Flavours born from the earth and self-sufficiency
Behind the imposing landscape of Milos lies a tradition of local produce and cooking that is closely linked to nature and the self-sufficiency of its inhabitants. In yards, traditional kafenia, and gardens you will still see capers drying, pitarakia (savoury pies) baking in the oven, and tomatoes being picked.
One of the island’s most distinctive products is the Milos pie or pitaraki, small fried pies with cheese or herbs, served hot with honey.
As far as cheeses go, arseniko is produced from sheep's or goat’s milk and matures in stone storerooms, acquiring a spicy flavour. Another traditional cheese is xino tyri (sour cheese) of Milos, a fresh cheese with a mild acidity. Manoura is made with goat’s milk and has a distinctive taste, as do touloumotyri (aged in an animal skin) and xinomyzithra (creamy and tangy).
Local tomatoes, known as bournela, produce the famous beltes (tomato paste) of Milos, which is sometimes served as an appetizer with a little olive oil. Capers grow in abundance on the rocky soils of the island, they are collected by hand, and dried in the sun before being placed in vinegar or salt.
Distinctive local flavours include domatokeftedia (tomato fritters) and kolokythokeftedia (courgette fritters), lightly fried in olive oil, as well as fouskoma, a sourdough bread baked in a wood-fired oven.
In tavernas and at panigyria (traditional festivals), you will also find skoufomakarono (traditional pasta with myzithra cheese and browned butter) and lemonato (cooked with lemon) goat. Everything is cooked with simplicity and the precision provided by knowledge passed down from generation to generation.
As for sweets, Milos koufeta stand out. They are small almond sweets covered in icing sugar commonly served at weddings and celebrations. Then there are watermelon spoon sweet, karpouzopita (watermelon pie), pasteli (sesame and honey bars), xerotigana (fried dough strips), and loukoumades (fried dough balls served with honey), which they call kourtalides.
Wine production has undergone a revival in recent years, with local winemakers producing wines that reflect the volcanic soil of the island. At the same time, small units produce thyme honey and herbs – thyme, oregano, and sage.
One of the island’s most distinctive products is the Milos pie or pitaraki, small fried pies with cheese or herbs, served hot with honey.
As far as cheeses go, arseniko is produced from sheep's or goat’s milk and matures in stone storerooms, acquiring a spicy flavour. Another traditional cheese is xino tyri (sour cheese) of Milos, a fresh cheese with a mild acidity. Manoura is made with goat’s milk and has a distinctive taste, as do touloumotyri (aged in an animal skin) and xinomyzithra (creamy and tangy).
Local tomatoes, known as bournela, produce the famous beltes (tomato paste) of Milos, which is sometimes served as an appetizer with a little olive oil. Capers grow in abundance on the rocky soils of the island, they are collected by hand, and dried in the sun before being placed in vinegar or salt.
Distinctive local flavours include domatokeftedia (tomato fritters) and kolokythokeftedia (courgette fritters), lightly fried in olive oil, as well as fouskoma, a sourdough bread baked in a wood-fired oven.
In tavernas and at panigyria (traditional festivals), you will also find skoufomakarono (traditional pasta with myzithra cheese and browned butter) and lemonato (cooked with lemon) goat. Everything is cooked with simplicity and the precision provided by knowledge passed down from generation to generation.
As for sweets, Milos koufeta stand out. They are small almond sweets covered in icing sugar commonly served at weddings and celebrations. Then there are watermelon spoon sweet, karpouzopita (watermelon pie), pasteli (sesame and honey bars), xerotigana (fried dough strips), and loukoumades (fried dough balls served with honey), which they call kourtalides.
Wine production has undergone a revival in recent years, with local winemakers producing wines that reflect the volcanic soil of the island. At the same time, small units produce thyme honey and herbs – thyme, oregano, and sage.
