Local Products
The products of Rethymno are the epitome of its regional identity. Cycladias provides you below with a selection of the best Rethymnian products.

Wine and Spirits
Wherever you travel in the prefecture of Rethymno, you will soon discover that the wine and the raki, also known as tsikoudia, are playing an important role in the everyday life of Rethymno’s inhabitants. Moderate wine consumption is a great part of the Cretan Diet and locals are very proud of their production, even if it comes from a tiny vineyard. A celebration of the annual wine production takes place every summer in the area of the National Park of Rethymno and everyone is welcome to taste local wines and specialties accompanied by traditional music and dance groups.

Cheese
The Prefecture of Rethymno has many small cheese-farm dairies. The production process combines traditional methods with modern equipment. The most popular cheese is the ‘Graviera’, a light-yellow hard cheese with slightly nutty, characteristic and delicious taste. Other cheese varieties are ‘myzithra’, a low-fat soft mashed cheese which can be sweet, salty or ever sour and ‘anthotyro’ a white soft cheese similar to the ricotta cheese.

Extra virgin olive oil
The basic ingredient and the greatest secret of the worldwide famous Cretan Diet. Rethymno boasts a large amount of hectares with cultivated olive trees and almost every household owns an olive grove. The production of the exceptional olive oil origins mainly from two kinds of olives: the small green ones called ‘tsounates’ and the larger ones called ‘stafidoelies’. Olive oil and olive products are of exquisite quality and internationally recognized, though a little strong in taste.

Honey

A product of the unique rich Cretan flora, the temperate climate and the long beekeeping tradition. The honey comes from a large variety of plants. The most significant can be found pure or in combination with other honey types.

Anthomelo: Produced from the nectar of flowers. Light golden in color and very aromatic.

Thimarissio: Thyme-honey in the typical light brown color.

Elatou: Dark colored honey from coniferous trees.


Herbs

There are 130 species of wild flowers and herbs unique to Crete: malotira (sideritis syriaca) a tee plant found above 1000 meters on the mountains, savory, chamomile, lavender, nettle and calendula.                                                     

Widely used culinary herbs are oregano, basil, mint, rosemary, sage, marjoram, cinnamon, thyme and laurel.                                                                            
 



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