Mermizeli

This simple Kalymnian salad uses a type of local round barley rusks called krithini kouloura as its base. The barley rusks are typically lightly softened in water and torn into smaller pieces before they’re combined with finely chopped tomatoes, onions, cheese (usually cream cheese or feta), and plenty of olive oil.

Other common ingredients contained in the salad include slices of Greek sardeles (sardines in oil), capers, olives, cucumbers, sea squirts, and aromatic herbs that grow on the island such as oregano or throumbi (pink savory). In Kalymnos, mermizeli (also known as mirmizeli) salad is offered at almost every traditional tavern, and each of those has its own unique twist on the salad.