The Food of Lemnos

And Lemnos excels already in each of them. But there’s a topping to these all which remains largely unknown to most people: food!

Restaurant in Lemnos Photo Credit: michael clarke stuff

So just head north and sample some of Greece’s finest cuisines, minus the crowds. Dinning there is like a ritual. Unending conversations in every table mingle with the sound of swaying trees under the afternoon sun, while the waiters make food recommendations off the top of their heads.

All of a sudden your table is going to be overflowing. The island’s specialty is the flomaria pasta – a yumminess with tomato sauce and slow-roasted beef.

Lemnos Photo Credit: Fif’

Cheese-lovers will find Lemnos to be a food paradise to them: melichloro is a hard cheese made from sheep and goat milk while kalathaki is a white brine cheese. Feta though is an all-time classic and favorite.

Seafood is what typically dominates Aegean menus and Lemnos is no exception. All the waterfront tavernas serve delicious plates of grilled octopus and fried calamari. That’s not to say meat is out of the equation, as a rabbit stifado or a pork souvlaki stuffed with paprika chips and tzatziki are the cream of the crop.

Honey is another Limnian masterpiece, yielded for centuries thanks to the local love of apiculture. Regular  varieties are bountiful but the most popular is thyme honey, infused with wild herbs from the island. Most notably, the award-winning nectar from Honey Hasapis is worth a trip to the eastern town of Moudros.

Tavern in Lemnos Photo Credit: michael clarke stuff

The island also holds a long tradition of winemaking due to its volcanic soil and Mediterranean climate. It’s no wonder it has been praised in Homer’s Iliad where it was said to delight the Achaeans during the Trojan War.

You are probably wondering what makes Lemnos so special as variations of these dishes can be sampled across the country.

It’s actually the island’s deep rooted dedication to fresh and free-range produce that makes the difference and elevate traditional recipes to spectacular heights.

Cover picture credits: Fif’