Netferry knows that travelling also means discovering new flavours and tastes!  Today we focus on the delicacies to be found on the Island of Crete. Set in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, Crete is a wonderful island surrounded by crystal clear waters and soft and white beaches. But there is also a world of culinary flavours from this little paradise. 

One staple available on the table of all tavernas as a starter are dakos, which are pieces of dried bread that are soaked in a little water and olive oil then topped with chopped fresh tomatoes and myzithra, a salty fresh cheese. They are similar to bruschetta, but rather than being toasted, the bread is dried and so the juice from the tomatoes, water and oil are absorbed back into the dried bread. The tomatoes on the island are famous for their excellent flavour and really remind you of what fruit should taste like!

Most little Cretan villages have their own cheese usually made from sheep or goat’s milk, or a combination of both. Graviera, is a harder cheese that’s sweeter when young and more mature versions are more nutty and flavourful. There are some lovely soft, creamy cheeses, like pichtogalo chanion, which is stamped with AOC protection, to ensure its regional authenticity or myzithra, a young whey cheese that has a delicate taste. 

For the more adventurous palate, there are fried snails or Chochlioi boubouristi available on Crete. Chochlioi means snail in the local dialect and they are normally dusted with flour then fried in a pan, then doused with a little vinegar. Sometimes the snails are cooked alive!

If you prefer something a little less rustic, then stick with the lamb for which the island is famous. Cretan lamb is sautéed in hot olive oil and oregano accompanied with stamnagathi greens and the famous avgolemono (egg and lemon-based) sauce, or, just with a squeeze of fresh lemon.

There are also delicious sfakianes pites, which kind of look like pancakes, but the dough contains olive oil and raki, the local liquor. Then the filling of the pie usually consists of Cretan fresh, soft, white goat or sheep’s milk cheeses like myzithra or pichtogalo Chanion. There are also other variations on the fillings. The pies are fried in a little olive oil and then eaten with a drizzling of thyme or heather honey.

Smoked Pork or Hirina apakia is succulent smoked pork that takes a few days to make. Firstly strips of pork are marinated in vinegar for several days. Then a fire is made using local herbs such as sage, bay, and rosemary, and then the meat is hung above the fire to smoke it. The fire is always stoked so the meat continuously infuses the meat and the final product tastes of the fresh herbs, it is served cold, in thin slices.

Ferries to Crete

The Netferry portal allows you to quickly and easily find out about the costs and availability for the ferries that connect you with Crete. The Netferry booking centre makes it easy for you to buy your ferry ticket online. Connections to the island of Crete depart daily from Piraeus arriving into the ports of Heraklion and Chania. You can also reach Greece from Italy; ferries depart daily from Venice, Ancona, Bari and Brindisi throughout the year with various companies.

Netferry provides you with a sea of ferries in just a few clicks!