Pelion’s cuisine is a celebration of simple, primary materials sourced from the mountain, like chestnuts, mushrooms, walnuts, and aromatic herbs such as thyme, mountain tea, and oregano. Locally-sourced meat comes from domestic animals, while the fish is chiefly caught in the nearby Aegean and Pagasetic Gulf.
This cuisine’s evolution has been influenced over time by the movement of different populations, including Vlachs, Arvanites, Epirotes, Thessalians, islanders and others. These groups mixed with the local population, leaving an indelible imprint on their culture and traditions.
Pelion’s winter cuisine offers a range of hearty and flavourful dishes that feature locally-sourced ingredients. Among them, the spicy sausage stew, known as “spetzofai,” is the most renowned dish throughout the region. This classic dish is prepared using local sausage, green peppers, tomato sauce, and spicy pepper for an authentic and delicious experience.
Pies come in countless variations throughout the year, with or without phyllo pastry, such as with cabbage, cheese, olive, or wild herbs. Other local delicacies include “tsitsiravla,” which are the tops of wild pistachio trees gathered in spring and pickled with garlic; these are used in salads, omelettes, or as a meze for tsipouro. “Critama” sea samphire grows in the cracks of rocks near the sea, is pickled and added to salads. The beloved mushrooms of Pelion are a local speciality that can be prepared in various ways: sautéed, roasted with potatoes, or grilled. Seafood and shrimp pasta are also popular in the southern villages of Pelion.
When it comes to desserts, there are plenty of traditional sweets to try. “Galaktoboureko” (‘milk custard pie’), “loukoumades” (doughnuts), and spoon sweets are almost always offered to visitors. Syrupy baklava is a staple on festive occasions and can be made with or without eggs. Another popular dessert is the Pelion-style rice pie, made with red pumpkin, raisins, cinnamon, walnuts, and plenty of syrup. Locally produced jams and liqueurs are also a must-try, made with the abundant fruits of the region, such as quince, chestnut, berries, cherry, sour cherry, wild cherry, hazelnut, fig, myrtle, blueberry, blackberry, and wild strawberries. All these fruits are turned into delicious sweets that are perfect for serving with tea or as an after-dinner treat.
As you explore Mount Pelion from late summer to late autumn, you’ll be amazed by the abundance of fruit that covers the slopes. Olive trees and blackberry bushes laden with sweet purple berries, fig trees tempting you to reach out and taste their sweetness, kiwifruit, vineyards, cherry trees, plum trees, quince trees, pear trees, peach trees offering aromatic “lemonade” fruits, and of course, walnut and chestnut trees with their delicious red apples.
The renowned Zagorian apples and the Pelion Firiki apples are the pride of the beautiful village of Zagora and its surrounding areas, where locals dedicate their energy to cultivating these top-quality fruits. The Agricultural Cooperative of Zagora also takes pride in promoting Pelion products beyond Greece’s borders.
Read also:
Portaria Village on Pelion Mountain in Greece, Home of the Centaurs
7+1 restaurants and taverns in Pelion honouring the authentic local cuisine
Carefree walks, plenty of wine and crystal clear waters in southern Pelion
