RHODES CULINARY TOUR
Greece is characterized by its numerous islands and the rugged terrain of the mainland. This morphological diversity creates “worlds within worlds”. A trip to Greece means a fascinating exploration of tastes, flavors, unexpected combinations and endless variety. The territories of the Dodecanese islands have always been at the heart of gastronomic history.
Basic ingredients used in the island’s recipes are wheat and olives thanks to the land’s fertile grounds which facilitate cultivation. Delicious meat, fresh fish and seafood based dishes, as well as a wide variety of desserts made with cereals, olive oil, nuts, fruits, honey and herbs, compose the uniqueness of Rhodes’ cuisine. The uses of the traditionally maintained natural ingredients create simple and nutritious meals.
Commonly used in traditional recipes of the island is the bulgur wheat (couscous), various pasta like trachana, macaroni, hilopites (egg noodles made in linguine-sized strips, cut into small pieces) and vegetables such as wild greens, herbs, vine leaves, red pumpkins, onions, caper and green beans. for the main dishes, it is definitely worth savouring the stew made with wild greens (known as vlita) and purslane, stuffed vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, zucchinis, and courgette flowers), oven baked kolokoudi (pumpkin), green-red pole beans, with tomato and pepper, karavolous (snails cooked in tomato sauce with onions and cumin or oatmeal), meat and vegetable entrada, goat cooked in a narrow, tall, ceramic pot (called pydiako), chicken with gruel, spetzofai (baked sausages with peppers and onions), hen with loukoumi (a type of pasta) and goat meat with lopia (a dry bean or chickpea). Amarangoi is a loved dish by locals on Rhodes, which is boiled with vinegar daisy’s shoots served with skordalia (puree made with crushed garlic and potatoes/bread).
Last but not least Rhodes delicious dishes are served with savoury local wines from the island’s wineries which keep their long lasting tradition that dates back to antiquity. The wineries produce excellent wine and have been internationally awarded. The Vineyards of Rhodes benefit from the sunshine and the frequent rainfall as well as the cool sea breeze from May to September.