Lesvos is a treasure of gastronomic delights. The diversity and appeal of its cuisine stem from its rich cultural heritage and its abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs, seafood and livestock, in addition of course to its wealth of olive trees. It was not without reason that the Ottomans referred to Lesvos as the “orchard of the Empire”.
Much of its best cooking must be experienced locally, as many ingredients of its finest foods cannot easily be found elsewhere. You must visit Lesvos to taste its stuffed zucchini flowers, fresh and salted sardines, clams and lakerda or pickled mackerel and other seafood delicacies, and its superb cheeses not least of which is the famous ladotyri, literally meaning “oil cheese”, a type of hard cheese which is preserved in olive oil and dates back to ancient times.
The selection of recipes presented here is intended to give you a sense of the wholesome, nutritious and delicious foods of Lesvos that can easily be created in your kitchen. We hope you will enjoy the tastes of Lesvos.
