Table of Contents
LOCAL PRODUCTS.
PELOPONNESE CUISINE
BEVERAGES
Peloponnese Wines Greek Beer. Greek Spirits.
So what is the Peloponnese Peninsula, and why is it essential to Greece’s cuisine?
It produces a large amount of Greece’s food. As well as 15 P.D.O. Status olives, olive oils, cheeses, and more.
And wine! The Peloponnese is the largest grape-growing region in Greece. They plant approximately 30 percent of the country’s vineyards.
It is the second-largest landmass of Greece, with only the Corinth Canal separating it from the mainland.
There are seven regions on the mainland and a scattering of islands. There are mountains, valleys, plains, and ocean depths.
Taste the Peloponnese Cuisine 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.
Arcadia is the central region. Home to P.D.O.Tripoli apples, Tsakoniki eggplant, and Meli Elatis Menalou Vanilia (honey).
The taste of honey can change the overall flavor of the sweet. Elis – is in the northwest. It has a P.D.O. Olympia Olive Oil.
Achaea – is next to Elis going clockwise. Currently, it does not have any P.D.O. Products.
Corinthia – in the northeast provides P.D.O. Korinthiaki Stafida Vostitsa raisins (currant) and Corinth Green beans (they call vanilla beans).
Argolis – is below Corinthia on the east. They produce P.D.O. Kranidi Argolidas and Lygourio Asklipiiou olive oil.
Laconia – is the peninsula’s southeast corner. It is home to P.D.O. Krokees Lakonias, Laconia, Petrina Lakonias, and Finiki Lakonias olive oils.
Messenia – in the southwest is where you find P.D.O. Kalamata olive oil, Elia Kalamatas olives, and Sfela cheese.
The Islands – currently do not produce any P.D.O. Products.
Does that mean all the other fresh local products and produce are no good? Hardly. The menus reflect what is in season.
Peloponnese Cuisine Specialties.
You will find the standard Greek items that appear on just about any Greek menu. But why not taste the local Peloponnese cuisine? Honey, dairy products, cured meats, table olives, fruit, vegetables, and seafood are all available in abundance.
Meze (appetizers)
Savoro fish – involves sauteing local fish (mullet) with garlic, olive oil, spring onions, vinegar, and raisins.
Skordalia Spread – in the Peloponnese substitutes bread for the potato. The ten pounds of garlic are the same. They also use it as a sauce on pork and rabbit, or for dipping fried artichokes.
Kalamata Olives – Olives begin bitter and require brining. Some countries use a harsh soda mixture. In Greece, they use a natural brine and let the olives sit three weeks. These P.D.O. Olives are snacks or as an ingredient in entrees.
Pasto (salted meat) or Syglino – are smoked meats and sausages from the lean local pigs. They smoke them with sage before cooking them. Wildly popular in the (south) region of Mani.
Trahana soup – starts with trahana. It is a mixture of semolina, wheat flour, or bulgur they mix with fermented milk or yogurt. (Milk makes a sweet flavor, the sour milk or yogurt a zingy bitter taste). These big crumbs thicken the soup a little like cream-of-wheat. Popular recipes for the sour include olive oil, lemon, chicken stock, and feta. Some make a sweet soup with a tomato base. More popular in the winter months.
Pasteli – are a natural energy bar they make from honey and sesame seeds. It is a flat bar. They eat these more as a snack than an appetizer.
Local Cheese
Feta – All Greek feta has P.D.O. Status. The Peloponnese makes two versions. One is soft and buttery, which they use in sauces, soups, and dips. The semi-hard feta is tangy and popular in pies, salad, or as a side with a drizzle of olive oil.
Sfela – is the regional P.D.O. Cheese of Messina. It begins like feta but ends as a semi-hard cheese with a tangy kick. They spread it on bread, fry it in bread crumbs or use it in place of feta in salads.
Myzithra – is a medium-hard, sharp white cheese coming from a mixture of sheep and goat’s milk. Good for grating.
Kefalotyri – is a medium-hard salty cheese. It is also a favorite for grating over pasta.
Meat
Many areas of the Peloponnese have fertile pastureland perfect for raising pigs. In contrast, the more mountainous regions excel at goat and sheep farming. This diversity allows for a buffet of different meats.
Pork is the more prevalent meat here, especially in the south. Chops and ribs off the grill are mouth-watering. Pork with a garlicky breadcrumb sauce is also yummy.
Roast piglet – is undoubtedly an item for special occasions. But you can find its crisp, crackly skin and tender meat on some menus year-round. The Elis region has excellent pork.
Pork with shredded cabbage Mappa – (mop) is a go-to in colder months.
The pig is not just for roasting. You will find it in flavored sausages (some with local orange) and other cured preparations. Locals cure pork and preserve it in olive oil, to eat in the winter.
Roast lamb – is also a popular item. From ribs to chops to full legs, you can find it on many a grill or spit.
Also, you will find roosters, rabbits, and quail on some menus and Mama’s Sunday dinner table.
Poultry
Rooster in tomato sauce – is a popular dish from ancient days. They often include hylopites, a pasta using wheat flour, sheep’s milk, and fresh eggs.
One-pot rooster stews may include numerous ingredients dating from the day of cooking anything you could get your hands on. Another part of Peloponnese cooking is what is seasonal. They use as many fresh products as possible. Poultry stews and soups may include local dried beans, greens, onions, or other vegetables.
Fish
Closer to the coast, every restaurant will offer fish and seafood. Octopus on the grill, calamari frying in olive oil, and local fish are no different than other places in Greece.
However, the local flavors (ingredients) give it its own distinct Peloponnese taste.
Not surprisingly, local raisins appear even in seafood dishes. They do this to play a sweet taste off of a sour taste.
Pasta
Pasta was a dish in Greece long before it would arrive on the shores of Italy. But in early Greece, it was a food for the poor people and did not catch on. When the Romans and later Venetians occupy the Peloponnese, they reintroduce pasta to Greece.
Meatless Peloponnese Cuisine
Kagianas is an egg dish somewhere between an omelet and a scramble depending on where you get it. They add fresh tomato bits. However, it has several variations, so always ask. Some include cured or smoked meats. It is not necessarily a breakfast item, but you may find it in the morning.
The selection of local fruits and vegetables make dining for vegetarians easier in the warmer months. Produce is in fewer winter recipes as it is not fresh.
Sauces and Condiments
Avgolemono – is a sauce they make with eggs (or just yolks), local lemon juice, and broth. You can find it in many areas in Greece. It seems like they use it more in the Peloponnese, possibly due to the availability of lemons.
Sauces and soups with an onion base (ancient cheap, available vegetable) are a staple recipe. Most of them are an all-day preparation due to the length of slow-cooking. But ohh, the flavors. For chicken, it may include feta cheese.
Tomato sauces in the Peloponnese will usually contain cinnamon, in various amounts.
Peloponnese Vinegar – is a by-product of the grape production. They include balsamic vinegar. Due to small family operations producing the vinegar, it can be hard to find. Look for it, and you can taste the local tradition in every drop.
Olive Oil – can be a sauce, although, in Greece, it is more of a food group on its own. It is part of the Greek cooking trinity and a staple in every Greek home. (They may also use it as a non-dairy topping and floor cleaner). The Peloponnese has eight P.D.O. Olive oils. They may have an additional 8,000 as many families make their own. Expect to find olive oil in the Peloponnese cuisine.
Vegetables
The P.D.O. Eggplant from the Tsakonia region is currently the only vegetable with this status in the Peloponnese. They are elongated, thin, and sweet, making them ideal for frying.
Artichokes – I think the Peloponnese ones may give the eggplant a challenge to its solo P.D.O. Status. In the springtime, you cannot visit a market, not overflowing with the purple-green chokes. They braise them with spinach, simmer them in a pot with chicken, and at Easter roast them with lamb.
Greens – The most popular include chard and spinach, but there are numerous. Some they eat raw in salads, others they braise with tomatoes, onions, and feta. Simmering them with local peas or the giant beans is also popular. Many stews will include greens with fish, lamb, goat, or chicken.
Black-eyed peas are a favorite. They show up in many stews and soups or simmered with wild greens.
The Peloponnese also has excellent tomatoes. You can find them whole or in a sauce in Peloponnese cuisine.
Fruits
The peninsula is famous for its oranges, grapes, and lemons. They eat them whole or use them in a wide range of products and recipes. Try orange pork, lemon sauce, and of course, wines and kinds of vinegar. However, not one orange or lemon has P.D.O. Status, yet.
P.D.O. Pilafa Apples. – Carry the name of Ilias Pilafas, who brought Golden Russet apple seeds from the United States in the 1900s. Crossing them with indigenous varieties lead to these eating apples exclusively from Tripoli.
P.D.O. Korinthiaki Stafida Vostitsa – are raisins from the small, sweet, seedless black Vostizza grapes. These grapes have been growing on the hills overlooking the Gulf of Corinth since the 1200s.
They sun-dry the grapes giving them an intense flavor and a sugar content of almost 75%.
Another fruit to try is the fresh figs. And try the dried figs from Kalamata.
Fruits play a significant part in Peloponnese cuisine.
Peloponnese Cuisine Desserts
Lalagia – are ropes of unsweetened dough, they fry and drizzle with honey. (The Greek churro).
Diples – use sheets of phyllo dough they fry and top with walnuts and honey. You can find these desserts in several places in Greece. So why mention them here?
P.D.O. Mainalo Vanilla Fir Honey – is the only honey in Greece with this status. It has a very distinctive flavor and unfortunately, is both hard to find and more expensive than other bee-honeys. So if you can sample lalagia, diples, or anything with this honey, what a local immersion.
Click the orange link to read more about Greek Cuisine.
Taste Peloponnese Beverages
Spirits
You can find all of the traditional liquors of Greece in the Peloponnese. You can find local ouzo, tsipouro, and liqueurs with nut and fruit flavors.
Tentura – is a traditional spirit from the city of Patra, in the northwest part of the Peloponnese. It dates from the 15th century. In alcohol, they add fermented essences of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and citrus fruits. They serve it chilled in small shot glasses as a digestive drink. It also is an ingredient in cocktails.
Rakomelo – is a Greek alcoholic drink available in several places in Greece. They take raki (tsikoudia) or tsipouro and mix it with the local honey and maybe spices. The Peloponnese honey makes it unique.
Rakomelo with local Peloponnese honey.
Peloponnese Beer
Many 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. By 1998, the Peloponnese opens its first microbrewery in Argos. (You can still get the stuff from northern Europe, but you’re not in Amsterdam.)
As of the summer of 2019, there are three microbreweries on the Peloponnese, producing around twenty different beers. Some are seasonal. Most of their beers are available around the island.
Zeos – the oldest microbrewery on the Peloponnese, is in Argos, near the resort area of Naufplio. You can purchase beer at the Brewery, but do not expect a visitor center. There are no chemicals or preservatives in their beers.
Messinian Microbrewery – is near Kalamata but currently does not have a visitor center. You can find their beer in local establishments.
Corinthian Microbrewery – in Corinth currently does not have a visitor center. But you can find their product in local bars and stores.
Patrician Brewery – is in the city of Patra. It also does not have a visitor center, but you can find it in a taverna and local stores.
Peloponnese Wine.
The Peloponnese is one of Greece’s major wine regions. It deserves its page.
You certainly want to pair local wine with the Peloponnese cuisine.