Table of Contents
LOCAL PRODUCTS.
TINOS SPECIALTIES
BEVERAGES.
Wines of Greece. Greek Beer. Greek Spirits.
In the northeast of the Cycladic islands is a unique destination. Unique, in part, due to its cuisine with artichokes, cheese, sausages, wines, beer, and more.
Tinos does not face the difficulty of growing crops like some of its Cycladic neighbors. It can support cows, which many islands visible from Tinos cannot.
Also unique to Tinos is its sizeable local group of fishermen. Whereas many islands lose the younger generations to the bigger cities, Tinos does not. The fishing community is large enough to supply the island with fresh seafood. This workforce negates the need to import or use frozen (gasp) seafood.
Tinos was under the control of the Venetians during much of the Ottoman invasion of Greece. As a result, its cuisine has fewer spices and more pasta, tomato sauces, and meat.
Pre-covid, the Tinos Food Path initiative was presenting weeklong festivals in May to celebrate the island’s unique offerings.
Frozen food is not popular with the Greeks, and Tinos’cuisine is no different. Instead, it centers around seasonal vegetables and local meat and seafood.
It centers around the mother’s pot she uses to simmer the meals. Come, it is time to taste Tinos.
Taste Tinos Through Local Products.
P.D.O. (Protected Designation of Origin) products come from a specific area. Therefore, 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. However, only one of its characteristics needs to be from this area. Also, only one part of the production must occur in the region.
Despite its fertile soil, water, and mild climate, Tinos has only one food item with P.D.O status.
Currently, there is only one product with P.G.I status, and it shares that with all the Cycladic islands.
- P.G.I. Cyclades Wines.
Taste Tinos Specialties.
You will find the standard Greek items that appear on just about any Greek menu.
However, the island has several traditional things you will find nowhere else. Or at least their preparation and presentation. While on Tinos, shouldn’t you taste Tinos cuisine?
Tinos Meze (appetizers)
- Artichokes – grow wild on the island and grow in farms. The wild is the most popular, but locals will use both. As an appetizer, they peel them, slice them thin, and serve them raw, maybe with oil or lemon.
- Marathokeftedes, (Fennel Fritters) – are a traditional Tinos vegetarian meze. The main ingredient is Fennel (Marathon).
- Regosalata – This spread includes pureed potatoes, grilled herring, onions, carrots, and a touch of tarama (fish egg paste).
- Gavors – These small fish are similar to sardines or anchovies. Some cooks use them in soups. Others fry or sauté them over fava beans with red onion, diced tomato, and capers.
- Artichoke pie – they layer thin slices of artichoke and local grated cheese between layers of phyllo.
- Tyropithakia – are small phyllo triangles with local cheese filling. It may include additional ingredients (fennel, artichoke…) as well.
Tinos Sausage.
Tinos is not the only island that makes sausage, but they all put their spin on recipes… So if you want to taste Tinos’ sausage, here are a few that just taste better on Tinos.
- Salsitsi – This salami is a holdover from the Venetian days. It is a spicy dry pork sausage with garlic and fennel. It is famous for flavoring sauces. Make sure to taste Tinos’ sausage.
- Louza sausage – is a specialty of the northern Cyclades, and each island has its spin. On Tinos, they marinade the pork brisket in salt, red wine, and local spices, including fennel and allspice. Next, they wrap them in a pig intestine and smoke them. Finally, they air dry the sausage for two months. As an appetizer, they serve it in wafer-thin slices. As an entree, they may slow-simmer it in tomato sauce.
- Syglino (small pieces of cured pork) – you will usually find this as an ingredient in dishes and omelets.
Taste Tinos Cheese.
Tinos has a dairy on the island, which is unusual in the Cyclades. It is the largest milk producer in the Cyclades after Naxos. Because of this, they make several kinds of cheese with cow’s milk.
- Kopanisti – this P.D.O. soft cheese is not unique to Tinos; however, the island produces the most. Starting with cultures from a previous batch, they cook the cow or sheep milk with yeast until thick. Then, the cheesemakers add red chili pepper and salt before drying the cheese. By doing this, they create a peppery flavor.
- Malathouni – is a cow’s milk cheese with salt. They place the fresh cheese in a malathouni basket where it dries for 24 hours and takes shape. For the rest of the drying, they put it in cheesecloth. The taste is salty and slightly acidic.
- Kastelano (Castellano) – is the Tinos variation on an old cheese using Spanish sheep. On Tinos, they use local cows and possibly some sheep’s milk to make this soft gummy cheese. It has a slight mastic scent and is perfect for grilling and topping with local honey.
- Graviera – is another cheese you can find on several islands. On Tinos, they use cow’s milk to make this hard table cheese. It has a unique sweet taste. Some people compare it to gruyere.
A Family of Tinos’ cheeses.
- Analati – On Tinos, they make this fresh white cheese with cow’s milk instead of goat’s. It is the base for several kinds of cheese. First, they add salt to the whey and dry it until it is semi-hard. Then, they eat it plain or use it in recipes.
- Petroma – starting with Analati, they remove the whey and do not add salt. This is the basis for Kopanisti and Tyraki Tiniako. You can eat it plain, but it is more prevalent in recipes.
- Tyraki Tiniako – adding salt to the Petroma, they produce a soft cheese with a smooth taste. On Tinos, this cheese may often replace feta on a Greek salad. It is also popular as a table cheese.
- Volaki or Strogilo – begins with Petroma. Next, they crumble the Petroma and add salt before drying. Then, while it is still soft enough to be a table cheese, it is Volaki. Finally, it becomes Strogilo, perfect for grating over pasta by drying it longer. Both kinds of cheese have a slightly tangy flavor.
- Kariki – is a unique cheese from the Cyclades. When they could not get their hands on cheese molds, they began hollowing out gourds. Into these kariki (or flaski), they pour the fresh crumbled petroma from cow’s milk. Next, they press it firmly into the gourd, top it with salt, and seal the container for 1-7 months. The result is a spicy, salty cheese that some call a Greek Blue/Roquefort. The older it gets, the more crumbly it gets. You can eat it in chucks or crumble it into recipes.
Butter – with two certified dairies on the island, there is no excuse not to try other local fresh butter.
Pasta.
They were eating pasta in Greece before they took it westward when colonizing Italy. During the Venetian occupation (1207 to 1715,) Tinos learns of several variations of pasta.
There are no exclusive pastas to Tinos. Different noodles with seafood, chicken, rabbit, or artichokes are available. Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna), while not from Tinos originally, has ziti pasta as a layer.
Taste Tinos Meat.
As on most Greek islands, you will find lamb and goat on many menus. Grilling is the most popular preparation. On Tinos, you will also find wild rabbit, or pigeon, often in a tomato sauce.
- Pitsouni (pigeon) – is another Venetian import. It rarely appears on restaurant menus, but the locals still use these white pigeons in recipes. Pigeon is prevalent in a spicy ragout or as a filling in a savory phyllo pie. If you are a guest in a local’s home, you might dine on a casserole with pigeon.
- Lamb Fricassee – is pieces of lamb, seasonal vegetables including artichokes, in a stew.
- Lamb kleftiko – is not unique to Tinos, but they put their spin on it. After marinating lamb in garlic, olive oil, and lemon, they slow roast it in parchment paper. In addition, they include potatoes, sweet onions, roast peppers, and tomatoes.
- Kreatopita – while originating on Cephalonia, Tinos has its version of meat pie. The pastry (crust) is phyllo, and the filling can be just about anything. Beef, pork, and mutton are popular meats. Additional ingredients include garlic, onions, potatoes, rice, tomato, and spices. The filling is usually firm, unlike a pot pie’s creamy sauce.
Tinos Poultry.
I can find chicken on many menus from the grill or in a lemon sauce. However, most chickens on Tinos seem to be a source of fresh eggs.
- Rooster in Red Sauce – is surprisingly good. The chef slow cooks the rooster in a tomato and red wine bath until it is fall-off-the-bone tender. The Tinos version goes over pasta and has a local cheese grated on top.
And the Egg.
- Fourtalia – is the Cycladic omelet. A mixture of eggs, sausage, and slices of fried potato. This dish appears on most of the Cycladic islands. Seasonally, the Tinos version may have artichokes, and the pork is local to the island. The Greeks rarely eat this at breakfast.
Almost Vegetarian.
- Agkinaroryzo (artichokes and rice) – varies from kitchen to kitchen. The sauteed artichokes may appear on top of the rice or as part of the rice mixture. It is delicious either way.
- Agginaropita – is an artichoke pie with phyllo crust. The filling is artichoke hearts, eggs, green onions, feta, and herbs.
Horiatiki Salad – or as we call it in America, Greek Salad. They use local tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, peppers, black olives, and local “white” cheese. You may find artichokes as well.
Taste Tinos Seafood.
The Old Fishmarket is a great place to visit, but I leave my preparation to the island’s chefs. As most seafood is fresh from the sea, they use simple preparations such as grilling or sauteing.
- Kavavia -this traditional Tinos fish soup consists of Gavors (small fish). Also, it has bits of other fish, rice, tomatoes, potatoes, and carrots in a flavorful broth.
- Cuttlefish – is a local favorite. The chef cooks it in its ink and serves it over pasta.
Vegetables.
- Vegetable pie – may or may not have a crust. Think pot pie with vegetable stuffing depending on what is seasonal. The pie fillings may include mushrooms and artichokes in spring. In the summer, look for zucchini, onions, tomato, beans, cheese, or combinations, with rice or cheese holding it together.
Although Tinos’ vegetables do not have P.D.O. status yet, there are many worth tasting.
- Artichokes (ankinára) – are best in the spring when wild. The annual artichoke festival is around the end of May.
- Cucumbers (angoúri)
- Onions (kremmýdia),
- Sun-dried Tomatoes (domátes) They preserve in olive oil to use year-round.
- Zucchini (kolokythákia)
- Capers
Tinos Herbs and Spices.
Local gardens grow endless herbs, spices, and greens. Some of these reach the market, but many never get past the neighbor’s table. A few of the local herbs you almost always find in the summer markets are:
- Mint
- Sage
- Thyme
- Chamomile
- Oregano
- Fennel.
Taste Tinos Fresh Fruits.
Fruits you will almost always find in the summer market include:
- Figs (sýka) and Dried figs (apoxiraména sýka)
- Lemons
- Melons (pepónia),
- Prickly Pears (achládia).
- Watermelons (Karpoúzia).
Not only does the fertile land grow excellent produce, but they do not pick them until they are ripe. That makes such a difference.
Desserts and Sweets.
Few desserts are unique to only Tinos. Instead, they have sweets similar to other islands but use their local ingredients, cheese, honey, etc. A few to be on the lookout for include:
- Galaktoboúreko (Milk Pie) – is more of a cake. First, they place pastry cream with semolina, cinnamon, lemon, and vanilla, in phyllo dough. Then, they cover it with syrup.
- Portokalopita (Orange Pie) is a Greek orange cake with a glaze of melted sugar, cinnamon, and orange.
- Lemon Flower Spoon Sweet – Spoon sweets are large pieces of fruit in sugar syrup. When using lemon flowers, there is no fruit but the essence of lemon. These are more like a jam. You may also find lemon flower jam on Andros.
- Pastel – Although not exclusive to Tinos, this snack of sesame seed and honey uses the local thyme honey.
- Tsimbita – they fill these bite-sized pastries with the local unsalted petroma cheese. For flavoring, they use mastic, cinnamon, and orange. For the pastry shell, they use phyllo dough. The dough should traditionally have a minimum of 25 pleats around the outside.
Taste Tinos Honey.
The island is home to approximately 60 bee-keepers making honey. Many are doing it for personal use, but there are also several large producers. Many of the individual operations are organic. However, they will sell their surplus. Ask around.
The most famous honey on the island is Thyme honey (méli thimaríou). Many consider this the best quality of Greek honey.
Click the orange link to read more about Greek Cuisine.
Taste Tinos Beverages.
Spirits.
- Souma – is the Cyclades version of Tsikoudia. This liqueur comes from the leftovers of wine production. They ferment the grape skins and other remains from the fall pressing for six weeks in a barrel. After this, they distill. As a result, the Souma varies in potency (alcohol level).
Beer.
Greek-owned breweries begin disappearing when European beer conglomerates go on a buying spree in the 1960s.
A little behind other countries, Greece began micro-brewing in the late 1990s. Tinos now has its award-winning microbrewery. (You can still get the stuff from northern Europe, but you’re not in Amsterdam.)
- Nissos (ΝΗΣΟΣ) Brewery is the only Greek brewery producing German-style beers. They import several ingredients from Europe, including hops from Germany and the Czech Republic.
Taste Tinos Wine.
The sandy soil of Tinos helped protect the vines from phylloxera during the awful plague through Europe. Unfortunately, the island lost interest in winemaking. It has only been in the last few years that wine is experiencing a renaissance in Tinos. Many vineyards are using the ungrafted old vines.
The P.G.I. Cyclades zone includes all the Cycladic islands and all variP.G.I. Strict rules include the vineyards must be at an altitude exceeding 100 feet above sea level. Currently, there are ten wineries within this zone producing P.G.I. Cyclades wines. They expect those numbers to increase.
On Tinos, they produce white, red, and some rose wines. The Assyrtiko (white) and Mavrotragano (red) grapes are currently the most popular, but there are several others they are testing.
Although not on Tinos (yet), there are two P.D.O. wines in the Cyclades: (P.D.O. Santorini and P.D.O. Paros).
Cyclade Grape Varieties.
In addition to Assyrtiko, other white grapes you can find throughout the Cyclades include Aidani White, Asprouda Santorinis, Athiri, Gaidouria, Katsano, Kritiko, Maloukato, Mandilaria White, Muscat White, and Savvatiano. Red grapes include Aidani Black, Athiri Black, Avgoustiatis, Fokiano, Kotsifali, Mandilaria, Vaftra, and Voydomatis.
Tinos Wineries.
- Domaine de Kalathas by Jerome Binda has no website but do not overlook these wines. This French-born winemaker has been making incredible small-batch wines on Tinos since 2011.
- T-OINOS Winery & Vineyards – is currently the largest producer on Tinos. However, size has not hurt quality.
- Vaptistis Winery – is making famous wines, especially their whites.
- Volacus Wine by Yiannis Karakasis. (web site predominantly in Greek.)
- X-Bourgo – is in the central Exomvourgo region. A newcomer on the scene already has a red and white wine gaining attention in the wine world.
Wineries all over Greece are not like in the U.S.A. The majority of them require reservations. Click the Orange links to see their websites.
Taste Tinos Summary.
Are these all the traditional foods and wines of Tinos? 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 Tinos for a day and leave with the wrong impression.
Why not plan to spend 2-3 days and see, experience, and taste Tinos.