Santorini Traditional Cuisine and Recipes

In Santorini, like everywhere in Greece, eating is a way of life. In the traditional Santorini cuisine we can distinguish the following ingredients and dishes:

Fava is a puree made with Fava beans (yellow peas). Fava is an old traditional dish of Greece which can be served in many different ways according to the time of the year. What makes the Santorini Fava special is the taste of the fava beans produced on the island.

Tomatinia or Cherry Tomato is very aromatic and tasty and can be easily mistaken for cherries.

Chloro Cheese is a fresh cheese made by women of Santorini and it is not easy to find anymore.

Tomatokeftedes are meat balls without the meat… This tasty recipe of Santorini is prepared with herbs, tomatoes and butter. They are actually the island’s specialty, apart from the Fava.

The White Eggplant, a unique vegetable of the island, is considered the “national” course in Santorini. They are very small eggplants, very delicious and with a fresh flavor.

The Caper (kapari) and the Dried Caper are other products of the island and are often used in salads.

Local sweets that Santorini people prefer are:

Koufeto which is prepared with almonds which are boiled in local honey or syrup. Koufeto is a traditional sweet which is served at weddings.

Another local sweet is Melitinia, a sort of cheese pies with unsalted myzithra (ricotta). Melitinia is a festive sweet because it is served at Easter.