Traditional Cuisine of Astypalea

A place as genuine and authentic as Astypalea could only be expected to have a rich gastronomic tradition, with local products passed down from generation to generation and kept alive over time.

Astypalea’s cuisine is renowned for many local products, but primarily for its cheese production. The most well-known types are chloró cheese, ladotyri, anthotyro, chlorí, and kopanistí. Chloró is a fresh cheese that is kept for only a few days. Afterward, it is salted and left to dry until it hardens. Once it becomes hard, it is preserved in oil, becoming ladotyri, and is enjoyed either as a table cheese or fried as saganaki. With the leftover whey from these cheese-making processes, chlorí is made — a type of soft myzithra cheese — which is used as a filling in various pies and in lazania, a local pasta dish. When chlorí is salted and aged, it becomes anthotyro.

As for dairy products, traditional butter is also made from the by-products of cheese production, as well as sygáthouro (also known as faiá glína – a dark lard-like substance), which is mainly used for frying eggs. Another local specialty is xyalína, a traditional type of yogurt unique to Astypalea.

Saffron or tzafóra (wild saffron) is a type of plant that grows on the island and is used in various recipes, such as kitrinokouloura (saffron cookies), which are made with local butter, anthotyro cheese, milk, and spices.

The cuisine of Astypalea is also known for flavors that combine savory and sweet elements. This is why the local aromatic thyme honey is used in many savory recipes, the most famous of which is poungia—cheese pies filled with myzithra, anthotyro, and of course, honey.

Rantistá or arantistá are a well-known local version of lentils with the distinctive addition of dough pieces. Other traditional dishes include stuffed vine leaves with ground beef, xerotigana (fried pastries), zucchini flowers, makarounes (handmade pasta), arantistá, diples shaped like roses, handmade pasteli (sesame and honey bars), lampropita (Easter pie), and more.

As an island, Astypalea naturally boasts its own local seafood dishes. Some of these include octopus fritters, baked fish with saffron, skaros plaki (a traditional dish with parrotfish), lobster pasta, and more.

As a visitor to Astypalea, whichever local recipe you choose, it will certainly reward you—and you’ll definitely want to taste it again!

Sources:
greekgastronomyguide.gr
argiro.gr