Cycladia | Island Products

Local Specialties & Recipes | Local Products

Oil rusks

The most popular and delicious product of Kythira is the oil rusks which are just like common rusks only they contain a great amount of olive oil. They can be found all over the island as it is something like its mascot!

Try them with tomato and feta or graviera cheese…just unique!

Honey

Kythira thyme honey is among the most quality honeys in the world. The island occupies a lot with honey production and the Apicultural Cooperation of Kythira is a great initiative and high esteemed on the island.

Honey can be bought from the Cooperation or the producers directly, though at a little higher price as the production is pretty limited.

Olive oil

Kythira is a very fertile island when it comes to olive oil production. Many inhabitants occupy themselves with the olive oil production and the produced oil is of great quality and always a basis for local dishes and products, like the Kytherian olive rusks.

Besides, Kythira lies at the foot of the Peloponnese and its olive tree variety “koroneiki”, one of the best olive varieties, bursts on the island too.

Sempreviva (helichrysum)

Deriving from the Latin words “semper” and “vivere” meaning “lives forever”, sempreviva is the island’s landmark. A small yellow flower, looking as dried, is the unique, distinctive product of Kythira. It was named like this from the Venetian conquerors of the island who noticed that when they cut it, it remained unaltered as the time passed by.

Sempreviva (helichrysum orientale) has small leaves have a characteristic straw texture feeling, tiny yellow blossoms and it grows at steep spots on the northwest part of the island and on Hytra islet. The blossom of sempreviva is used for handicrafts and decoration ornaments.

Other products

The sausages from Kythira are pretty famous and a great “meze” to accompany some of the local, delightful wine. You can find them in almost any butchery on the island.

The local cheese, herbs, sweets, almonds and fruits are also a great choice when it comes to shopping traditional products while vacationing on the island.

A Bio Cooperation also operates on the island supplying the island’s shops, taverns and, of course, visitors with high quality, chemical-free nutrition products.

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