Ikariotikes katsikaki

The Greek island of Ikaria has long been renowned for its goats, both domestic and wild. Ikarian goats are typically white or black, of medium height, and free-range. In the past, every family raised their own herd of goats primarily for milk and dairy products, while the meat of the animals used to be reserved for holidays, typically for the Easter celebrations.

Apart from the domestic kind, a variety of wild goats locally known as rhaska also graze the island’s terrain. The mountainous parts of the island are home to these goats, hence their name, from the Greek word oreska or oresivia, meaning those who live in the mountains.

Wild goats are traditionally hunted for their extremely lean and delicious meat, especially in the summer period. On Ikaria, goat meat is usually eaten boiled, roasted, or stewed, and it is also occasionally used for the preparation of a traditional meat product called pastrami (corned and dried goat meat).

The milk provided by Ikarian goats is an essential part of the daily diet of Ikarians, who consume it raw or use it to make a variety of dairy products such as goat’s cheese (like kathoura) and goat’s yogurt.