In a world governed by the latest diet trends and fanciest workout gadgets, the need to follow a healthy diet is “haunting” us even in our vacation. The hotel we stay at must have a gym, the restaurant must offer a “diet friendly” menu and if we happen to gain some weight on vacation, we are not far from depression.

The Cretan Cuisine

For the health-conscious traveler, the Cretan cuisine is the best option. The Cretan cuisine is not only aromatic, but also very healthy. The most important Cretan product associated with healthy living is the extra virgin olive oil.

Studies have shown that the residents on Crete have the lowest mortality rates in the world, less cancer, and heart attack occurrence. Hence scientists linked these health privileges with the Cretan way of life.

The basis of the Cretan diet is represented by the boiled vegetables. Salads are also a major part of Cretan cuisine. Don’t forget to use extra virgin olive oil as dressing. Grilled fish and roasted meat are among the staple dishes on the island. Again, extra virgin olive oil is used. Although fried foods aren’t considered really healthy, when using the same olive oil, it adds better flavor and health benefits to the food.

The healthy approach to food is not new at all. Even from the Minoan civilization, the Cretans were aware of the health benefits of olive oil, vegetables, olives, herbs, and honey. Blessed with the perfect soil, today the locals develop “earth friendly” methods of growing their traditional produce. The organic growers sell their natural products to the restaurants and to locals.

Traditional Cretan Dishes

Some of the traditional Cretan dishes include:

Appetizers:

• Bifteki, souvlaki made with beef meat;
• Dolmades, rice filled grape leaves;
• Gigantes, beans in a tomato sauce;
• Homus (hummus), a paste made from chick pea;
• Kalamari, deep fried squid;
• Pita
• Proino, the traditional Greek Breakfast
• Saganaki, cheese fried in a pan
• Spanakopita, a spinach cake
• Skorthalia, mashed potatoes with garlic
• Tzatziki, the traditional yogurt sauce
• Taramosalata, the Greek caviar
• Tyropita, a salty cheese cake
• Tyrokavteri, a cheese spread with a spicy twist

Soups:

• Fakkes and Loutzoukaxia, lentil soups
• Fassolatha, navy beans soup
• Kotosoupa, a creamy chicken soup
• Kremithosoupa, onion soup
• Nisiotiki, sea food soup
• Trahana and Domatosoupa, tomato soups

Salads:

• Horiatiki Salata, the traditional Greek salad (find the recipe here)
• Lahano Salata, cabbage salad
• Patzaria, beets salad
• Salata Marouli, salad based on Romaine lettuce
• Shepherd’s Salad, a Turkish salad made from different vegetables

Desserts:

• Baklava, a very sweet pastry made with nuts and dipped in syrup
• Galactobouriko
• Loukoumades, the traditional Greek doughnuts
• Kourambiedes, traditional Greek cookies
• Melomakarona, a holiday cookie dipped in honey
• Theepless, fried batter which is then dipped in honey
• Vasilopita, traditional New Year’s Day (St. Basil) cake, believed to bring good luck to the one who finds the coin hidden in the batter