am now doubting myself).
 
David Bell said:
Do you think it was all pork? I’m pretty sure the one that sticks in my memory from Theriso was a mix, mostly lamb (or beef? I am now doubting myself).
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again I really don't know....either the pork was from a very mature old pig (quite plausible) or more likely there was beef in it. It didn't taste of lamb. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some game in there either but I really don't know. We plan to go back as we ar there for another 2 weeks + and will try and brush up on using Google translate in advance. Very judgemental and presumptive of me too but when I showed the owner my phone she asked me to play something audible so either the translation was poor or she struggles with her reading a little?
 
Loved Crete, and it stayed in my memory like not so many places have. Special place for sure - must go back some time.

I don't suppose the place was up a gorge , south (and maybe a bit east?) of Chania towards the mountains?
 
Apropos of nothing except the location, we're just back from a week in Crete, and I can highly recommend the gastronomic restaurant Avli in Rethymno. Had the best tomato salad I've ever had in my life, as well as the best apaki (and that's saying something). There's a new chef, and in discussion with him after the meal (the advantages of being there before tourist season), we found that he's quite a thoughtful guy. Great wine list as well, with good recommendations from the sommelier (we had a Vidiano white from Kourkoulos, which we had visited the day before; and a Liatiko red). Still only about 50 euros per person.
 
It’s funny we rarely venture as far east as Rethymno despite it really being very close. We are happy to drive up long windy mountain roads yet driving less than 30mins to Rethymno almost never happens. I will check out your suggestion, thank you
 
@David Bell I took one for the team last night. I was pleasantly surprised and preferred the 100% romeiko to the romeiko/kotsifali also on offer both charged at the princely sum of 4Eu/1/2 kilo. Of note why do they sell the one by the kilo? I'm sure a kilo of wine is the same as a litre; it just seems odd to my brain. More excellent food from a local taverna close to where we are staying. Octopus with fennel, lamb meatballs in tomato sauce and a superb Imam. The taverna is called Aposperida in Agioi Pantes for anybody who is interested.

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Ian Russell said:
Of note why do they sell the one by the kilo? I'm sure a kilo of wine is the same as a litre
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To be massively pedantic (as a science teacher), it isn't quite...

1 litre of pure water has a mass of 1kg, but of course wine isn't pure water, it contains (approx) 13% alcohol as well as various other dissolved compounds - these all have different densities, so 1 litre of wine won't be exactly 1kg. But it won't be far off.
 
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