EAT & DRINK

OUZO OF LESVOS

A place so beautiful filled with charms, like the land of Lesvos, celebrated and an inspiration of poets, painters, writers filled with sunshine and an excellent variety of aniseed and other aromatic herbs, it is therefore natural for it to bear and to include in its tradition for centuries the production of ouzo.

Ouzo has a tradition for more than 200 years. Ouzo was already known on the island before the year 1800 and was a renowned product which was mainly exported to the East. It is the period where commerce blossomed on the island.

Many distilleries that where established the previous century did not manage to survive for various reasons, but those who did survive have an acceptable presentation in the local market and some even managed to escape the narrow boundaries of the island and to spread not only throughout the rest of Greece but throughout the world.

Ouzo is an alcoholic beverage which is exclusive produced in Greece by traditional procedures, with use of aromatic herbs from the Greek countryside and copper ware of a particular type. Extracted from mixture of alcohols, which have been aromatized from the distillation of aniseeds and other aromatic herbs, seeds and fruits such as fennel, gum etc.

The proportion of alcohol in ouzo ranges from 37,5 - 48%. Ouzo is a traditional and well loved Greek drink. The ouzo of Lesvos has its own personality, its own taste, its own heritage and it hides its own secrets, so well known to our distillers. These secrets associated with this product have established it as a high quality product and it is requested either as ouzo of Mytilini or ouzo of Plomari.

It is drunk mainly as an aperitif, dry or with water. Enjoyed together with traditional meze (appetizers) mainly fish, octopus and kalamari (cuttlefish). Some like it dry or on the rocks as a long drink.

Ouzo has reached the competitive stages of many world renowned alcoholic beverages.

SALTED FISH OF LESVOS

One of the characteristic products of the Prefecture of Lesvos is the salted fish. With the term salted we mean processing fish, entirely preserved in salt, packed in cans of various sizes. Salting is one of the most ancient methods of the preservation of fish and is used until today due to its simplicity and its relatively good results. Based on the antiseptic qualities of salt with concentration above 10% and the dehydration of bone which it causes due to its liquefying identity.

For many years now, in the Prefecture of Lesvos exist handicraft companies that process and package fish products. The ability of these establishments to process fish varies from 20 tons and may reach 400 tons yearly depending on the size of the establishment and magnitude of the fishing trawlers.

The processing procedure is done completely based on know-how experience with a distinct method of use of salt where no other ingredients are used. This procedure is learned from one generation to the other and is constantly improved. The procedure is completely traditional and is done only by hand with no use of specialized machinery.

The assortments of fish that are processed are sardines, types mackerel, anchovies and tune fish. The fishing season begins in March and ends in October except for the tune fish which begins after the month of October.

The quality of the specific fish, in the seas of Lesvos, is relatively high most probably due to the climate and the rich natural food (plankton) available in the seas. We all know the renowned sardines from the Gulf of Kalloni which even though small in size, their taste is considered the best in comparison to sardines from other areas of Greece. A great number of consumers prefer these sardines which they purchase a small amounts from the fish market and after cleaning they are tasted with oil and vinegar as an appetizer of great taste and quality. All salt processed fish acquire taste, aroma and dryness and are canned in various sizes and are also packed in vases of different shapes and sizes. The progress achieved in the canning techniques these past years has given these establishments the ability to offer these products to the consumers in greater demand having a powerful perspective in expansion.

OLIVE OIL – OLIVES OF LESVOS

Sometime, many years ago, Kekropas, king of Athens was a referee between goddess Athena and Poseidon king of the sea, resolving their differences who would give his name to this city. The myth says that Poseidon hit the earth and water welled up, but Athena was the one who planted an olive tree and thus gave her name to this city.

Ancient Greeks used olive branches as a highest reward to winners of Olympic Games, although the oil was used for therapeutic reasons, beautifying, enlightenment and of course nourishment. The fruit of the tree of victory and peace was used for the therapy of headaches, throat aches, ear pains, dislocations, fractures, wounds and as a means of rubbing medication, massage and as a medical plaster, as a disinfectant and a cosmetic, even as and antidote for poisoning. Olive oil is believed to help the development of the central nervous system and of the brain and has been proved of having beneficial properties with regards to heart related illnesses, cholesterol, constipation, gall-stone, indigestion and ageing problems.

The Gold Liquid of Homer is the backbone of Greek nutrition from his era to ours and justifies victoriously with world wide success and proclaims the "Mediterranean Diet” as the most beneficial and healthy "diet system” that one might select. The how and why olive oil together with bread, pulse, vegetables and fish contribute to such a nutritional triumph you will discover once you basically adopt such a diet and enjoy later the results in your bodily system.

The virgin Lesbian olive oil is rich in single insatiable fatty acids as opposed to other seed-oils which basically have multi insatiable fatty acids. It is known the fatty acids in oil firstly effect the degree of oxidation when frying and then separate in unhealthy substances having bad odour.

The olive oil has the charismatic identity to have special stamina to frying due to the natural anti oxidation contents allowing it to be used repeatedly without the fear of oxidation. With the use of seed-oils for frying, not only do we effect the taste and odour of the food but the oil achieves health hazard identities.

On the other hand the consistency of the organic characteristics of olive oil even after frying and cooking transfers a pleasant taste and aroma in our nourishment. As a result the synthesis of the gastric fluids is modified and digestion is facilitated.

The virgin olive oil of Lesvos which exceeds the colour of gold contains only a minimal amount of chlorophyll as a result of the traditional way of gathering of olives and their special variety. The crop is gathered picking by hand along with the use of special nets. The crop is delivered from the olive grove to the olive press in small sacks made of natural fibers immediately after the gathering without being stored. The procedure of olive pressing takes place in olive mills on the island at a temperature not over 32°C and the olive oil that is produced is kept in stainless steel storages under especially controlled conditions. Thus our packed olive oil has better resistance to time because chlorophyll, when exposed to light speeds oxidation. This is the virgin olive oil of Lesvos, a natural thin liquid of the olive tree and a unique source of precious Vitamin E.

SHELL-FISH / OYSTERS OF LESVOS

Quinces, shell-fish, oysters and clams are the natural wealth of the Gulfs in the islands of Lesvos and Lemnos. The most selective and delicious appetizers that can decorate a table with fruits of the sea accompanied with white wine from Lemnos or aromatic Ouzo of Mytilini with two or three dishes, can be the setting of a traditional table in a local tavern. They can be eaten fresh out of the sea raw with lemon or grilled. Shell-fish and oysters can be also cooked with rice and never forget the ouzo.

Even though the gathering of the sea fruits depends mainly on the weather conditions, the season and the regulations that are controlled by law, our islands have succeeded in having a year around supply, covering local demand and the fish farms dealing with sell-fish are exporting large numbers mainly to European counties.

Their perfect quality and their endless supply from the seas of Lesvos and Lemnos have made the shell-fish high in demand. From all the local production of sea fruits, the oysters of the Gulf of Kalloni are the most popular.

DAIRY PRODUCTS OF LESVOS

An intense feeling of the visitor of Lesvos is that this island has preserved its traditional colour and has resisted the leveling raid of the extreme modernistic trends which alter many of the urban and even agricultural areas of the rest of the country. Both older and newer generations have remained loyal to a great extent to traditional nourishment practices, thus increasing the demand of local agricultural and stock-breeding products.

The unaltered quality of traditional dairy products (Ladotiri, Feta cheese, Gruyere, and Kalathaki) could be responsible for the trend to the Greek way of nourishment up until today, from the local producers and their unchanged preferences not only from the consumer public of Lesvos but from the remaining country.

The natural flora and the local breeds of sheep effect the creational factor of the excellent contents of sheep’s milk in the area, which could under certain conditions be characterized as ecological and which traditional cheese-makers convert and apply the traditional know-how and expertise that have been passed on from generation to generation.

The human factor determines the uniqueness of the taste identities of these dairy products because their excellent qualities are connected with the knowledge of the bio-regions, the systematic feeding of local breeds and the traditional techniques of cheese-making.

For many years now we can enjoy the peppery taste of Gruyère of Mytilini, the characteristic freshness of Feta cheese, and the ripe sentiment of Ladotiri.

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