Cycladia | Island Products

A blessed land with rich gastronomy and tradition, Chania prefecture, like the rest of Crete Island, proudly boasts a great number of local products used in the world wide famous Cretan cuisine while being indispensable parts of the Mediterranean nutrition. Cycladia provides you with a detailed list for all local products this unique place has to offer.

Wine is considered to be amongst the most important part of the island’s tradition. Chania could not be left out of this deep tradition of wine making. Throughout the prefecture local winery companies and even Cretan families have their own vineyards producing this aromatic wine with the distinctive flavor and strong taste. Besides, most of Chania’s plains are all covered with vines for all different types of wine: white or red, sweet, semi-sweet or dry that could be also bought or tasted in various commercial shops or taverns.

Another unique spirit produced on the island by distilling the leftovers from wine production. A distinctive flavor, strong taste and pretty high alcohol degrees, raki or tsikoudia is a great part of everyday life in Chania. Producers vary from dedicated distillation companies to local families producing their own raki for their family tavern or personal use. Given this diversity of raki sources, it is more than expected that raki varies in taste and aroma depending on where you try it. Also, in south Chania and especially Sfakia, or inland tyraditional settlements raki has a stronger and more intense taste. Also available for people who wish to try different flavours are raki with cinnamon, raki boiled with honey, lemon or lime and other tastes.

Chania land is also full of olive groves producing the distinctive, strong Cretan olive oil in a few varieties. Another precious gift generously offered to travelers in any tavern or shop. Olive trees cultivating has been a tradition in Crete for more than 4 thousand years, dating back to the early Minona period. Maybe the most important ingredient of the Mediterranean nutrition, olive oil boasts a number of nutritional and therapeutic elements for the wellbeing of human organism.

Maybe one of the best and most tasteful cheese types that Greece has to offer, Cretan Graviera is the starring product of Crete and Chania. Soft or hard, milky or salty, spicy or mild, most of graviera cheeses produced here are considered to be Protected Designated of Origin or Protected Geographical Indication cheeses, famous within entire Greece and not only. Small or medium sized dairies and family owned businesses are the protagonists behind this extraordinary, exceptional cheese type. And of course, Graviera cheese is full of proteins and calcium, not considering its full and overwhelming taste. If one product fropm Chania is to be taken with you back home, let it be graviera!

With a deep tradition in honey producing dating back to ancient times also, Chania is the place to be if you are a honey lover. Many varieties from flower honey, or anthomelo as Greeks call it, to thyme honey, Chania offers you a quality weapon to defeat illnesses and stress.

Within the vast valleys and plains of Chania inland a numberless list of herbs and spices grow. Thyme, tea, oregano or chamomile are amongst the vast list of Cretan herbs and spices. Most of them are also used in traditional dishes and sweets or beverages and spirits.

Like rest of Greece and Crete Island, in Chania also people cultivate and produce a great number of nuitrition products that highly contribute in their everyday cuisine, traditional or contemporary. Fruits and vegetables, nuts and cereals are among Chania’s local products in its vast valleys. Also, livestock and dairy products will be found in any of the prefectures regions consumed or served in local taverns and restaurants. And, of course, since the inhabitants of Chania are also very famous fishermen and sea lovers, the endless list of locally produced goods cannot leave out fresh fish and seafood.