Table of Contents
LOCAL PRODUCTS.
KALABAKA SPECIALTIES
BEVERAGES
Thessaly Wine Greek Beer. Greek Spirits.
Kalabaka (Meteora) includes the area of Meteora and the village of Kastraki. The monks do not pass down too many haute cuisine dishes, but Kastraki, a traditional village, offers many traditional dishes.
All of these areas are in the broader region of Thessaly. Thessaly is the middle of mainland Greece. It connects the north with the central south.
The north and west borders of Thessaly are mountains, featuring hearty recipes with meat as the main ingredient.
The east coast runs along the Ionian Sea from Mt Olympus to Volos and includes the Sporades Islands. Seafood heads the menus there.
The middle and southern portion of Thessaly makes up the breadbasket of Greece. This agricultural area specializes in the production of grain, cattle, and sheep.
Kalabaka is in the northwest corner, where hills meet the agricultural valley. You’re not going to find seafood, but plenty of recipes from the mountain and farm.
Taste Kalabaka Through Local Products.
P.D.O. (Protected Designation of Origin) products come from a specific area. They have characteristics due to that particular geoclimatic environment, and production takes place in that region.
P.G.I. (Protected Geographical Indication) products also come from a specified area. Only one of its characteristic needs to be from this area. Also, only one part of the production must take place in the region.
Unfortunately, Kalabaka is not home to any of Thessaly’s P.D.O. Products yet, but they have access to them.
Their only P.G.I. Product is the P.G.I. Meteora status that applies to the local wine. There are two wineries, producing white and rose wines ranging from sweet to dry. They also produce a dry red wine.
Taste Kalabaka Specialties.
You will find the standard Greek items that appear on just about any Greek menu. And you will find seafood. May I suggest trying the traditional, local foods for a true immersion?
Meze (appetizers)
Meatballs – are certainly not exclusive to the Kalabaka area, but they certainly put a local spin on them. Like just about every dish in Greece, there are as many recipes as there are chefs. Each one is the BEST recipe. Most begin with ground beef, egg, olive oil, black pepper, and oregano.
Souzoukakia – are meatballs that slow simmer in a tomato-based sauce.
- Keftedes – are also meatballs, but they do not simmer in liquid. They serve them with lemon, lemon sauce, or tzatziki for dipping.
- Kolokithokeftedes (Fried Zucchini Balls) – are also not exclusive, but a local specialty. The use of local zucchini does not hurt. After mincing with flour, eggs, and spices, they deep fry them in olive oil.
Olive oil – is in use in this area but is not as popular as butter and lard. Dairy products are readily available from the farms.
Taste Kalabaka Cheese
- Feta P.D.O. Lytras – is from Thessaly, and one of seven areas in Greece that can use the Feta name. The cheese from this area has a more intense, robust flavor.
- Graviera Agrafon P.D.O. – comes from the area south of Kalabaka. Sheep and goat milk make a gruyere-like cheese that ranges from sweet to very spicy.
- Galotyri P.D.O. – comes from the mountains west and north of Kalabaka. This soft cheese, from predominantly goat or sheep’s milk, has a sour and salty flavor. You can spread it or use it in recipes.
They use the local cheeses in Saganaki (fried cheese), Tiropita (cheese pies), and Tirokafteri (spiced cheese spread).
Sausages
Although none have P.D.O. Status, they should. Starting with lamb, pork, or beef, many add cumin, black pepper, and oregano. From there on, recipes go in all directions. On most menus, they go by the generic term sausage. So you have to try them and try to figure out what they are. Or just enjoy them.
Taste Kalabaka Meat
This area is a hill and farm country, and meat is king. You can find beef steak on many menus, but it is not the most popular meat.
Veal
With all the dairy farms, young male calves are plentiful. Veal often replaces beef in recipes, including meatballs.
- Yiouvetsi – is a traditional casserole you see more in cold months. Using veal and orzo pasta, they slow bake it in a clay pot.
- Veal and Onions – takes on a whole new meaning when all the ingredients are farm fresh.
Lamb
Is there anywhere in Greece that does not have the best lamb? Kalabaka is no different. Whether they grind it for the local take on moussaka (Kalabaka moussaka), or on the grill, it is mouthwatering.
- Roast lamb – keeps it simple. They use olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice on the outside. They slow bake it until it is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
- Lamb Stew – has at least 100 recipes. Starting with fresh lamb, they add local seasonal vegetables (onions, carrots, and potatoes) and slow cook. So good.
- Lamb Kleftiko – is something you find more on holidays, but you may also find it on Sundays. It is a leg of lamb; they slow roast in a parcel with garlic, lemon, and herbs. Usually, peppers or small potatoes are also in the packet.
Pork
- Pork and Peppercorns – is just that. They slow cook filets of pork with whole peppercorns until you can slice it with a fork.
- Pork and Leeks – is a popular combination, and you may find it in pies and sausages. For this dish, they pan fry them together. Then they slowly simmer then for more than one hour in white wine and lemon juice.
- Pork Stew – or any stew is a popular and traditional dish. Cabbage is a popular ingredient, but it depends on what is in season. As with so many of the recipes in this area, they simmer it for a long time.
Vegetables
The nearby farmland paves the way for growing many of Greece’s most popular vegetables and fruits locally. Seasonal ingredients such as eggplants, okra, celery, onions, and beans appear in many recipes.
- Mushrooms – are a specialty in Kalabaka. Wild mountain mushrooms, including the truffle, appear in and beside entrees. The mushroom festival is in September.
Click the orange link to read more about Greek Cuisine,
Taste Kalabaka Beverages
Spirits
Tsipouro is a beverage from the distilling of the grape pomace (stems and skins after squeezing) or sometimes from wine. This process produces a strong liquor containing 40-45% alcohol by volume, which accounts for the typical small servings.
Tsipouro probably comes from the monasteries on Mount Athos, where the Greek Orthodox monks were making wine. During the 14th century, as the Ottomans kept pushing the monks westward, they brought their wine and Tsipouro with them. You will find the significant areas of Tsipouro production between Mount Athos and Meteora.
Read more about Greek Spirits.
Taste Kalabaka Beer
Greek-owned breweries disappear when beer conglomerates go on a buying spree in the 1960s.
A little behind other countries, Greece began micro-brewing in the late 1990s. It would be many years later before a microbrewery opens in Thessaly.
As of spring 2020, there are no microbreweries in Kalabaka. The closest is more than an hour’s drive near Larissa. But there are Gastropubs in the Kalabaka downtown area that carry several Greek microbrews.
Read more about Greek Beer.
Taste Kalabaka Wine
Wine? When did Kalabaka start producing wine? The hermits, beginning in the 9th century, probably knew a few things about fermenting grapes. By the 12th-century, there were monks in the area who would have winemaking experience from their home monastery.
By the 14th century, we know monks were arriving from Mount Athos with wine and Tsipouro.
Meteora sits on the edge of the vast plain of Thessaly. Behind it is the Pindos mountain range on the west and the Ηassia Mountains on the east.
White Grapes.
- Assyrtiko – is a white grape from the island of Santorini. The mineral profile is suitable for blending with Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon, and Malagousia. Assyrtiko makes a variety of dry and sweet wines.
- Batiki – is a low acid white wine grape that began as a table grape. Due to its low alcohol content, they use it for blending more robust flavors. It is for drinking sooner than later.
- Debina – grows best at high altitudes and often on hillside vineyards. It produces naturally high levels of acidity, making it perfect for sparkling wine production. They also use it for dry, semi-sweet.
- Malagousia – is an aromatic white grape with citrus and peach characteristics. It blends well with Assyrtiko, adding additional body.
- Roditis – is a pink-red grape that produces white wine. They use it for varietal wines as well as for blending. It reacts to its soil, producing different wines in different areas.
Red Grapes
- Xinomavro – is a dark-skinned grape popular in northern Greece. WIne experts consider it the most excellent red wine of Greece. It features high tannin, acidity, and with aging produces prune, strawberry, and sundried tomato characteristics.
- Moschato Hamburg – has low acidity and soft tannins, making it a table grape. But when you blend it with other reds, it adds a kick to red, rose and, sweet wines.
The Thessalian vineyards cover the foothills between mountain and lowland. Currently, there are two vineyards.
The Vineyards
Across the river, due west of Kalabaka just past the village of Diava, is this small family-run vineyard. The family has been growing grapes and making wine here since 1967. The emphasis is on quality over quantity and preserving the traditional grapes of Greece. They also grow grapes from other countries, such as Syrah and Merlot, for blending purposes.
They partner with other growers in the area to blend quality wines.
Visits are possible with prior reservations.
They produce four red, four white and one rose wine.
Domaine Liakou
About 15 miles north of Kalabaka is this somewhat younger winery. Starting in 2006, they are producing wines using organic processes.
They also use quality over quantity as their guiding principle. The grapes come from vines no more than 3 km from the vineyard. The attention to detail produces quality wines.
Visits are possible with prior reservations.
They produce three red, two white, and one rose wine.
Read more about Greek Wine.
Approximately five minutes’ drive from the winery is the quaint village of Gavros. Its main claim to fame is the small monastery of St Nicholas. Just outside of town, it is approximately a fifteen-minute walk from the village square. The two-story structure sits in the cavity of a rock wall. It dates from at least the 16th century. There are no descriptions and no hours posted. Enjoy the walk and the beauty of the area, preferably before you taste Kalabaka wine.
Taste Kalabaka Summary.
Are these all the traditional foods and wines of Corfu? Hardly!
But these will keep you busy for a few days and give you an insight into the local cuisine.
So many people try to visit Rhodes for a day and leave with the wrong impression.
Why not plan to spend 3-4 days and see, experience, and taste Corfu.