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What to eat in the Cyclades? Top 23 Cycladic Foods

Last update: Sun Feb 16 2025
Top 23 Cycladic Foods
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01

Cheese

NAXOS ISLAND, Greece
4.7
Graviera Naxou
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This cheese has been produced on the island of Naxos in the Cyclades for at least a century. Graviera Naxou is made from pasteurised cow milk or a mixture of sheep milk and a maximum of 20% goat milk. It has a thin rind and a light yellow, compact interior filled with small holes.


Graviera Naxou is a hard table cheese with a refreshing taste and light aroma. It has a maximum moisture content of 38% and at least 40% fat content. The milk used for its production comes from breeds that are traditionally raised on the island, which feed on a diet of local plants and herbs that give their milk a unique flavor. 
02

Sweet Pie

SIFNOS, Greece
4.6
Melopita
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Translated as honey pie, this light Greek dessert is traditionally associated with the island of Sifnos, but its varieties can be found in other Greek regions as well. The pie combines fresh cheese, preferably mizithra based on sheep or goat milk, eggs, and honey, and it is usually baked as a round, crustless cake.


It is recommended to garnish melopita with a sprinkle of cinnamon and an additional drizzle of honey.

03

Cheese

NAXOS ISLAND, Greece
4.6
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Arseniko Naxou is a Greek cheese originating from the island of Naxos, hence the name. The word arseniko means male or masculine. The cheese is made from raw sheep’s and goat’s milk with the addition of whey.


After it thickens, the cheese is drained in specially designed baskets known as tirovola. In the beginning, its flavor is sweet, but after a few months it develops a spicy and aromatic flavor.

04

Cheese

SYROS, Greece
4.4
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This hard cheese is obtained exclusively from the milk of cows bred on the island of Syros in the Cyclades archipelago, where this famous cheese has been produced for more than half a century using the same traditional methods. The local cows are fed a diet of aromatic local plants and herbs, which contribute to the buttery scent of this cheese.


It is quite hard and compact with many irregular holes. It has a cylindrical shape and a color that varies from light to intense yellow. Its aroma is unique and it has a pleasantly spicy taste with an aftertaste reminiscent of dried fruit. It can be eaten plain as a table cheese, and it is also often used as an ingredient in soufflés or omelettes.

05

Flatbread

KIMOLOS, Greece
4.3
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Ladenia is a type of soft flatbread that’s topped with tomato slices, onions, and a generous drizzle of Greek olive oil. Hailing from Kimolos, this savory delicacy is considered to be the Greek take on Italian pizza, and it is believed to date back to the time of the Venetian occupation of the island.


The dough is typically made with flour, yeast, water, and salt, although some versions also call for the addition of olive oil to the combination. Homemade tomato paste is often used in case there are no fresh tomatoes, while some people tend to enhance the simple tomato-onion topping with the addition of capers and peppers. 
06

Egg Dish

ANDROS, Greece
4.3
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Fourtalia is a traditional omelet hailing from the island of Andros. Although the ingredients may vary from area to area, the basic recipe always contains eggs, potatoes, and sausages. The cut potatoes are fried in olive oil and pork fat, with the addition of sausage bits just after the potatoes start to turn golden.


At this stage, you can add peppers, onions, and bacon, if desired. The final step is the addition of beaten eggs, and the omelet is then fried until fluffy or firm, based on personal preferences. Fourtalia should always be served hot, straight out of the pan. 

MOST ICONIC Fourtalia

1
07

Cheese

CYCLADES, Greece
4.2
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This cheese is traditionally produced from goat's or sheep's milk, although some dairies also use cow’s milk or a mixture of the three, taken from breeds reared on the Cyclades in the southern Aegean Sea. The diet of the animals is based on the area's endemic aromatic plants, which affect the flavor of their milk.


In recent past, the traditional method of producing this cheese was improved by the addition of fresh butter made from the cream obtained after skimming the milk, but this butter can only amount to 15% of the total weight of the cheese. It increases the fat content and gives Kopanisti an even creamier texture. 
08
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These flavorful fritters employ diced tomatoes as their main ingredient, while other additions commonly include onions, fresh herbs, spices, feta cheese and grated zucchinis. The dish is usually associated with Santorini, an island known for the highly prized local tomato variety Tomataki Santorinis.


The fritters are typically enjoyed as a light main course, a snack, or a meze dish, and are best paired with creamy fava or tzatziki dips.

MOST ICONIC Tomatokeftedes

1
09
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Pitarakia is a specialty of Milos island, consisting of small half-moon-shaped pastries filled with cheese. The pastry dough is typically made with flour, olive oil, onions, herbs, salt, and lukewarm water, while the filling may be as simple as crumbled local cheese (such as feta or manoura) mixed with freshly ground pepper.


Other variations of the cheese filling include a mixture of local mizithra cheese, eggs, spearmint, and salt, or a combination of finely chopped red onions with dry Melian cheese. There’s also a sweet version of the pastry which uses a filling of mizithra cheese, sugar, eggs, and cinnamon. 
10

Dessert

MILOS, Greece
3.7
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Koufeto is a traditional sweet preserve or spoon sweet (glyko tou koutaliou) from the island of Milos. It is made by simmering pieces of local sweet white pumpkin in a mixture of water, sugar, and local honey, which is then combined with blanched almonds and lemon juice.


The preserve is typically kept in glass jars, and it is sometimes flavored with cinnamon sticks. On Milos, this sweet specialty is usually associated with weddings and engagements, which is how the preserve earned its name the marriage sweet
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Glykó tou koutalioú
11
Cheese
MYKONOS, Greece
3.7
12
13
Cheese
NAXOS ISLAND, Greece
n/a
14
Savory Pie
KIMOLOS, Greece
4.1
15
Goat Cheese
NAXOS ISLAND, Greece
n/a
16
Cheese
TINOS, Greece
n/a
17
Cheese
FOLEGANDROS, Greece
3.9
18
Stew
AMORGOS, Greece
3.6
19
Cheese
SANTORINI, Greece
3.6
20
Stew
NAXOS ISLAND, Greece
3.2
21
Spread
CYCLADES, Greece
3.2
22
Spread
SYROS, Greece
3.0
23
Bread
KIMOLOS, Greece
n/a

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

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Cycladic Food