Traditional Cretan Products in Rethymnon Restaurants

Cretan Olive oil

Anyone who has visited Crete knows how delicious traditional Cretan cuisine is; those who plan a trip to the island are in for a treat! Because of its ample supply of olive oil, fruit and vegetables, herbs, cheeses, honey, and fine wine, Cretan food has long been associated with vitality, overall wellness and importantly, a satisfied appetite. 

It’s no coincidence that Cretans continue to work the land way past their 70s. The 72-year-old woman harvesting olives and her 81-year-old husband herding his flock of sheep are a familiar sight as you travel around the Cretan countryside.   Consequently, the  traditional Cretan products in Rethymnon’s restaurants are regarded as nutritional marvels worldwide!

Rethymnon, on Crete’s western coast, has a rich culinary heritage. The restaurants in this charming town are well-known for using the best traditional Cretan products, fresh seasonal ingredients and authentic Cretan cooking methods. 

Yialos Wine Restaurant, in Rethymnon, is indeed an ideal romantic dining spot and an establishment that takes pride in serving high quality Cretan cuisine, prepared with the best traditional Cretan products and fresh ingredients, both complemented with high-quality local wines and spirits.  

Following are six of many traditional Cretan products that we source from local producers to make our menu stand out, both in quality and flavour.  

Cretan Wild greens

Local Cretan farmers continue to hand-harvest and press their olives, following strict guidelines to ensure the highest quality olive oil. In Rethymnon’s restaurants, the farmers’ olive oil is used to moisten ingredients, elevate flavours, and add good fat to traditional Cretan recipes. Cretan olive oil is used in a variety of fried, cooked, and roasted Cretan dishes, as well as in sauces, dressings, and soups, but also for bread dipping and salad dressings.

Yialos’ Olive Oil Bar features a multitude of fruity, spicy, and bitter olive oils to pair with the restaurant’s wild greens, vegetables, meat, and seafood dishes, as well as its colourful salad bar. We consider olive oil to be an elixir, and we treat it as such in the preparation of our meals, in order to provide its best flavours and health benefits to our guests.

Vegetables

It’s easy to believe you’re living in the Garden of Eden when you grow up in Crete, surrounded by olive groves, picking fruits from trees and vines, and harvesting vegetables for dinner from your garden. 

Cretans eat mostly organic foods, with a wide variety of fresh salads and cooked vegetable-only dishes. As a result, vegetarians in Crete can choose from a wide variety of greens, vegetables, and legumes, all of which are seasoned with mountain herbs like thyme and basil.

Early spring brings asparagus, courgettes, and split peas made into a delicious dip called fava; May offers beans, peppers, aubergines, and fennel; summer brings tomatoes, potatoes, squash, and okra; and winter bears carrots, broccoli, beetroot, cauliflower, spinach, and avocado.

We believe that food consumed in season is fresher, tastier, and more nutritious than food consumed out of season, so we serve vegetable dishes directly from our local producer once they are harvested.  

Cheese

No meal is complete without at least one type of cheese in our opinion! Dairy products are an important part of the Cretan diet, and some of the best traditional Cretan dairy products found in Rethymnon’s restaurants include graviera, anthotiro, and mizithra cheeses, yoghurt with honey and almonds, and the famous Cretan ksinochondro. Cheese is also used in sweet and savoury Cretan pies, as well as in delectable honey-drizzled puddings.

Yialos Wine Restaurant sources its dairy products from local cheese makers who follow the traditional Cretan cheese-making process and who use high-quality milk. Many of the gourmet dishes on the Yialos menu feature sensational traditional Cretan cheese products whose taste and quality are held up to the highest standards.

Herbs

Herbs have been used in Cretan cooking since ancient times. Crete’s rugged mountains are teeming with beautiful vegetation. Expert collectors gather Cretan herbs and dry them out, ready for use. These herbs are important in cooking because they add fragrance, essence, and a particular flavour to many traditional Cretan dishes. 

In Rethymnon’s restaurants, oregano is used in a variety of Cretan dishes, including Dakos, Cretan lamb, and a variety of grilled meats. Basil is used as a topping on many Cretan dishes, and is the base for many delicious sauces and dips. Rosemary pairs well with meats such as mutton, poultry, and veal, and it’s also a tasty garnish for fried fish. Thyme, along with basil and oregano, is frequently used in pies and other meat and poultry-based dishes to complement and improve the flavour of the meat.

While all of the herbs may be found in stores, we prefer to cook with fresh herbs to guarantee that our dishes are aromatic, tasty and fresh.

Honey

Cretan honey is a well-known component of Cretan cuisine. Cretan honey with thyme, herbs, or blossoms is a nutritious natural food that offers numerous health benefits. 

Our premium Cretan honey comes from local beekeepers, and it’s fresh and untainted since it’s collected from the hive and bottled immediately for use.

To round off your meal, it is very likely that you’ll be served a complimentary dessert of Greek yoghurt drizzled with a full-flavored and aromatic Cretan honey topped with almonds in a restaurant in Rethymnon.