Cuisine of Zakynthos Island for gourmets. Places for dinner - best restaurants

The island's cuisine absorbed all the best traditions of the Greek culinary. One of the most important ingredients in almost any dish is olive oil. The Islanders also like to use tomatoes, garlic, lemons, and fragrant spices. By the way, if you want to taste island food in the form in which they are cooked "for their own", then look for small taverns away from the crowds of tourists and any sights. Service in such places is usually not too fast, but the food is delicious and they cook exactly as they did centuries ago, without any changes to please the travelers.

Sarca is mandatory for tasting. By the way, this dish is considered a real culinary landmark of the island. Beef with tomatoes, sheep cheese called "ladotiri" and garlic can leave anyone indifferent. Another finding of the local chefs, skordostubi, is also popular. This dish is made from tomatoes, aubergines and olive oil with garlic. Local cheese mizithra has an unusual taste, which can be salty or plain but should be consumed with honey or sugar. Gourmets advise trying Zakynthos rabbits in tomato sauce in the local taverns.

Do not pass by the world-famous yogurt sauce tzatziki. As a snack, you can taste tiropitakia, lush dough stuffed with national Greek feta cheese or tiropota, a puff pastry roll with cheese, spinach, meat or other stuffing. In any tavern, even a small one, you can buy gyros, a traditional Greek sandwich. Pork, tomatoes, French fries, sauce, and greens wrapped in a tortilla – almost a perfect snack. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Among the salads here, you should try koriatiki, a dish that in the rest of the world is called a "Greek salad". It should be noted that it is prepared here differently and the taste, thanks to local ingredients, is quite different. The salads with beans and potatoes are also popular here. At least once taste a kebab souvlaki and stifado, a calf with onion and tomato sauce. Lamb with youvetsi pasta is also interesting, bifteki meatballs and eggplants stuffed with meat called papoutsakia. You should better buy fish dishes in taverns near the coast. Fish and seafood here are boiled, fried, stewed, dried – are cooked actually in all possible ways. Please note that the chosen dish may not be on the menu due to the fact that the right ingredient just was not caught today.

There are many places in Zakynthos, where you can buy home-made bread and sweets. The most famous local dessert is mandolato. It is made from eggs, almonds, and honey. Those, who like sweets, will also like pasteli, a delicacy made from honey, almonds, and sesame. However, fans of sweet things will have something to choose from the island – baklava, and nougat with nuts, and biscuits are also sold here. If you like honey, it is worth to get acquainted with its local variation, which has a unique taste and aroma.

All coffee drinkers are advised to try Greek coffee. You can order it with sugar – pikro, or bemetrio. If you want a very sweet drink, then take a glyko. By the way, they drink coffee here slowly, so that sediment remains at the bottom. The freshes are sold on the island in large quantities, but the tea here is not too popular. Do not pass by the local wine, because it is unique and not exported to any part of the world. Solomos, Callinicos, and Imiglykos are made from local grapes and are sold immediately. Anise vodka ouzo Greek cognac Metaxa is popular among the travelers.