The cuisine of Rhodes is filled with healthy dishes, easy to prepare and excellent in taste characteristics. What to try on the island to understand its gastronomic culture?
What to choose in the tavern
The choice in the taverns of Rhodes is so diverse that it can be difficult to stop at one thing. Therefore, for the first acquaintance with the cuisine of the island, you can order a meze - a set of snacks:
- Fish meze - grilled octopus, shrimp, fried fish marida, which is eaten whole (its bones are very soft), fried squid, sardines, grilled vegetables, garlic bread, saganaki cheese and horiatiki salad;
- Meat meze - Greek meatballs, beef ribs, tzatziki, cheese appetizer with hot peppers.
Meze options are many. As well as an assortment of drinks for snacks. Most often, meze in Rhodes is served with ouzo or retsina.
In most restaurants in Rhodes, biftekya are prepared - local meatballs made from ground beef (or lamb) and aromatic spices. They are usually served with french fries, fresh vegetables and a lemon wedge. Sometimes they put cheese in the cutlets, and then the biftekyas become even tastier.
Another popular meat dish is suzukakya meatballs with red sauce. On Rhodes, they add kefalograviera cheese to them. Suzukakya is served with rice, french fries or baked potatoes.
The basis of Rhodes cuisine is vegetables. Therefore, those who for some reason do not eat meat should pay attention to these dishes:
- Baked beans with feta cheese;
- Butter-fried pitarudia balls of zucchini, cauliflower, cheese with mint, onions and tomatoes;
- Gemista (without minced meat) - tomatoes, peppers or eggplants stuffed with a mixture of rice, onions, tomatoes and parsley;
- Zucchini flowers stuffed with cheese and rice.
Many meals in Rhodes are served with delicious homemade bread. Until now, in many villages of the island it is baked in traditional wood-fired ovens. Buns, cheese pies, pies with honey, cloves and cinnamon are prepared in the same way. Another popular type of pastry is filo pastry pies with wild seasonal greens.
Please note: you can have a quick and inexpensive meal in Rhodes in establishments that specialize in cooking souvlaki, gyros or loukoumades donuts.
Desserts in Rhodes
A traditional Rhodes delicacy is plum, orange, apricot, chestnut, cherry jam. The fruits are cooked in sweet syrup and nuts (peanuts, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts) are sometimes added. No less lovers of sweets will like baklava and kadaifi, galaktoboureko dessert .
One of the most delicious delicacies in Rhodes is Meliasti pie. It is made from filo dough, feta cheese, sesame and honey are added. Rhodes yogurt made from goat's and sheep's milk is of high quality. It is eaten with walnuts or local honey.
Another well-known sweet is melikuni. It is something like kozinaki, and the Rhodian melikuni is even included in the list of brands protected by origin. A nutritious delicacy is made from sesame or nuts, local thyme honey and various spices. It is believed that melikuni was first made in ancient times.
What will we drink
The wines produced in Rhodes are considered among the best in Europe. Here, wine from the varieties Mandilaria, Amorgiano (from the island of Amorgos), Moscato Aspro is especially popular. Rhodes also produces sparkling wines. From other traditional drinks, you can choose coffee liqueur with anise, ouzo, retsina.
Rhodes cannot be imagined without a local strong drink - suma, an analogue of moonshine. Suma is made from grape pomace. Every year, a holiday is held in the village of Siana, during which you can watch the process of making sum and get acquainted with the traditions of Rhodes.
