Almost everyone, when we hear Crete, thinks of the famous Cretan cuisine, the fried lamb and snails, the staka, and the kalitsounia. In one word, tradition. And rightfully so, since the fame and deliciousness of this unique cuisine are renowned worldwide. But Crete is not only pentozali and goat dishes. It is also its large cities, its significant economic impact, and its tourism development that places it at the forefront of the relevant Greek industry.
All these factors inevitably influence the cuisine of Crete, which does not develop in a vacuum but within the constantly changing conditions of its environment. This is especially true for the cuisine of Heraklion. As a major urban and tourist center, it is the largest city in Crete and the fourth largest in Greece, and like all major cities, it offers every kind of cuisine. The traditional mezedopoleia coexist with all-day cafes and the few remaining restaurants offering urban cuisine, while the tavernas coexist with the restaurants in the upscale hotels.
Under the influence of tourism, the famous Cretan cuisine, the authentic one, has a declining presence and can be found in very few places, both in the city and the nearby villages, even though one might expect the opposite. The restaurants in hotels, on the other hand, are a different story. They are led by young chefs who create in the style of modern Greek cuisine, increasing in number year by year, and some have become gastronomic hotspots for the locals of Heraklion, who appreciate innovation and modernity.
Finally, there are some sui generis places with “neo-Cretan” cuisine and some that offer exclusively meat or fish, some better than others, as is the case in all major cities.
From the wonderful dishes we tried, traditional, “neo-Cretan,” and modern Greek, we selected a few that can be cooked in our own kitchens. We thank the cooks, chefs, and pastry chefs who shared these recipes with us.
The cooks, chefs, and pastry chefs who shared their recipes with us, in random order, are: Chef Exarchos Delibasis from the restaurant “Herb’s Garden” at Lato Boutique Hotel, Georgia Manoura from the tavern “Erganos,” Chef Iosif Giannitsopoulos from the restaurant “VERTI” at Galaxy Hotel, Chef Christos Schoinarakis, and pastry chefs Youli Vasilaki and Iosifina Papadaki at the restaurant “Peskevi” in Heraklion.
Around the city of Heraklion, in Peza, the cook Eleni Vardaki from the tavern “Onisimos,” in Gouves, Heraklion, Chef Vangelis Fronimakis from the restaurant “Xasteria” at Amirandes Hotel, in Kato Asites, Mrs. Maria Kopidaki from the tavern “Earino.” Finally, among the recipes is the bouillabaisse from Chef Kyriakos Mylonas, from the restaurant “Bouillabaisse” at Minos Beach Hotel, simply because we liked it very much and wanted to recommend it to you.
It was a great pleasure to meet all these worthy professionals, both them and their cooking pots.
