Our gastronomic pilgrimage this time revolves around a quiet Greek island, steeped in flavours that time alone has nurtured to perfection. Hold your breath for an introduction to spectacular cured meats, an array of cheeses which get better with age and an aromatic white wine that’s steadily staging a comeback.
Let’s journey back in time. The mineral riches of Serifos and the mining industry that thrived until the ’60s shifted the islanders away from primary agriculture. The result? A quaint, mountainous isle with a scarce agricultural output. Vineyards, olive groves, and gardens now step up the hilly terrain, and livestock farming, primarily goats and sheep, remains rather limited. In recent years, however, an organised livestock unit has popped up, producing its own cheeses.
Pig farming is a household affair on Serifos. Almost every home, and a handful of tavernas, produce their own traditional cured meats. Meet louza – the island’s premier cured meat. Crafted from cured pork tenderloin, fragranced with cumin – a local favourite spice – allspice, garlic cloves, and pepper, it’s encased in a pig’s intestine washed with wine, then left to age in the open air. From the same swine, sausages, tsigarides (fried pork fat), ‘pedoulia’ (cured pork), and ‘glina’ (a type of pork fat) are also created, all seasoned with cumin and garlic. These local delicacies are available at a couple of general stores around the island.
Let’s talk cheese now. The emblematic “cheese of the pit” holds pride of place. Traditional wheels of gruyère made from goat and sheep’s milk would be placed in containers and buried in a pit in spring, cemented over and resurrected in autumn. This peculiar cheese boasts a flavour profile that’s peppery and spicy in equal measures. Nowadays, it matures in cellars. The go-to cheese, though, is the “Serifiotiko cheese”, a variety of gruyère that dries in the open air over four months. Other notable cheeses include the whey cheese of “laina” (a clay jar), the local traditional crumbled cheese, and the sour whey cheese produced in the same manner across the Cyclades, in summer.
Now, let’s talk dishes. The island’s signature dish is chickpea soup cooked in a “skepastaria” (clay pot) flavoured with sage. “Pedoulia” (cured pork) served with cabbage, “chondros“, a rice dish abundant with onions, capers stewed in tomato sauce, married fava, pork stew with orange, marathopites (fennel pies), fried sun-dried tomatoes with batter, fried fennel with onions – are all on the menu. For Christmas, tradition calls for the “Food of the Virgin Mary”, a dish of chicken pilaf with wheat and ‘glina’.
Traditional pasta here goes by the name of ‘matsi,’ a sort of wide, elongated pasta. In Serifos, a plethora of breads and pastries used to be made, and you can still find some of these at an old, traditional island bakery. Among them, pre-fermented bread, ‘tsoureki’ (a kind of sweet bread) flavoured with mastic, small round bread rings perfumed with anise and red wine, and come Easter, ‘lazarakia’ — small, human-shaped bread rolls.
Vinicultural identity
Serifos had a robust wine industry up until 1960 when the mines, the island’s primary economic resource, shut down. People left to seek their fortunes elsewhere, and the vineyards were abandoned. The local aromatic white variety, “Serifiotiko“, is vinified along with other Greek grape varieties by the island’s single winery (organic farming), while usually, the winemaking happens at the home level.
On the island, homemade ‘souma,’ a distillate made from grape stems, is also produced. It’s often infused with the island’s native saffron.
The best restaurants
Rizes
A beautiful restaurant with a stunning harbour view. The menu revolves around a Mediterranean cuisine concept and serves dishes with a creative twist.
Address: Serifos, “Rizes Hotel”, Agios Sostis, Livadakia, Tel: 2281052222 , 6945151603, facebook.com
Marathoriza
Local dishes, some with personal touches from the chef, Vivian Youla. Rabbit with rosemary, lamb with sage, chickpeas cooked in a clay pot, caper stews. Handmade ‘louza’, ‘tsigarides’ and sausage.
Address: Serifos, Pano Chora, Tel: 2281 052656, facebook.com
Aloni
This joint sports a terrace with a magnificent view of the Aegean Sea and the setting sun. They serve Greek cuisine with a focus on succulent grilled meats.
Address: Serifos, Tsikouri, Tel: 2281 052603, facebook.com
Metalleio
One of the island’s longest-standing restaurants, tucked away in a charming alley and open year-round. It lays out tables on its terrace and serves creatively composed meat dishes, risottos and more.
Address: Serifos, Livadi, Tel: 2281 051755, facebook.com
Porto Vecchio
An Italian restaurant with tables spread out on the beach, right next to the sea. They serve delectable pizzas with high-quality ingredients and fresh pasta.
Address: Serifos, Livadi, Tel: 2281 052532
Takis
A charming fish taverna that sets up tables right on the sandy beach. They serve fresh grilled and fried fish, alongside traditional cooked dishes.
Address: Serifos, Livadi, Tel: 2281 051159, facebook.com
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