Must-Taste: The Top Food Artisans in the Cyclades, Greece for 2024
The 17th Gastronomos Quality Awards honored the best producers from the Cyclades for 2024 in a ceremony hosted at the iconic Apollon Theater, Syros, which celebrates its 160th anniversary. This year’s awards were dedicated to Cycladic producers. At a crucial historical crossroads for the Cyclades, where various circumstances have reduced engagement with agriculture and production, the Gastronomos Awards shed light on the exceptions. These are the people who continue to toil with the land and their animals, produce cheeses and traditional cured meats, cultivate local varieties, and fiercely protect the Cycladic way of life. Mykonos Koukas Cheesemakers of Mykonos Two cheesemakers were recognized and awarded by Gastronomos this year after a blind tasting; one is located on the island of winds, Mykonos: Tyrokomeio Mykonou Koukas. They produce myzithra, which the old Mykonians used to call kopanisti, along with the traditional Mykonian tyrovolia and xinotyro, all made with their own fresh milk from their farm in Ano Mera. Koukas - Mykonos | © Angelos Giotopoulos Dimitris Rousounelos, the figure preserving the ‘Old Mykonos’ Additionally, an honorary award was given to Dimitris Rousounelos, a passionate Mykonian who has extensively researched the island’s culinary traditions. Through his books, seminars and other efforts, he strives to preserve the essence of Old Mykonos. He recently completed an in-depth study on Cycladic cheesemaking for the Ministry of Culture, documenting it for inclusion in Greece’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage Registry and UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. He is considered a teacher by chefs and producers across the Cyclades. Rousounelos - Mykonos | © Angelos Giotopoulos Santorini Domaine Sigalas A special award for contributions to the wine industry was given to Paris Sigalas from Santorini. Since 1998, Domaine Sigalas has led the island into a new era with its wines. Paris Sigalas is the cornerstone of Santorini’s modern wine history. Nomikos Estate Local Products Santorini also took home another award for traditional production, given to the Nomikos Estate, which produces local delicacies including fava beans, pistachios and tomatoes from native seeds with minimal intervention. Paros Moraitis Winery The wine production award went to the Moraitis Winery on Paros, the island’s oldest and one of Greece’s most historic wineries, founded in 1910 by the great-grandfather of the current owner. The winery continues to produce modern wines from the same varieties cultivated by the family for generations, which have since been recognized with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) label, the only PDO wines in the Cyclades outside of Santorini. Tinos Rouggeri Wild Artichokes From Tinos, farmer Favianos Rouggeris received recognition for his persistence in cultivating wild artichokes, battling against the island’s water shortages and supplying the entire island with his produce. Sifnos Theodorou Pastry Shop for their Amigdalota The Theodorou pastry shop on Sifnos was honored for its exceptional traditional amigdalota (almond sweets) with the Evi Voutsina Award, given annually to producers of standout local products. Vasilodimos Theodorou and his 90-year-old mother, Mrs Katerina, have handmade tens of thousands of these sweets in their workshop with its sea-blue doors in Artemonas. Nikos & Yiannis Lebesis Ceramics Sifnos also saw recognition for the Lebesis family of ceramists, with an award for traditional arts. High in Artemonas lies one of the oldest pottery workshops in Sifnos, operated by Nikos Lebesis and his father Yiannis. Four generations of the Lebesis family have made history in Sifnian pottery. Amorgos Hozoviotissa Fishing Association The sustainability award was given to the Hozoviotissa Professional Fishermen’s Association of Amorgos, which has been fighting to protect the island’s seas for years. The local fishermen have taken bold initiatives to ensure a healthy marine environment rich in fish, proposing to close the island’s three richest fishing grounds, including Katapola Bay, and halting fishing during the breeding season. They’ve also adopted recyclable nets and are working to clean the island’s coasts of plastic. Syros Prekas Grocery in Ermoupoli The award for best store went to the Prekas Grocery in Ermoupoli, a true ark of Cycladic production. From loukoumia and wines to louza, kopanisti and melitzanaki jam, over half of the store’s products come from the Cyclades. For 32 years, this grocery store has been a champion of localism. Prekas Grocery - Syros | © Konstantinos Tsakalidis Serifos Frygana Wild Lavender Honey The award for honey production was given to beekeeper Nikos Kokolakis from Serifos for his wild lavender Frygana Honey, a rare variety now threatened with extinction after a summer fire ravaged a third of the island, destroying many of its unique lavender and thyme bee pastures. Naxos Pittaras Cheesemakers The second cheesemaker awarded by Gastronomos after a blind tasting is Pittaras Dairy from Naxos. Their cheeses, available at major supermarkets, are certified for good animal management, animal welfare, and the use of non-GMO feed. Their specialty is Naxos’ PDO graviera cheese. The 12-month-aged version, with its rare complexity, stood out during the experts’ tasting. Andros Tridimas Brothers Charcuterie The charcuterie production award took us to Andros and the family-run Tridimas Charcuterie, which produces louza and other Cycladic cured meats without preservatives. Their products have a chewy texture, a rich, sweet, and intense flavor with minimal fat. Evangelia Roussou - Amorgos | © Michael Pappas Special Award: The 5 Cycladic Women Chefs Finally, a very special award was presented for the first time in memory of restaurant owner George Hatzigiannakis, creator of the iconic Selene restaurant on Santorini. He was the first to showcase fava and local tomatoes in his dishes and advocate for the connection between local production and gastronomy. In his honor, Gastronomos celebrated five Cycladic women chefs who follow the same path, using the best local ingredients in their cooking. These women are Margarita Kalogeropoulou from Anafi, Rinio Dekavalla from Folegandros, Maria Anagnostopoulou-Katsouna from Paros, Evangelia Roussou from Amorgos, and Matina Koumerta from Naxos. These women represent all the taverna owners and cooks who have kept tavernas and cafes alive, working tirelessly day and night over frying pans, pots and grills, peeling tons of potatoes and zucchinis, and making countless pies by hand. We owe a debt of gratitude to these unsung heroines of traditional cooking. Modern chefs, restaurateurs, producers and the Cyclades owe them much. Special thanks go to the President of the Hellenic Parliament Konstantinos Tasoulas, who honored us with his presence. Also, we would like to warmly thank the Mayor of Syros - Ermoupolis Alexandros Athanasiou, the Deputy Mayor for Culture Thomai Mendrinou, for her valuable help and hospitality at the Apollo Theater, as well as to the Deputy Mayor of Tourism, Christianna Papitsi. Special thanks to the Historical Museum of Ermoupolis for the design of this year's award. We would like to take the opportunity to thank our sponsors for their warm support: Lidl Hellas, Municipality of Syros - Ermoupolis, Chamber of Cyclades, Aegean Cuisine, Hermoupolis Heritage, hoper, Nespresso Professional, Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos", Kotsovolos - Dixons South East Europe, AQUA Carpatica, Blue Star Ferries. Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to the volunteers of the Vocational Training Public School of Syros, the Department of Product and Systems Design Engineering of the Polytechnic School of the University of the Aegean, and all the other volunteers for their valuable presence and contribution.
